CALI STATION COLOMBIA

[belcherstephen]

All members
I have purchased a item which I would welcome comments.
I collect Jamaica censored mail with interest in the FAM9 route via Cali station during late 40 to early 43
The cover from Peru to Swizerland dated July 1941
The cover was purchased for a superb strike of the US Postal agency Cali I understand such handstamps are difficult to find.
The label British type ID Morenweiser 2911 with tall and narrow O

Dates Cali 26 July 1941
New York 28 July 1941

The censor is 6093 Morenweiser states this censor was in Bermuda at this time

As this letter would have been sent to Jamaica not Bermuda, do you feel that perhaps staff shortage or excess mail may have caused this censor to help for a period in Jamaica
Stephen

[dannmayo]

Hi Stephen,

Better late than never, I hope. This may be of use.

Dann

August 2015 Air Mail News Vol 58. No 230

LATI Air Mails from Neutral Europe to USA Air mail from Axis and neutral Europe to the USA via L.A.T.I. and South America 1940 — 1941, Richard Beith FRPSL

Censorship of transit air mails in Jamaica was initiated at the end of May 1941 when it was decided that an Imperial Censorship Station be opened as opposed to the existing local censorship organisation. This was justified by 'the amount of transit air mail, more particularly between Miami and Barranquilla [Colombia]'. A staff of 20 were recruited from Bermuda and Trinidad to work as an Imperial unit. That is an example of how the numbered sealing tapes moved around. It was recorded that:

Their main occupation was letters passing between Colombia, Venezuela and countries in western South America on the one hand and the United States, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic on the other This mail was very large and [staff] reinforcements were sent out from the United Kingdom.

With regard to L.A.T.I. mail:

About the time of the arrival of the Censor–in–Charge [from the UK] in July 1941, arrangements had been made for certain air mail which had been carried across the Atlantic to Brazil by the L.A.T.I. Line to be diverted to Jamaica. This mail emanated almost entirely from Germany and Italy and was going to the United States [or] across the Pacific to the Far East [by steamer from Valparaiso, Chile] It crossed South America to the West Coast and travelled up by air through the Canal Zone and Central America, but at Cali in Colombia, a part of it was diverted to Barranquila and thence by Pan American aircraft to Jamaica. This mail was valuable and interesting as it was one of the few means by which the outside world could be fed from enemy sources. It was, however only available for a short time and ceased altogether in November 1941.16

15. Herbert E. S. and des Graz C. G. (eds), History of the Postal and Telegraph Censorship Department 1938 — 1946
(London, The Home Office, 1952), authorised reprint by the Civil Censorship Study Group, 1996.
16. Herbert and des Graz, op. cit., paragraphs 1366 and 1367.

[LuzA]

Good evening,

Dear belcherstephen,

Acc. to your description we are talking about a letter sent from Peru to Switzerland (by PANAM / Atlantic ocean).
Is it possible for you to show us pictures of the front and back of the cover?

[dmui]

Good evening

Per the request for a scan.

Here is a Registered letter from Chile to Switzerland- Routing marks on reverse are Santiago Chile June 5, 1941. New York City June 9, 1941 and Roti (Zurich) July 30, 1941. The Cali Registry marking is June 7, 1941.

The PC 90 resealing label for Censor 6190 who is shown in Morenweiser file as Bermuda during this period

Hope this is helpful

Dave