Here are the more or less normal covers, some commercially used.
lastmod 3 November 1943
1941
Main road Port-Vila 1941
Photo: E.M. Newman
Main Road Port Vila 1941 (from my 2014 archive) Photo by E.M. Newman
All 15 April 1941 covers are First Day Covers.
First Day Cover - French 1941 5, 10, and 15c on a cover to Nouméa.
The stamps are cancelled with PCH type 14. "Passed By Censor" handstamp on front
and registration handstamp PCH type R8. (Merot coll.)
Another First Day Cover - here with the Tax stamps. Not quite exactly the proposed use of tax stamps
but who cared in 1941 Port Vila?
The stamps are cancelled with PCH type 14 with a type 13 alongside.
("SeSi" coll.)
A cover with the complete set including the Tax stamps as First Day Cover.
The stamps are cancelled with PCH type 13 with a type 14 alongside. (Klinger coll.)
A cover with the complete set including the Tax stamps as First Day Cover.
The stamps are cancelled with PCH type 13 with a type 14 alongside. (image thanks to Schuyler Rumsey Philatelic Auctions May 2011)
15 April 1941
15 April 1941
15 April 1941
15 April 1941
15 April 1941
Cover to Sydney with 5c, 10c & 15c stamps cancelled with Goyns-Klinger type PM11B. Sender: George Hill, Vila. (ex Millet coll.)
15 April 1941
(new 9/2019)
Real big local cover with with the complete set including the Tax stamps as First Day Cover. (Klinger coll.)
Bernard Fletcher Blackwell : in 1936 correspndence clerk in the New Hebrides Colonial Office. In 1941 Acting Resident Commissioner. In 1951 Assistant Resident Commissioner.
B.F.Blackwell
Here with wife and son in Pacific Islands Monthly No.11 1951.
Service letter Condominium des Nouvelles Hébrides/Service des Postes/Condominium Post Office to Nouméa NC.
The 10cor France Libre stamp tied by PCH type 12 with PCH type 11 aside.Backstamped Nouméa 5-5-41.
The sender is L de Gaillande, Vila Postmaster (ordering dimmed "war lights" for his
traction avant 11CV Familiale ?). ("SeSi" collection)
Censored envelope to the U.S. The 5c, 10c & 15c France Libre stamps are cancelled with PCH type 11, an impression
of PCH type 12 alongside. The Port Vila "Passed by censor ......" in violet on reverse.
(seen in an old dealer's offer)
French 1941 10c & 5c used on a cover to Noumea tied with Goyns Klinger type PM11B. Backstamped Noumea 12 June 1941. (ex Millet coll.)
29 April 1941
29 May 1941
6 June 1941
10 June 1941
(new Dec. 2017)
I found this set on an internet auction site. All stamps of this set are cancelled with Goyns-Klinger type PM13. All impressions nicely
socked on the nose and a blank paper with an impression too possibly. All have different dates but are surely cancelled on the same day.
I think there is no more proof needed to show that it is right what we wrote in our rates and postmarks book about type PM13: (the postmark) was transferred to the CONDOMINIUM
POST OFFICE in August 1940 and its use ..... from that date is 'philatelic'.
PM13 set - (new 1/2019)
French 1941 set all cancelled PM13 in a similar way - all dates different.
14 June 1941
Censored letter to Australia, the 5cg, 10cg and 15cg stamps are cancelled with
PCH type 11, registration handstamp is PCH type RB. New Hebrides censor tape
at left tied by a "PASSED BY CENSOR S.74" handstamp. Backstamped GPO Sydney Air on
7 July 1941, GPO Sydney RS on 8 July 1941 and Parramatta 8 July 1941. (Ruecker coll.)
10 July 1941
French 1941 10c used on a cover to Sydney tied with Goyns Klinger type PM11B.
"Passed By Censor" handstamp on front. (Aore coll.)
Registered cover to Australia with France Libre 5cg, 10cg x 2 and 15cg x2
cancelled with PCH type 38. Backstamped Port Vila 18 JUIL 41 and on arrival
GPO SYDNEY RS 7 AU 41 P.
