Japan WWII Prisoner of War & Internee Mail continued...
Camps in Netherlands Indies - Sumatra continued...
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 1441 |
PSE |
 SUMATRA DEATH RAILWAY (PAKAN BAROE): 1944 (Jan 18) Australian black/white POW envelope from 'BOOLAROO/NSW-AUST' & censored at
Melbourne, to "Java X" redirected with manuscript "Pakan/Baroe" at lower-left, faint Japanese censor in violet & han of Asanamura in rosine, minor imperfections. (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1442 |
PSE |
 SUMATRA DEATH RAILWAY (PAKAN BAROE): 1944 (circa) Japanese POW postal card with typed 'MALAI FURYO SHUYOHO NO 1' vertically at
right, small Japanese censor in violet & han of Asanuma in scarlet, British censor in dark red, the message states "Longing to receive photographs"; and 1944 (Oct 17) British 3d Airmail Postal Card from his wife to "Z/Java" with superb British censor
in rosine, Japanese boxed cachet in violet (= Transferred to Malaya) & pencilled "PB" (= Pakan Baroe), han of Asanuma in rosine, the message states "Have you received my photograph?"; both with minor imperfections. (2) (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$400
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
Camps in Netherlands Indies - Other
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 1443 |
PSE |
 CELEBES (KAMPILI INTERNMENT CAMP): Undated flimsy Japanese red & black/brown postal card with typed "Kampili-Celebes" at upper-left
& han of Tanaka in scarlet, from a Dutch woman to her son (?) at Pare Pare Camp, the message unusually in English, remarkably fine. Illustrated by David Tett in Volume 2 at page 234. Kampili housed 1600 women & children in about equal numbers, and
two men (a priest & a doctor). (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$400
SOLD for AU$300.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1444 |
PSE |
 CELEBES (PERLINDOENGAN INTERNMENT CAMP PARE PARE 2): Undated flimsy Japanese red & black/brown postal card with typed "Pare 2" at
upper-left & han of Yabe in scarlet, from a Dutch internee to a woman in Jakarta (Batavia), remarkably fine. Illustrated by David Tett in Volume 2 at page 232. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1445 |
PSE |
 CELEBES (TJIHAPIT INTERNMENT CAMP): 1943 (Aug 24) flimsy Japanese red & black/brown postal card, typed "MAKASSAR" on both sides
erased by the censor, faint han of Ohshimo in scarlet, from a Dutch doctor to his uninterred mother in Bandoeng, wrinkles. Illustrated by David Tett in Volume 2 at page 228. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$725.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1446 |
 |
 MOROTAI: 1945 (Sep 19) plain envelope endorsed "Liberated British PW" locally used to a nurse at 2/4 Australian General Hospital on
Morotai with superb Australian-pattern 'FIELD POST OFFICE/026' used at Morotai Docks 23.4.1945 to 25.9.1945, flap missing & minor bends.
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$200
SOLD for AU$150.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1447 |
PSE |
 TIMOR: 1942 (late) Australian Red Cross envelope with three red lines partly-obliterating the address at the base, to an Australian
officer at "Timor", censored in Melbourne, Japanese censor of Java Honshu (Headquarters) & han of Suzuki both in rosine. Rare destination: Lindsay Chitty states only two examples to Timor have been recorded. Australian troops on Timor, assisted by
the local people, undertook guerilla warfare for 12 months, the last of them being evacuated by the American submarine USS 'Gudgeon' on 10.2.1943. Lieut Gunn had been captured early in the hostilities & transferred to Java. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$1,600.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1448 |
PSE |
 TIMOR: 1943 (May 23) Australian Red Cross POW Envelope with obliterating bar at the base with Melbourne machine & censor, to
".../Australian Prisoner of War/TIMOR", kanji cachet for Java Camp & han of Suzuki in rosine, light overall aging. Rare destination: David Tett in Volume 2 at page 28 states "No mail was sent from Timor and no mail is known to have been delivered to
the POWs in Timor prior to their transfer elsewhere". (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$600
SOLD for AU$1,300.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
Camps in New Guinea
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 1449 |
|
 RABAUL (MALAGUNA ROAD): 1942 (May) cover dropped by parachute from a Japanese aircraft over Port Moresby RAAF Base, flown in a
closed bag (?) to Melbourne where 'SERVICE OF PRISONERS OF WAR' cachet & 'BULK POSTAGE/Melbourne' R label applied on face, censored & forwarded unfranked with 'REGISTERED/ 3 / 14MY42/MELBOURNE' backstamp to NSW with 'LINDFIELD' arrival backstamp of
the next day, small tear at the top, minor repaired fault at the base & light soiling. A great rarity of WWII POW mail. Ex Tom Frommer: sold at our auction of 4.4.2017 for $3840. Illustrated in the 'Australian Air Mail Catalogue' at page 117. RPSofV
Certificate (2017).
