Civil Censorship Study Group

Hello All

Being newish to civil censorship I am not sure about this cover as it seems to be a civil post. If it is classed as a civil censorship post can anyone tell me about this mark as I think it may by a censor mark or anything about the censor sealing tape?

Thanks in advance

Chris S-Weddell

Hi Chris,

This is one of the military Alaska provisional censor handstamps, reputedly made from liquor bottle corks and erasers. There was a listing of them in The Alaska Philatelist years ago, but I do not have that now. If you Google alaska provisional censor mark you will see some more (add Fort Richardson or Fort Raymond and you will see some more). In the censor tape, ADC stands for Alaska Defense Command.

Not civil censorship as use confined to military mail.

Dann Mayo

Hi Dann

Thank you very much for your help with this.

Was there much civil censorship in Alaska.

Regards

Chris S-Weddell

Welcome Chris-

Dann is correct on the identification and background.

There is a good breakdown in the Alaska chapter of Passed by Army Censor by the late Richard W. Helbock, published by James E. Lee Publishing in 2006.

Dave

Hi again,

In re your follow-on question, there was no civil censorship in Alaska. (I have some US Army racetrack censor handstamps on what appear to be civilian covers sent through the civilian post office, but that is another story -- for which I have no explanation.)

All US civil censorship of mails to and from Alaska was supposed to take place in Seattle. At one point, the Territorial Governor objected to the censorship of some of his mail (Time magazine, I think) and caused Congressional hearings to be started, but these quietly fizzled.

Dann

Dave and Dann

Thank you both for your help. I am trying to get hold of a copy of Helbock's book here in the UK in the UK if not I will have to get one from the USA.

Chris