Both English and French registrations are used. The English
registration label is type R34 and the French type R31. ("JGI" collection)
Registered cover to Australia with France Libre 5cg, 10cg and 15cg
cancelled with Goyns Klinger type PM16. Backstamped Port Vila 18 JUIL 41 (PM14) and on arrival
GPO SYDNEY RS 7 AU 41 P.
Both English and French registrations are used. The English
registration label is type R34 and the French type R31. (Millet collection)
Air Mail letter to New South Wales. A 10c stamp may be missing, two 5c, two 15c
and a 10c France Libre stamps cancelled with PCH type 11. The cover is marked "By PANAIR",
was dispatched to Nouméa by ship, most likely the Malaita. At Nouméa it was
censored by French authorities and forwarded to Auckland on 9 November 1941,
by Pan American Airways on FM-19. Dispatched from Auckland to Sydney via the weekly Trans-Tasman
Air Service. At Sydney, the letter was opened, censored and resealed. Dispatched by the GPO
to Manly, a town adjacent to Sydney. (ex Jersey coll.)
Cover with the 5c, 10c and 15c France Libre stamps cancelled with GK type PM16, a GK type PM15 aside.
Franked correctly (10 cg colonia letter rate & 20 cg reg fee). Registration cachet GK type NR18 & reg. label GK type NR17.
Gerald Bernard Gallagher died on 27 September 1941 aged only 29 - the cover came too late: below the stamps is written "Deceased / Returned".
Image thanks to Caphila, Paris
14 July 1941
14 July 1941
26 August 1941
29 August 1941
Cover with the 5c, 10c and 15c France Libre stamps cancelled with GK type PM16 & type PM15.
Franked correctly (10 cg colonia letter rate & 20 cg reg fee). Registration cachet GK type NR18 & reg. label GK type NR17.
Gerald Bernard Gallagher died on 27 September 1941 aged only 29 - the cover came too late: below the stamps is written "Deceased / Returned".
Backstamped Vila GK type PM7C on 31. August 1941, Sydney 20 SE 41, General Postoffice Ocean Island 14 OCT 41 and Vila again GK type PM11A. (ex Millet coll.)
Cover with the 5c, 10c and 15c France Libre stamps cancelled with GK type PM16, a GK type PM15 aside.
Franked correctly (10 cg colonia letter rate & 20 cg reg fee). Registration cachet GK type NR18 & reg. label GK type NR17.
Gerald Bernard Gallagher died on 27 September 1941 aged only 29 - the cover came too late: below the stamps is written "Deceased / Returned".
Backstamped Vila GK type PM7C on 31. August 1941, Sydney 20 SE 41, General Postoffice Ocean Island 14 OCT 41 and Vila again GK type PM11A.
5c FRANCE LIBRE on a Martin cover to Santo, cancelled with PM13 (philatelic use in VILA post office).
Taxed 10c with a stamp cancelled with PM16, tax triangle.
Image thanks to Chris Rainey
29 August 1941
29 August 1941
29 August 1941
(new 8/2020)
6 October 1941
9 September 1941
A letter similar to the Stolow / Bayer covers below but earlier, with the remark "From Condominium Postmaster - signature"
(de Gaillande ? - sig looks different).(Seen in 2003 in a Compustamp (Gary duBro offer).
16 October 1941
(new Dec 2017)
Cover to the U.S., similar to the Stolow covers, not censored. PM7C and PM11A. Sandafayre auctions
10 October 1941
16 October 1941
17 October 1941
22 October 1941
Cover with the 10c France Libre stamp to Sydney. I do not know if the remark about buttons only
prevented the letter from being censored as I don't know what's on the reverse. Seen in an old b/w copy of auction items.
Registered local cover from Santo to Marius Jocteur Président du Comité De Gaulle at Port-Vila.
The two 15c.or France Libre and the British 10cg tied with PCH type 38. Registration cachet is
type R31 and registration label type R14A (Vila with a manual amendment to Santo).
No censor mark but backstamped Port-Vila 24 NOV 41 in arrival (10 days).
Marius Jocteur, settler at Vaté since 1918 operated an area of 500ha at west-Mele.
