1917 Censored Cover With War Tax

Here's one for you military buffs. Picked up this soldiers cover today. It has a Field Post Office cancel July 24 1917. Impossible to tell where it was mailed from. It has been opened and then sealed by the censor (taped and rubber stamped over the FPO with a Passed By Censor 1737).
Someone in Montreal has added a MR7 Die II War Tax stamp (with the appropriate slogan cancel "Save Your Money - Lend it to Your Country") OVER the censor tape.
But the Montreal cancel appears to read July 17, 1917, a full week before it was FPO cancelled. Obviously poorly inked Montreal cancel. An inverted 31 indicia? Wonder what the date actually is?
And why add the extra postage when the cover has already been franked by the soldier (On Active Service?

it is a beaut. thanks for sharing it

just curious--what does its back look like?

Be careful here ... the British (and I assume Canada, too) used the abbreviation "JU" to signify the month of "JUNE" (not July). So I think what you have is an FPO postmark of 24 JUNE 1917. The Montreal postmark is impossible to read in any detail, so July 17, 1917 may or may not be correct.

As it relates to the two-letter month abbreviations, consider this Linn's Stamp News article on the subject:

http://www.linns.com/howto/refreshe...rcourse.aspx

SLAP!! ....that's the sound of the palm of my hand striking my big bald forehead.

Of course, wt1! Once again you've come up with the answer (though I have to admit, this time it should have been pretty obvious). Turns out it wasn't anything to do with time travel. Many thanks.
Though that still doesn't tell us why there's 2¢ postage + 1¢ war tax over a soldiers franked cover. (But the extra postage might have covered that time space continuum thing).

As for the back, I didn't show because it wasn't very interesting. Only tells us what we already know.

Incase you're interested, here are two other War Tax covers I got at the same show. I'm working on an exhibit about the Canadian War Tax stamps for my club bourse and show for next year. Wouldn't be near ready for our up coming show, so I figured I give myself the next year to research and put together a decent exhibit.

This long envelope, unfortunately folded has a 1¢ MR1 War Tax stamp along with a 2¢ admiral (SC106). The MR1 was issued April 15, 1915. This cover was postmarked in Kingston Ontario on May 5, 1915, 20 days after issue.



This second advertising cover has an MR2, also issued April 15, 1915. Postmarked October 16, 1918, in Toronto, barely a month before the end of the war, it appears to be a rather late usage for this stamp, as the MR3 and 4 (with 2¢ postage and 1¢ tax separated on the stamp) were issued to replace this in 1916.

Although I'm no expert in Canadian Postal History (and Canadian War Tax Stamps) I did a quick internet search and came up with a similar cover, during a similar time period, as the one you initially scanned, also addressed from Britain (I believe) to Quebec, then onto British Columbia.

My best guess is that perhaps the "On Active Service" franking allowed the cover to be posted back to Canada from Britain, but once it arrived back the War Tax Stamp had to be added to allow delivery within the different Provinces of Canada. I could be wrong, though, so someone else may be able to provide a better explanation:

Postage was not required on mail from Canadian soldiers in England and France until July 28, 1917. However, Canadian Exchange Offices for overseas soldiers' mail affixed Canadian postage stamps on stampless mail received from soldiers overseas. The stamps were not paid by the sender or the addressee.

http://postalhistorycorner.blogspot...ilitary.html

Thanks for the link ... that explains it!

Yes, excellent information. Many thanks for the link, and the explanation.

I looked at this topic with some interest, particularily the last link given and the explanation of how and why Tax stamps were affixed. I was not, however, able to find an explanation of why some letters escaped having any postage stamps at all affixed. Nor could I find a reference to other theatres where "On Active Service" allowed Postage Free service for serving soldiers.

Below is a Post Card that I posted at an earlier date. It is from Siberia where a Canadian Contingent drawn from the Royal North West Mounted Police (now RCMP)were serving. You can see both the FPO Cancel as well as the Regimental Cancel. The date(s) are in the spring of 1919, after the Armistice in November of 1918 but during the period when assorted hostilities continued in various places.

My question here is, what specific postal regulations applied to troops during this period? Even in Western Europe, it was well before all troops were repatriated. Any covers relating to this time period?





For those who may be interested, I show the front of the card. It is a fairly generic city view (Vladivostock ????). But for the harnessing on the wagon in the right foreground it could be downtown Regina where the card was going.

Hi All

Glad I saw this thread.

My information on this is the following: Any time a soldier was in the field on active duty, he was entitled to send so many letters a year free of postage. Once he got back on leave, he was considered 'in-active' and had to pay any applicable fees for postage. It is also my understanding, that, if a soldier was wounded and in a hospital convalescing, he was still considered 'active' and free postage would apply.

Some great covers in this thread.

The one cover from the R.N.W.M.P. detachment in Siberia is quite scarce. Yes, most city views were from Vladivostock on most items I have seen.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Another rule of thumb was that, any mail sent free of postage was 'supposed to be' sent to the nearest major city of the small town etc, that any letter was addressed to, for distribution. However, the Montreal cancel to an address in British Columbia would tend to rule that train of thought out?

You have some nice covers jamesw

Chimo

Bujutsu

Backroads

The regulations are found at pages 125 to 135 of 'The Admiral Era : A Rate Study 1912-1928" by Allan L. Steinhart.

I am uncomfortable scanning pages from this handbook. You can contact me at the email address given at Postal History Corner.

A follow up to the original post. Picked this cover up today at an estate auction. It was in a box of cheques and covers. I bid valiantly, but someone elses desire (and wallet) was greater than my own. Was able to approach the winner after and purchase this one from him...help defray his costs.
Soldiers letter postmarked June 19, 1915 from Field Post Office #6. The letter inside indicates it may be Belgium, but I'm sure our military experts can help me out with that. Examined by Base Censor, it is on an On Active Service envelope.
2¢ postage and 1¢ war tax added in Toronto, similar to the Montreal cover at the top of this post. The Toronto event cancel (for the CNE) is dated July 3, 1915. Back canceled in Rosemont Ontario on July 6.





The letter inside is quite interesting. Private J. E. (Ernest) Field talks about the trenches as well as camping a mile from the shooting, under some trees so the German Aeroplanes can't spot them.

One more (then I have to stop buying these things). Another soldiers letter, censored, with a 2+1¢ war tax stamp added in Toronto. Got a nice Win the War slogan cancel.




And here's an interesting addition to the growing collection. This post card was mailed in Toronto in 1920 and returned for lack of war tax. There are additional red Montreal cancels and another 1¢ admiral added. Then both admirals canceled with what looks like wax pencil.
Late usage for war tax, but I guess they were still paying for the war.

Always adding to the pile. A gentleman at my club keeps hunting down war tax covers for me. There are two of the latest. The first is pretty ordinary, in fact a little tattered, but it has a nice 1916 Montreal cancel.




The second is far more interesting. The postmark is Vineland Station (not far from where I grew up, but that's not what makes it interesting) on April 20, 1915 - 5 days after the 1¢ War Tax Admiral was issued. Also, he appears on the cover with his dad, HRH King Edward VII in the form of a 1905 U16 Die II postal stationary envelope. Has a killer grill killer as well.







Both covers are proper war tax usage.