Australian soldiers captured in the initial Japanese assaults in -.1.1942 on New Britain, New Ireland, Lae and Salamaua were held at Rabaul. The Japanese allowed each POW to write one letter to family. 375 such items were dropped in a "parachute
bomb" but very few are known to have survived. On 22.6.1942, all but the officers & a small number of civilians boarded the 'Montevideo Maru' bound for Japan. Nine days into the voyage, the ship was sunk by an American submarine. It is estimated that
845 Australian POWs & more than 200 civilians lost their lives. (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$3,000
SOLD for AU$3,800.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1450 |
PSE |
 RABAUL (MALAGUNA ROAD): circa 1942 Australian Red Cross envelope with Three Obliterating Lines at the Base, to "Major JRP
Clark/Heavy Battery/.../Rabaul", redirected to Zentsuji Camp in Japan with faint "Zent" at left & (camp) "5A" both in red, pencilled "Recd 11.3.44", minor peripheral damage. Ex David Tett: sold for HK$1920 (one of the best buys of the sale). Two
similar items sold at our auction of 28.6.2023 for $1260 each.
All POWs captured in New Guinea were to be sent to Japan. The majority were sent on the 'Montevideo Maru' that was sunk by an American submarine, with no survivors. Major Clark was one of the 'lucky' ones who went by a later ship. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$800
SOLD for AU$1,400.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
Camps in North Borneo
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 1451 |
|
 SANDAKAN (BERALA ISLAND INTERNMENT CAMP): 1943 (Aug 16) airmail cover British Columbia to Toronto with Uniform 3c (another stamp
apparently peeled-off on arrival), to "HG Keith/Sandakan/British North Borneo" & typed in red "Via GRIPSHOLM" at lower-left, Canadian censor label overlaid with Japanese censor label & cds, the reverse with camp censor in violet & han of Suga in
scarlet, two minor repaired tears at the base, opened-out for display. Per the second exchange voyage by the 'Gripsholm' ex New York 2.9.1943; arrived Marmagao, Portuguese India 16.10.1943; then per 'Teia Maru' to Singapore & Manila. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
SOLD for AU$625.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1452 |
|
 SANDAKAN (BERALA ISLAND INTERNMENT CAMP): 1943 (Aug 27) airmail cover from British Columbia with superb 'PRISONER OF WAR MAIL'
cachet to "Internment Camp/BORNEO" with Canadian censor label 'C. 244' with preceding 'D. B...' handstamp, large Japanese camp cachet in violet & han of Kubo in scarlet, "1 (INT)" in red-pencil, minor stain on the reverse. Carried on the second
exchange voyage of the 'Gripsholm'. Illustrated by David Tett in Volume 6 at page 243. The addressee, Harry Keith lived at Sandakan & worked for the North Borneo government. His wife was the American author Agnes Nelson Keith. Her book 'Three Came
Home' is an engrossing & horrifying first-hand account of life as an internee of the Japanese: see page 200. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,000
SOLD for AU$4,200.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1453 |
PSE |
 SANDAKAN POW CAMP: 1943 (circa) Japanese POW Postal Card on flimsy brown stock (Type 2 with untrimmed borders; printed camp box at
upper-left) endorsed "SANDAKAN" and faint Boruneo Furyo Shyosho... cachet at the top & han of Suga, the reverse with 'IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY' heading & largely-printed "letter", to Wales with light British censor in rosine, minor imperfections. The
sender, Corporal Albert Watson, was one of only 183 survivors of the second Sandakan Death March but died 11 days later.