He was president of the Syndicat Agricole des NH for 17 years. In 1940 he took active part
in the movement of France Libre. (Source: O'Reilly : Hébridais)
("SeSi" coll)
Letter to Columbia, U.S.A. with the exceptional postage of 6Fg25cg: 5Fg, 1Fg and 25cg France Libre. Vila censor handstamp on reverse and
(unusual for the New Hebrides) a sender address. Ashton Larney R.N.A. was chief surveyor in the Lands & Survey
Department at Vila. Maybe the sender E. Larney was his wife. (Klinger coll.)
Small visiting card cover from Port-Vila to "Haut Commissaire de l'Afrique Française Libre" in Brazzaville A.E.F (French Equatorial Africa).
The 10c.or France Libre stamp tied with PM11A: correct colonial rate up to 20g letter. In violet British mark PASSED (BY) / CENSOR.
On back in transit Nouméa NC 28 2 42, Matadi 15-6-42 (Congo), Léopoldville1 17-6-42 , and in arrival x x 42 Moyen Congo (partial printing)
and French censorship cachet double circle CONTROLE POSTAL COMMISSION A AFRIQUE/EQUATORIALE/FRANCAISE (Middle Congo).
Travel time six months from South Pacific to Africa.
Adolphe Sicé (23.12.1885 Saint Pierre Martinique / 21.03.1957 Bâle Suisse).
Diplomé de l'école de santé navale , Docteur en médecine en 1911.
Exerce en Afrique : Gabon (1920), Madagascar (1923), nommé Médecin Commandant
en 1927 dirige l'institut Pasteur à Brazzaville , en 1935 Médecin Colonel au Soudan,
en 1939 Médecin Général , en avril 1940 Directeur général des services sanitaires et
médicaux de l'A.E.F , il se met au service de la France Libre de De Gaulle.
Directeur du Service de Santé de l'Afrique Française Libre en octobre 1940.
Occupe les fonctions de Haut Commissaire de l'Afrique Française Libre en juillet 1941.
Fait parti de la première promotion de "Compagnon de la Libération" le 1 août 1941
crée par De Gaulle. ("SeSi" coll.)
Cover with two 5c and a 10c France Libre and a British 1938 10c stamps. The
stamps are cancelled with PCH type 12. "Passed By Censor" handstamp on reverse,
New Hebrides censor tape at left, reopened in San Francisco and examined again by
#1563. (Klinger coll.)
23 October 1941
4 November 1941
3 December 1941
26 December 1941
13 January 1942
Cover from Lolowai ( a mission center in WW II) to Sydney. The 10c France Libre stamps is
cancelled with PCH Type 11. Is is rather astonishable that this cover was not cendored. (Klinger coll.)
The sender is given as Rev. H. Thompson. He was a missionary in New Guinea and I think during the
Japanes occupation there he was in Lolowai, Aoba.
New Hebrides Postal Service cover to Decatur, USA. The 5c and 10c
"France Libre" stamps and the British 10cg tied with PCH types 10A and 11.
New Hebrides censor stamp on reverse.
Cencored in Nouméa just after the arrival of the Amercan Division in March 1942.
The cover may have been dispatched from Vila to Nouméa on the monthly
Burns Philp vessel and then by Air Mail to USA. ("Mele" collection)
Letter to Macedon, USA. The two 5c and two 10c "France Libre" stamps
are tied with PCH types 10A and 11. No New Hebrides censor stamp.
Censored in the US and handstamped "Released by authority of the district postal censor"
(Klinger collection)
Incoming letter of unknown date from Australia to the Vila Postmaster "Ludovic de
Gaillande du Service Postal, Condominium des Nouvelles Hebrides" underpaid with
the Australian 1½d stamp. The received a T triangle handstamp and an
illegible cancel PCH type 11 and then 2.10 Fg of Tax were affixed
with stamps from the 1941 "France Libre" tax stamps and one French 1938 tax stamp.
All are cancelled with PCH type 14.
This letter gives me the impression that it was "provoked" by Mr. Baldwin, a
famous Australian New Hebrides collector. ("Mele" collection)
23 February 1942
15 April 1942
15 April 1942
18 April 1942
3 June 1942
(new 2/2019)
Two 5cg and two 10cg on a cover to U.S.A. Cancelled PM11A and a PM7C at left. Correct non-colonial letter rate 30cg.
