Page 25 - Sutclifffe-APD_USNavy

U. S. NAVY AND MARJNE CORPS CENSQRSHIP
HANDSTAMPS AND POSTMARKS.

Poste - M-USN 6.

This handstamp is in ihe nature o-.f a. Naval :Postal

Direction hZ9nd stamp, consisting o:£" the words, "COVERED BY",
35 mm x 4 mm and, "K 1 Net /PO • . . NY/PO . .. " , 4 6 mm ~ ? rnl'l1_, a 11
the type being block serif type. The whole is enclosed by

a single line frame, 50 mm x 18 mm, and --the ha.nds-ta,mp is
known struck in both blue and purple.

It is believed tbat -\:his tnar_k was applied to i11dicate
whether th.e mai~ was to go to the Kingston q. P. 0. :for

transmission as iniernal rnail within the island or -to the
New York ~.P . O. as overseas mail. The hahdstamp has been
seen on both types of mail, and as it was in use prior to

the arrival of either the "Pleet "Pos-t Office or -the Naval
Post Office at ~amaica, it is assumed that it was applierl
at the Marine Post O££ice, Portland Bight and/or by ~he

rasiden-t naval officer at -the Prederick Sna.re Corporation 's
Offices.
'the wording of the ha.ndstamp is interes"ti~, as i-t has

oeen assu~ed ihat all the mail ~rom Uni{ed Staies personnel
went to either New York or ~anama, bui clearly~ ~he

han.ds-bamp makes no provision for a Pa.na.ma des-ti.gna.tion.
Perhaps all mail from "Jamaica went to .New Y.ork, wi-th the
mail from other Caribbean islands going to Pana~a. Ii

should be added that so far none of tne bandstamps seen
have shown which alterhative ~. P . O. the cover was i.n-\:endea
1:o ·be sent to :for transmission.