Page 91 - Falkland Islands King George VI Definitive Issue, 1938-1950

FALKLAND ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY

5½d - Foreign Letter Rate Registered and Censored to Norway, February 1940.

Foreign rate for letters was 2½d for the first ounce, in operation from 1 January 1926 to 31 August 1940.
Registration was 3d per item and applied from 1 January 1922 to 30 June 1970.
Censorship of mail was authorised by the Governor throughout the World War II period from 25 August 1939 to
31 July 1945

This cover was correctly rated at 5½d for the overseas registered mail service to Norway, a UPU country not a
member of the Commonwealth and datestamped at Stanley by PS.2 on 20 February 1940. The mail, the
second of 1940, left on 11 March 1940 carried by local mail ship SS Lafonia on a familiar there and back
voyage to Montevideo where the mail bags would be off-loaded for onward transmission by ship to, typically.
Liverpool.

Whilst in transit through the English mail system, the cover was opened for censorship, resealed with a PC 90
type “OPENED BY CENSOR 259” label and resorted, routed for despatch to Norway for eventual local delivery
at the port of Sandefjord, the pre-war capital of the whaling world but …

On 9 April 1940, the country of Norway was invaded by the German Army and occupied. For obvious political,
and practical, reasons the mail service between England and Norway was put on hold until peace was restored.
Mail in transit caught by these measures was handstamped “POSTAL SERVICES SUSPENDED / RETURN TO
SENDER”.

Mail en route from the Falkland Islands was caught by this disruption. Covers were returned to Stanley and
around five covers are believed to now exist with this English WW II marking. This is one of them.