Monday, January 9, 2012

WW II Censorship
Blackout Cancellations




In 1941, the Canadian Department of National Defence requested that the Canada Post Office delete all local date stamps on letters arriving from H.M.C. Ships. It subsequently requested that Merchant Marine, Canadian Army, and RCAF mail be treated in a similar manner. Starting in December, 1942, Canada Post Office removed the town names from cancellers used in port cities and designated military areas. Although introduced to censor military mail, these "blackout" cancellers were used on both military and civilian mail.

Mr. Ron Leith' s well-written article Canada World War II Blackout Cancellations published in the July-August 1995 issue of The Canadian Philatelist, provides an excellent review of these devices.

Mr. Leith notes that blackout cancellations from about two dozen locations on the east and west coasts have been reported.

1. Blackout Machine Cancellations

Mr. Leith lists the following four types of machine cancellers in use in Canada during the blackout period : Columbia, Perfect, Universal Model-D, and Pitney-Bowes Model-G. He explains why there are four blackout machine types, as follows:
Dater hubs on these models were not compatible with one another and consequently there are four distinct blackout machine types. In all cases only the hub rim was replaced; the dater and killer bars remained the same after conversion.
The Perfect and Pitney-Bowes Model-G blackout cancels are shown in this post. (Columbia and Universal machines cancels not shown)

a) PERFECT

Prince Rupert,B.C.




Prince Rupert, October 2, 1944


Slogans


Mr. Leith notes that over forty different slogans with blackout machine cancels were in use.


Victoria, B.C.


SAVE TIME
FLY YOUR MAIL


Victoria, July 4, 1944


Quebec City



SAVE TIME
USE AIRMAIL
EPARGNER DU TEMPS
UTILISEZ LA POSTE AERIENNE


Quebec, April 7, 1943



SAVE YOUR SCRAP
MATERIAL
CONSERVEZ VOS
REBUTS


Quebec City, June 29, 1945



CONSERVE COAL
CONSERVEZ
LE CHARBON



Quebec, June 14, 1945


Halifax


CONSERVE COAL
SAVE ONE TON
IN FIVE



Halifax to Montreal, May 11, 1944



SAVE METALS
RAGS AND
WASTE PAPER



January 18, 1943


b) PITNEY-BOWES MODEL G

Halifax Fleet Mail Office




Halifax FMO to Pinner, England, November 28, 1944


Examined by DB/N 100





Halifax F.M.O., December 10, 1944


Examined by DB/N 100


Victoria





Victoria, November 29, 1943
(Victoria had 2 Perfect and 1 Pitney-Bowes machines)


Vancouver


CONSERVE COAL
SAVE
ONE TON IN FIVE


Vancouver, January 12, 1943




PAY NO MORE
THAN
CEILING PRICES


Vancouver to Ingersoll, October 20, 1944





Late blackout
September 3, 1945


2 . Circular Date Stamps

North Sydney, N.S.





North Sydney, April 26, 1944


Halifax




Halifax, May 2, 1943


Vancouver




Vancouver, March 22, 1944


Vancouver Special Delivery





Vancouver Special Delivery, December 19, 1944


3. Blackout Duplex Cancellations

Five blackout duplex cancels had been identified by 1995. An example is not shown in this post.