Page 3 - Sutclifffe-APD_USNavy

U. S. NAVY AND MARINE CORPS CENSORSHIP
HANDStA~PS AND POSTMARKS.

handstamp used by this officer at Kingston is therefore, the
first of ihe u. s. Navy censorha~dsta~ps, M-USNC 1.

The marine detachment referred to above had its own post
mark dater at Portland ~ighi, as ~rom the 18-lh ~uly, 1941,

but up to ihat ti~e the marine$' ~ail was taken to either New
York or Panama for cancellation. The dater, M-USM 1, used
at this camp is usually fo~o on ADerican patriotic ~ail,

which is usually of a philatelic nature. There are some
twelve different designs of -lhe patriotic cover then in use
together with many other cachets or patriotic handsiamps.

Under the terms o£ the Lease Lend agreement the letters
had to be franked by u.s. rost~e stamps, or postal stationery
with the correot rate used, and this posiiion continued until

after the United states entered the war. Free postage was
subsequently allowed ~o service personnel by a Congressional

law passed on the 27th March, 194a.
From the 15th August, 194Z until the 1st J"une, 1947, ihe
American base ai Yortland ~ight used a Fleet Post Office dater

M-USN 1, Plee~ Post Office 4Z bei~ established at this base
to control all the naval mail in the Wes~ern Caribbean. A
censor handst~p, M-USMC 2, was also used at this Fleet Post

Oi:fice, which was -the genera.! -type o:f fleet censor ~arking.
According ~o u.s. Navy records, a Naval Post O£fice, as

disti nct from the Fleet Post. Office, was also located at
Portland Bight as from the 20th February, 1943, until the

lst September, 1944. This Naval Post Office used the general
type Naval Posi Office dater, (Poster Type D), which would be
applied to the mail from the service men at that base, and
after 1he marines had left, on the 15ih March, 1943, such

dater would have been applied to all mail, including tnat of
a small marine detachment le£~ for guard purposes. ln some