Description
WWII postal routes: JAN 6 1940 surface mailed printed envelope on personal stationary from MANILA (Philippines) to THE HAGUE (Netherlands) with routing instruction "by S.S. 'Takao Maru.' | Netherland via Japan/Siberia [USSR]/Germany.", franked 12c per period rate using a Salt Spring 12c stamp overprinted COMMONWEALTH & tied by single strike of local postmark; opened & resealed by censor at left using Em. 77 Arms / PASSED BY CENSOR label tied framed PASSED BY / 46 / CENSOR (CCSG 2A) on front and back - applied at SINGAPORE. Sealed at back with 2x 1939-dated red cross cinderellas; slit open at top, minor stain on front. Interesting route, travelling through the period Axis and Axis-allied countries. The transporting vessel was a Japanese combined cargo vessel/passenger ship; just after the attack on Pearl Harbor, while assisting Japanese troops in the Japanese invasion of the Philippines on 10 December 1941, she was attacked by the US Air Force and put out of action.
