Japanese Occupation Of Hong Kong?

Hello doug2222
It would be a pleasure to help!

Prahanoaki,

What is your opinion on the two stamps first posted? Do they appear to have legitimate Hong Kong cancels?

This is what I think it is, Shimonoseki kamishinchi. Missing 2 more characters on the postmark and this is how it would look like if it was complete. According to Japanpost.jp, this post office still exist today. Note that in modern Japanese it reads from left to right so if you would look on internet today, all characters would be in opposite order. Unfortunately, it is not Hong Kong.. Im sorry.

Excellent information, thanks

you are welcome 597596!

Great stuff, Prahanoaki. Thanks for sharing.

Cjd,
You are welcome!

597596,
Now about the stars in the postmark, it is true that in the regular prewar Japanese domestic postmarks, usually they are no stars in the bottom part. It's usually the time when the postmark has been canceled, for example "am 8-12". However there are postmasks with stars which has been used elsewhere than Hong Kong. In most of the cases, it is an occupied territory but it is not necessarily Hong Kong. I found 1 example of star postmark among my collection. It's a regular Japanese postal stationery with a postmark of Shisuka, now Poronaysk, Russia, during the Japanese occupation of Sakhalin (called Karafuto in Japanese).

Hello

My name is Antonio da Luz, Grandson of Henry da Luz. The administrator that first created many of these covers. I am trying to get a solid understanding of how to identify the covers I have remaining. I have many that are marked rare, that are apparently from Kowloon and Kowloon city. I have attempted to contact a few local Toronto based stamp experts, however, many are dismissing the covers as worthless or simply do not have an understanding of the covers. I am hopeful someone can shed some light.

Three star slug datestamp was a general WWII war time measure in Japan
Japanese comb type datestamps for letter mail services (as opposed to telegraph, MO ec.) included time groups like "AM 0 8" ec. in the bottom arch .
Three stars were used for "non postal" purposes 1906 to 1985.

Due to WWII raw material situation, for letter mail, too, time groups in bottom arch were replaced in ALL of Japan from Feb. 11 1943 (the datestamps show inland date: 18.2.11). By June 1943 (Showa 18.6) another type bottom slug with three characters for prefectures appeared. But the three star slugs remained in usage.
Time groups reappeared from October 1, 1949.

Postal usages of three star type slugs before 1943
In all of Korea, japanese posts introduced three star type from end of May 1940 (Showa 15.5)
In all of Kwantung leased territory (Dairen ec.) same from 1 December 1940 (Showa 15.12.1)
In all of Karafuto (South Sakhaline) same from 1 September 1940 (Showa 15.9.1)

A Hong Kong usage is solely verified by the placename in top arch.