Between January & June 1945, the Japanese undertook a series of three forced marches of POWs from Sandakan. The first march took 9 days & was so exhausting that only 6 soldiers survived. The second was less strenuous but took an horrendous 26 days.
The last, from 9.6.1945, was so grim that all soldiers died before reaching the 50km mark. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,000
SOLD for AU$850.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1454 |
PSE |
 SANDAKAN POW CAMP: 1943 (circa) simple Japanese POW postal card with printed 'POW Camp Borneo' on the reverse, Borneo censor & very
fine han of Suga, to New South Wales with light Melbourne censor in violet, two small repairs at the top. Mail from Borneo to Australia is rare. Ilustrated by David Tett in Volume 6 at page 211, where he states all cards from Sandakan were undated.
The sender, Wally Blatch, perished on the second Sandakan Death March. Sandakan POW Camp was 11km NW of the town, at what is now the suburb of Taman Rimba. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$800.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1455 |
PSE |
 SANDAKAN POW CAMP: 1943 (mid) Japanese POW postal card on flimsy brown paper (Type 2 with untrimmed borders; printed camp box at
upper-left) endorsed "Sandakan" on both sides, Borneo censor in violet & han of Suga & British censor both in rosine, light vertical fold. Captain Yates was in Sandakan from -.4.1943 to 14.8.1943 only. He cryptically acknowledges receipt of a parcel,
apparently at Changi from the first exchange voyage of the 'Gripsholm' and 'Asama Maru'. Illustrated by David Tett in Volume 6 at page 256 where he states only three POWs received a parcel while in transit at Changi. (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$1,000
SOLD for AU$750.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1456 |
PSE |
 SANDAKAN POW CAMP: 1943 (circa Dec) Japanese POW Postal Card with largely printed pro forma message over 'P.O.W. Camp, Borneo' with
han of Suga in red, to NSW with Melbourne censor in violet, repaired minor tear at the top & some peripheral damage. A rare item to Australia. Mail from Sandakan can usually be confirmed only from knowing details of the sender's whereabouts. Gunner
Wallace Blatch was taken prisoner when the British surrendered at Singapore 15.2.1942. He was with 500 Australians sent on 28.3.1943 with "E" Force to Sandakan via Kuching & Berhala Island, arriving 5.6.1943. Forced to be a rice-carrier on the second
Sandakan Death March, he died of acute enteritis on 16.6.1945. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$600
SOLD for AU$725.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1457 |
PSE |
 SANDAKAN POW CAMP: 1943 (Dec 25; Christmas Day) Japanese POW postal card in black & red/buff with printed 'POW Camp Borneo' on the
reverse, printed censor in red & very fine han of Suga in rosine, to Hampshire with British censor in rosine, minor bumped corners.
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$420.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1458 |
|
 SANDAKAN POW CAMP: 1944 (Jan 3) cover with London machine to "Borneo Camp" with huge Japanese censor in violet & han of Kubo in
scarlet, endorsed "Received 26.8.44". Superb. In 1945, all but six of the Sandakan POWs at Sandakan lost their lives on the three infamous Death Marches. It is almost miraculous that any inwards mail survived, let alone an item in such exceptional
condition. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
SOLD for AU$575.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1459 |
|
 SANDAKAN POW CAMP: 1944 (Jan 6) plain postcard with 'ALTRINCHAM' cds to "Borneo Camp" with British censor in rosine, the reverse
with huge Japanese censor in violet & han of Kubo in scarlet, endorsed "Received 26th August 44", faint bends. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
| 1460 |
PSE |
 SANDAKAN POW CAMP: 1945 (July) British 1½d red-brown POW Airmail Postal Card with part-Cardiff machine cancel & British censor in
rosine, to "Cpl Albert J Watson, Borneo", largely very fine 'RETURNED TO SENDER/SERVICE SUSPENDED' cachet in violet & sender's address circled in red-pencil, minor blemishes. Because it was issued only in -4.1945, and the Japanese surrendered
10.8.1945, relatively few of the 1½d cards were used. Most of them were received after the end of hostilities or, as here, were undelivered. Lindsay Chitty states that only six examples to Borneo have been recorded. See also the next lot. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Aug-27, 08:00 PM |
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