Sandafayre auctions
Letter from Port Vila to New York. The pairs of 5c, 10c and 15c pay 10c more than
the normal weight registered rate to USA. They are cancelled with PCH type 12,
the registration handstamp is the "Villa" PCH type R8. Vila censor handstamp
on reverse and Sydney censor mark on front. The cover is backstamped Sydney
22 September, San Francisco 22 October and two times New York on arrival at
27 October 1942.
On the reverse the cachet is applied which Hals / Collas describe on page
125: "The Condominium Postamster / Le Chef du Service Postal" as existing after
31 October 1943. This seems to be a very early usage of this cachet. (Klinger coll.)
Inward mail franked with 20c US postage (12c on front, 8c on reverse), sufficient
for the 5c international postage and the 15c registration fee. It was censored
at San Francisco by #1520 and resealed; then dispatched on 11 July 1942 for
Sydney, Australia, reaching Efate 12 September 1942. On the same day, it was
re-registered at Port Vila and 60c New Hebrides "France Libre" postage was
affixed (30c for the foreign rate and 30c for registry) to the item thus covering
the US registry markings. It was returned to Sydney on the same vessel, which had brought the item, arriving there
on 21 September. At Sydney it was passed by Censor #1067 and dispatched for
San Francisco reaching there on 25 October; flown to New York, arriving 27 October.
(ex Jersey coll.)
Registered letter to Oakland California USA. The 5c.or France Libre stamp tied by
PCH type 11 and the 40c.gold stamp tied by PCH type 12. Registration handstamp is
PCH type R8, New Hebridean circular censor cachet with Australian
handstamp 2 PASSED BY CENSOR 1600 on front.
Backstamped San Diego Reg.Seg NOV 30 1942 and Oakland DEC 1 1942 on arrival.
("SeSi" collection)
Cover franked 80c "France Libre" from Santo to Tarzana, California with a nice GK PM16. Maybe taxed as there is a triangle "T". Non-colonial letter rate was 30cg and 20cg for each
additional 20g. I think it was sufficiently franked.
Image thanks to Gary & Nancy DuBro, Compustamp
"Local" letter to a member of Hq. & Hq. Sq. 11th Bomb Group in Efate, the
5 and 15c stamps cancelled with PCH type 11. (Klinger collection)
25 August 1942
12 September 1942
6 October 1942
21 October 1942
(new 10/21)
29 December 1942
6 January 1943
Censored letter to U.S.A. 15cg and 5cg cancelled with GK PM11A. Underpaid 10cg but not taxed.
Image thanks to Corinphila
21 January 1943
15 February 1943
(new 2/2019)
13 March 1943
18 March 1943
30 August 1943
28 September 1943
1 October 1943
7 December 1943
7 December 1943
(new 11/22)
11 January 1944
(new 2/2021)
11 January 1944
(2) Another letter to Lt Frederic Feind JR. The French 40c to 2 F.or stamps tied by PM16.
No censorship. ("SeSi" coll.)
In May 1942 he was still ensign.... ("SeSi" coll.)
29 September 1944
10 cg French "France Libre" issue intercolonial rate to Sydney. The cover was
shipped from Ambrym [no postal service] with the company's trading schooner, the
Shawa to Nouméa, backstamped 29/9/44 and there entered the mail for
Sydney, where it was opened and examined. Covers from Ambrym Island
are very scarce. (Ruecker coll.)
3 November 1945
just a souvenir, but nice blue PM11B postmarks
16 June 1949
just a souvenir, cancelled PM11B
23 July 1962
(new 2/2019)
A rather late use: a 1941 France Libre 2Fg on a cover to Canada, not taxed this time.
(See 1925 postal history used 1937 & later - at bottom and 1910 postal history 1911 & later - at bottom))
Handstamped "Nouvelles - Hébrides / Délégation Française / T A N N A."
This cover is from the French District Agent (FDA) on Tanna. At that time, Tanna didn't have it's own cancel, so everything got cancelled in Vila.
Image thanks to Sandafayre Stamp Auctions