Description
British postage rate on Palestine mail - transported by the army: unusual 3 DEC 1942 postmarked surface mailed cover on Adler Hotel postal stationary, sent from TIBERIAS to CAPE TOWN (South Africa) & franked 50m using 8x different Pictorials stamps, tied by multiple strikes of the local postmark; opened & resealed by censors in EGYPT twice, with brown label and then Base Censor label on top - by the Chief Field Deputy Censor + "49" numbered censor cachet on back; backstamped 9 FEB 1943 transit at Field Post Office FPO 560 in West Africa; opened roughly at bottom, small piece missing not affecting the cover.
The 12 Jan. 1942 airmail rate to South Africa was 60m - 10m shortpaid on this cover and not taxed or endorsed as air mail; the 20 June 1940 postage rate for surface mail outside the UK was 15m for the first 20g and then 10m for each additional 20g - this rate remained unchanged until July 1943, but the postage paid here was unnessarily overpaid by 5m and wouldn't explain the military transit. Rather, the sender must have been a serviceman who paid the British "Empire" surface postage rate equivalent of 12½d (1S½d) for 11 ounce mail (as published, per 1 May 1940 rates published in the UK), in mils (1:4) = 50m and the civilian post office entered this cover in a mail bag transiting through the British Army postal service, to South Africa (surface mail was free for soldiers in theaters of war sending mail to the UK); as such 15½ time heavy weight (312g) as per the Mandate postage rate increments. Rare and Unusual.
