China - Postmark Query

Hi - any help with identifying/confirming this postmark will be appreciated. It looks something like 'PINGSHANXU'?! Or is that second 'N' actually the first of 2 X's?

Split the color channels out, might help a bit.
Don

Hi 51studebaker - thanks for doing that. Examining the pics, it looks like the first two letters may be 'TU' rather than 'PI'.

First letters are probably 'TI' and the second last would be a 'K' - 'XU' didn't exist in Wade-Giles romanisation.

'Tingshan' would make sense.

I agree with Tonymacg that the last two letters are probably "KU". I was thinking Tingshan at first. But the first 2 letters may still be "TU".

There was a small village called Tungshanku. The village may not exist anymore, but I believe it was in what is now Shandong Province.

It was part of the battle around Taierhchuang (modern Tai'erzhuang) ~March/April of 1938 -- one of the few Japanese military defeats during those years.

Too bad the rest of the cancel is not available...

Amazing knowledge khj.

There was a mention in 1932 newspaper of Puerto Rico
all I could salvage was

"From the village of Tungshanku. The Chinese were abandoning these positions when I left. I meet with the commander of a Chinese unit in you ..."

Rod likes to do his research! But, maybe 1938 (typo)?

Thank you all for this - extremely helpful and fascinating. I did think the apparent 'x's were odd!

Yep 1938 khj.... typo