WORLD WAR II ENVELOP ON E-BAY
FROM
SUSANNE GRAVENDIJK WIRTH
I have removed all e-mail addresses, except for mine, for privacy reasons
From: Susanne Gravendijk Wirth
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 9:45 PM
To: dje9537459@austin.rr.com
Subject: Fwd: Question from eBay Member
This is from one of the bidders on the Tucker envelope. I wrote to two
of them to get them to stop bidding against Carol Tucker so that she could
retrieve it for their family history since she wanted to have it.
The information sent by Jan from Holland was interesting. He references
the HBU because I told him that my father, Arie Gravendijk, was sent to Aruba to
establish the branch bank for the Hollandsche Bank Unie, or HBU, to Dutch folk.
See if you can use that data.
Keep up the good work!
Susanne
Note: forwarded message attached.
DAN'S NOTE: THIS IS THE REPLY THAT SUSANNE GOT FROM HER
E-MAIL TO THE EBAY BIDDER, JAN IN HOLLAND.
From:
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 1:54 PM
To:
Subject: Question from eBay Member
 Dear
arubasue62,
Following your advice, I visited the Lago-Colony web-site, and found it
most informative. I first looked at the WWII section and saw the Tucker
1942 envelope. Perhaps I could add something to the background of this
envelope: Civilian mail from St.Nicolaas was censored at the Oranjestad
censor office (from July 1940 onwards). Most of the Lago-mail was opened
by the censor (could contain information of strategic importance). The
1942 envelope was opened by censor 27 (one of the 4 censors operating in
Oranjestad at that time) and closed by a resealing label reading 'GEOPEND
DOOR CENSUUR CURACAO'. Civilian mail of private persons or firms known
to the censors (as was HBU) were not opened, but only marked by the 'NIET
GEOPEND....' handstamp. The 1942 cover has a not opened handstamp but
was still opened by the censor. That's why it is special. I could tell
you more (US censor was in Miami, etc.) If you want more information
contact me at my E-mail address
Thank you,
jan7011
|
DAN'S NOTE: SEEMS I WAS MISTAKEN AND THE
ENGLISH (AMERICAN) CENSOR WAS IN MIAMI. I WILL E-MAIL JAN AND ASK IF HE WOULD LIKE TO
ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. I AM ALSO HAPPY TO REPORT THAT CAROL TUCKER WON THE
ENVELOPE, THANKS JAN FOR NOT TRYING TO OUTBID HER, NOW IT HAS COME FULL CIRCLE.
MORE INFORMATION FROM JAN.
From: Jan Schelling
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 3:26 PM
To: Dan Jensen
Subject: Re: Aruba envelope for sale on eBay
Dan,
Perhaps Susanne told you that I am a specialized
collector of WWII censored mail to and from the Colony of Curacao (not a
protectorate) of which Aruba was a part at that time.
In my reply to Susanne I was very limited in my
comment because of the limited space Ebay gives you to send E-mail to other
Ebay members. I should have added that the Tucker envelope was transported
to Miami by PANAM (KLM only got a direct connection with Miami in August
1943).
Further, the second Tucker cover from 1944 (not
on the site) is a nice addition to the one from 1942: it has a resealing
label reading 'GEOPEND DOOR CENSUUR ARUBA' and was opened by the same censor
(# 27) as the 1942 cover. Censor 27 was in office from February 1942 up to
October 1944; at that time his handstamp became very worn (as on the 1944
Tucker cover). From 1943 Aruba used their own resealing labels and no longer
the ones with Curacao on it. Another feature of the 1944 cover is the use of
a US censor tape, replacing the US labels (as on the 1942
Tucker cover) from 1943.
In my collection I have about 60 covers having a
'Lago Oil & Transport Company, Limited' imprint, that is followed by 'Aruba,
Curacao', acknowledging the fact that Aruba was a part of the Colony
Curacao. Some senders canceled 'Curacao' by pen on these covers ! Even
at that time Aruba was looking for a 'status aparte'.
Reading the site's information on the Lago Post
Office, makes my understand why Lago employees used different P.O.Box
numbers. That must have been the number of their mail box in the Lago P.O. !
I assume the Lago P.O. was not the P.O. where the mail got the St.Nicolaas
cancellation. All Lago mail shows this cancellation.
I have another question about your article on
Aruba Defense in WWII: you do not mention the presence of French marines
preceding the British troops in 1940.
And there is little information on the
Americans. A lot of information is in Dr.J.Hartog's book "Juwana Morto,
Kustbatterij Aruba".
At the moment I am writing some articles on WWII
censorship in Curacao & Aruba to be published in an American philatelic
magazine. By researching the procedures used by the censor on Aruba I found
that they had their own way and did not always follow the strict rules
issued by the chief-censor in Willemstad.
I forgot to tell you that I have in my
collection some nice covers from the British troops stationed on Aruba,
showing British (military) censor marks in combination with civilian Aruba
censor marks. The Americans never used the Aruba postal service, but
used special A.P.O. 811 postmarks (for Aruba) and US censors marks.
This is a fascinating field of study !
If you want some more information, or more
specific on a subject related with mail & censorship, do contact me again !
Greetings.
Jan Schelling