Armed Forces

PRINCE DEL DRAGO, CAMP No. 9 LEADER, 4TH MILITARY DISTRICT, S.A.

The cover had three boxed handstamps, ‘A/ 32′, ‘4/ PASSED/ BY/ CENSOR’ and a ‘SERVICES OF/ PRISONERS/ OF WAR’.  It was addressed to The Consul of Switzerland, Section for Italian Interests, “Temple Court”. 422-28 Collins St., Melbourne – C. 1. – Vict.  (Figure 1). The reverse had an even fainter typed return address of ‘THE PRINCE DEL DRAGO/ Camp Leader/ Camp No. 9/ 4th Military District/ SOUTH AUSTRALIA’ and a

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POSTCARD: V-PACIFIC DAY ADMIRALTY ISLANDS, SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC

The postcard has a manuscript ‘V-Pacific Day Souvenir Air Mail Card – Mailed Admiralty Islands South-West Pacific’. It has a red 6 cents USA air mail stamp, postmarked with a fine A.F.P.O./ 15 AU 45/ 203 and it was addressed to E.D. Cash, 21 Victoria Square, Perth, West Australia (Figure 1). The reverse was a stark black & white depiction of the American flag and an eagle with outstretched wings,

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PETTY’S HOTEL: A SYDNEY SITE with a LONG PROVENANCE

This registered cover shows the full set of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester stamps which were issued on 19 Feb 1945. It was postmarked G.P.O. SYDNEY/ R.C.S./ 5-P 20 FE 45/ 1/ N.S.W. AUST. There is no registration label, but the blue crossed lines front and reverse clearly show it was registered.. The cover is addressed to Lt: T.B. Harrop./ R.N.V.R./ R.N.O.Q. (Petty’s Hotel)/ York Street. Sydney./ N.S.W. Australia

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No 4 AUXILIARY HOSPITAL, ABBASSIA ARTILLERY BARRACKS, 1915 [EGYPT]

This may well be a one of a kind illustrated World War One postcard on account of the large 3-ringed postal marking with the unusual centrally placed ABBASSIA and the 8 11 1915 date-stamp, that originated at the No 4 Auxiliary Hospital, Artillery Barracks, Abbassia, (Cairo). It has a manuscript ‘on active service 1276 9th.. 6th Reg, and is addressed to a Mrs P.C. Mowle, Neutral Bay, Sydney. The card is

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N. H. WRIGHT #2176, 8TH LIGHT HORSE, 3rd BRIGADE A. I. F., ABROAD in WW1

This well traveled cover with the 1d red KGV head was postmarked CROYDON/ FE 25/ 18/ VICTORIA had considerable trouble in finding this Australian soldier in Egypt, as shown by the multiple addresses in black and red ink, as well as blue crayon. The re-addressing has carried over to the reverse and unfortunately the 2 postmarks are illegible, and the manuscript 24/2/18 is puzzling for it pre-dates the posting date

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MARSHALL MACDERMOTT, QUIXOTIC SOLDIER, FARMER & BANK MANAGER

The stampless cover was sent ‘By Steamer’ from London as evidenced by the red ‘tombstone’ cancel X/ PAID/ 31OC31/ 1846. There was a red ‘ms. 1/-’ and an arrival handstamp at Adelaide as shown by the G.P.O/ [Crown]/ 5 [Maltese Cross] AP/ 1847/ SOUTH AUSTRALIA. The cover was addressed tp Marshall Mac’ Dermott (sic) Esqre, The Bank Hindly (sic) Street, Adelaide, South Australia. There was an additional ms. overlying the GPO

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LT. J. S. SUMMERS, PHILATELIST & SENIOR ASST SURGEON, R.I.M., BOMBAY

The Tasmania postal stationery cover has the green ‘TASMANIA POSTAGE/ TWO PENCE’ QV printed stamp uprated with a ‘sideface’ ½d stamp both cancelled with an indistict barred numeral ‘63′ as well as a NEW NORFOLK/ JY 20/ 1895/ TASMANIA cancel. It is addressed to J. Seymour Summers Esq., 33 Sassoon Dock Rd, Colaba, Bombay, India. The reverse was backstamped Tuticorin, India (Figure 1). Calcutta was the place from where philately

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LORD BRASSEY, VICTORIAN GOVERNOR & R. FULLARTON, NAVAL BRIGADE

An undated On Her Majesty’s Service cover was addressed to Lord Brassey, Govt. House Melbourne by R. Fullarton, Commanding, Naval Brigade, and the MINISTER OF DEFENCE, FRANK STAMP, VICTORIA was applied in blue. This letter would have been sent during Thomas Brassey’s term as Governor of Victoria in the years 1895 to 1900 (Figure 1). Thomas Brassey,1st Earl Brassey was born in England on February 11,1836 at St. Mary’s Stafford,

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LIEUT. LYONS, PRISONER OF WAR in JAPAN 1942-1945 [JAPAN]

This special Prisoner of War Post cover with Air Mail vignette was sent from Brisbane in1945 (month not certain) with a ‘3 Opened by Censor’ label, as well as a purple boxed ‘Opened by Censor 195’ marking. It was addressed to Service No.: Q302572 Rank: Lieutenant Noel Joseph Lyons, Camp Zentsuji, Japan. A 5d stamp was required, and a pair of the red 2½d Duke and Duchess of Gloucester stamps

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RUPERT MAJOR DOWNES, SOLDIER, SURGEON & THE ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION

This item appeared on eBay with an enclosed letter from W.J. Blackburn, Ambulance Officer, Administrative Offices, Victorian Railways, Spencer Street, Melbourne on 23 August, 1939. It was a form letter congratulating Lawrence W. Tyler on his success in the First Aid Examination. It explained the various levels of the award and wished that the recipient continues his studies to achieve the Gold Life Membership Medal in his 8th year. (Figure

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