British Occupations » Dodecanese. 1943 (Sept) Cover from an Italian military soldier in Leros to Corato, a locality in the South of Italy, showing Leros censorship with "Il Capo Centro Documentale/Ten. Col. Raffaele Garofalo" on front, placed on board a submarine heading for Egypt, censorships on front and back applied in Cairo and treated as it was mail from P.O.W.'s before onward transmission to destination. A very rare and fascinating mail. Cert. Marchese (1994). Note: The British presence in the Dodecanese commenced in Leros -and surprisingly already in 1943- where they disembarked on 16.9.43 to support the Italians in view of an imminent German attack. There was only one dispatch of Italian correspondence which was carried by a British submarine which left Leros on 28.9.43, and evidently the mail to Italy could only be delivered to the area under control of the Allies, in the south of the country. Later, on 12 November, the Germans will attack the Island and will capture 3,200 British. (Image)

1943 (Sept) Cover from an Italian military soldier in Leros to Messina, South of Italy, framed handstamps on front and reverse as well as label of the British censorship in Egypt and treated as it was P.O.W.'s mail, carried by British submarine to Egypt after leaving Leros on 28 September, before being forwarded to destination. Very rare. (Image)

1945 (June 14) A very rare official correspondence sent to the "Chief Censor - Dodecanese - B.M.A. Force 281 - MEF", with red "Confidential" and "Director (M.E.) Censorship" from the sender, with "Army/JC JC/Signals" cds used for the express service. (Image)

1945 (July 27) Cover from Worchester (England) bearing 3d tied by machine cancel on departure and "T", taxed on arrival with bilingual marking and postage dues 2d and 3d tied by Italian "Rodi/(Egeo)" cds, repeated on reverse. Very fine and few items recorded (Sassone €25,000). Signed Sorani. (Image)

1945 (Aug 22) Registered cover from Kos to Rhodes, correctly franked with 2 1/2d and 5d, tied by superb Italian "Coo/(Egeo)" cds, with most infrequent "Kos" provisional manuscript notation on the registration label, backstamped on receipt. Rare. (Image)

1945 (Oct)-1946 (Sept) "BMA. Dodecanese Islands/Postal Service Department/Way Bill" registering the dispatch of one bag with mail, with cachet of the British Military Administration in Karpathos and Italian "Scarpanto/(Egeo)" cds; and very interesting telegram from Rhodes to Karpathos with British "Carpathos/Dodecanese" cds, reading "unauthorized entry owing to increasing number of persons entering these islands from Greece without the necessary British embassy Athens visa all caos and police inspectors are not to accept such persons for landing but are to instruct them to return to Athens". Two exceedingly scarce postal documents. (Image)

1946 (May 10) Registered cover from Symi to Alexandroupolis (Greece), franked by two 5d with half of the total paying the registration fee, tied by the negative "Simi/(Egeo)" cds's, also struck at left, Rhodes, Athens and Alexandroupolis cds's on reverse. This visually impressive and rare cancellation was provisionally produced by modifying one of the former mute Italian cancellations which were available in Symi, this being a P.O. which was destroyed by a bombardment on 12.10.43. (Image)

1946 (Dec)-1947 (Feb) Three telegram receipt forms from Rhodes to Kos, each with British "Cos/Dodecanese" cds. A very scarce trio. (Image)

1947 (Jan 17) Large registered airmail cover from Kos to Rome, franked by 5d, 9d, 1s block of four and 2s6d pair, tied by British "Cos/Dodecanese" cds's, "Kos/Dodecanese" registration label and arrival on reverse. A very rare high franking including a multiple of the highest denomination used in the Dodecanese. (Image)

1947 (March 8) Airmail cover from Rhodes sent "fermo posta" as postage for collection to Rome (Cinecittà), bearing 9d tied by British Rhodes cds, taxed when collected with Italian postage dues 1L and 2L as stipulated for the "fermo posta" tariff. A very probably unique combination of M.E.F. used in the Dodecanese in combination with Italian postage dues. (Image)

1945-47 An interesting assembly comprising 19 covers/cards and some fragments, including early usages and Italian cancellations from Kos, Rhodes (also very scarcely applied in blue), Leros, Karpathos (Scarpanto with two), rare frankings with printed matter rate, 1d (5) on cover to Egypt (unusual destination), censored mail in 1945, etc. (Image)

1945-47 Selection of 12 items mounted on exhibition pages and other three "collateral" items, including registered mail, Italian cancellations of Rhodes, Calymnos, Leros, a rare printed matterv rate from Symi to Athens, a scarce Leros postacrd from Italy, unusual censorship in 1945, etc. (Image)