Page 2 - Jamaica, Censorship - Paul Farrimond
P. 2
JAMAICA POSTAL CENSORSHIP
Initial Terminal Censorship
Postal censorship in Jamaica began a few days before the outbreak of World War II. The Jamaican
Censorship Service was set up on the top floor of the General Post Office in Kingston, with a staff of
around forty. This service was responsible for censoring mail either originating in, or addressed to
Jamaica - so called "terminal censorship".
The first labels for resealing envelopes after censorship were printed locally in Kingston on various
shades of pale greenish blue paper. The Jamaican Censor was not satisfied with them due to their
small size and tiny lettering, so they were replaced after around one week of use, and remaining
stocks were transferred to the Cayman lslands for use there. Two types are recorded, differing both
in size of the label and the lettering.
1939 (1 5t September)
Cover from Kingston to New York, USA
Mailed from Kingston on 1st September 1939, the day that German forces invaded Poland , and two
days before Britain declared war on Germany.
.bf not deliverea in five d,ays return to
HAN D, ARNOL D L TC .
KINGSTON. JAMAICA. B·W.I. 'f
Messrs. F. &. J. Mever,
116 Broad Street
New York,
") U.S . A
)
j
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The letter was opened for censorship by the Jamaican Censorship Service, this being the earliest
recorded date of censored mail in Jamaica.
The envelope was sealed using two of the first type of resealing labels - the smaller type (JL1A), with
"Opened by Censor'' measuring just 23mm in length. This type is recorded used in Jamaica from 1st
to 6th September 1939.
