George VI International Mail
Europe : 1937 - 1939
(POST 4)

This article deals with mail to Europe during the pre-war period.

The air mail letter rate to Europe was 4d. (combined letter rate + air mail fee) for the first ounce.


All-Up Service (1936-1938)

All-up service was provided for First Class mail (letters, letter packets and postcards) prepaid at ordinary international rates of postage. All-up mail was dispatched on weekdays by air or surface transport, whichever afforded the quicker delivery.

All-up service was introduced to some European destinations in 1936. By 1938, all-up service was provided to all European destinations except to Malta, Gibraltar, Portugal, and Spain. In this article, the destinations have been classified by the date all-up service was introduced:

Group 1: March 17, 1936
Denmark, Norway, Sweden

Group 2: January 7, 1937
Estonia

Group 3: August 9, 1937
Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Danzig, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Turkey, U.S.S.R., Yugoslavia

Group 4: August 23, 1937
Switzerland

Group 5: October 4, 1937
Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands

Group 6: February 20, 1938
Albania

Group 7: No All-Up Service
Gibraltar, Malta, Portugal, Spain


This article organizes pre-war mail to Europe as follows:

A. First Class Letters and Post Cards
B. Printed Papers


A. First Class Letters and Post Cards

Group 1: March 17, 1936
Denmark, Norway, Sweden

Denmark


London to Copenhagen, Denmark, June 2, 1937
2 1/2d. all-up surface letter rate



Glasgow to Vesterborg, Denmark, August 9, 1939
2 1/2d. all-up surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 d. and taxed 24 ore





Manchester to Silkiborge, May 13, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 d. and taxed 24 ore




Norway


London to Oslo, Norway, October 10, 1937
Registered, Express delivery
2 1/2d. all-up surface letter rate + 3d. registration fee + 6d. express delivery fee



London to Bergen, Norway, August 5, 1938
30th Esperanto Congress handstamp
1 1/2 d. all-up surface post card rate


Sweden


Greenwich to Smedjebacken, Sweden, August 17, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate
2 1/2d. letter rate + 3 d. registration fee



Newcastle-on-Tyne to Lund, Sweden, September 23, 1938
1 1/2d. all-up post card rate
Shortpaid 1/2d. and taxed 15 ore





London to Jonkoping, October 26, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate
21/2 d. postage + 6 d. Express fee



London to Stockholm, December 1, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate
The Dominion of New Zealand (NZ) perfin



Bradford to Norkoping, October 4, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1 d. and charged 25 ore




Group 2: January 7, 1937
Estonia

(No covers shown)


Group 3: August 9, 1937Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Danzig, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Turkey, U.S.S.R., Yugoslavia

Austria


Hampstead to Vienna, Austria, May 14, 1937
1 1/2d. surface post card rate


Czechoslovakia


London to Strakonice, Czechoslovakia, May 20, 1937
2 ounce registered letter
Surface postage rate 4d. (2oz.) + 3 d. registration fee



London to Prague, February 21, 1938
2 ounce letter, rate 4d. (all-up)
Shortpaid 1 d. and taxed 2 korunas








Truro to Ceske Budejovice, August 1, 1938
1 1/2d. all up surface post card rate
Shortpaid 1d. and taxed 1 koruna





London to Brno, Czechoslovakia, November 8, 1938
Air mail service requested
4d. per ounce air mail letter rate
CENSUROVANO handstamp


Protectorate of Bohemia Moravia: German Occupation of Czechoslovakia 1939

Germany first annexed Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions (the Sudetenland) under the terms of the Munich Agreement of 1938. On March 19, 1939, the German army occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia, which became the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.



Croyden to Prague, June 17, 1939
2 1/2 d. all-up letter rate
2 1/2d. postage + 3 d. registration fee


Danzig

Pursuant to the Treaty of Versailles (1919), Danzig was established as a free state (1893 sq. km) under the authority of the League of Nations. German demands for cession of the city to Germany was the immediate issue of conflict between Germany and Poland which precipitated WWII. Danzig was incorporated in Germany in 1939


London to Danzig, October 23, 1937
2 1/2d. all-up letter service


Germany


London to Dresden, July 27, 1937
4d. air mail rate + 3 d. registration fee
Dresden receiver, July 28, 1937



London to Baden, Germany, March 3, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up surface letter rate



Two ounce registered letter fro London to Berlin, December 28, 1938
4d. all-up surface letter rate (2 oz.) + 3 d. registration fee
Pink "Zollfei" (Duty Free) label affixed and cancelled at Berlin



Southampton Docks to Berlin, January 11 1939
Express Delivery
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate + 6 d. express delivery fee


"Deutche Afrika-Linien"
Berlin receiver, January 12, 1939



London to Stuttgart, Germany, April 10, 1939
Express delivery post card
1 1/2d. all-up post card rate + 6d. Express Delivery fee
Stuttgart receiver April 11, 1939



Notting Hill to Hamburg, Germany, August 23, 1939
2 1/2d. all-up surface letter rate


"For Control of Monetary Exchange Opened by Custom Office" seal


Hungary


London to Budapest, September 31, 1937
2 ounce letter (37g) rate 4d.
Prepaid 3d., thus shortpaid 1 d.

British tax : T 20 (pencil)
Hungarian tax: 32 fillers






Windsor to Budapest, May 28, 1939
Novelty postcard treated as a letter bu Hungarian Post Office
Taxed 16 fillers




Poland


Bolton to Lodz, Poland, September 26, 1938
1 1/2 d. all-up post card rate

Advice of Delivery card


Registered letter mailed from Gresham House Post Office , London to Szereszow, Poland, March 22, 1939. Letter delivered on March 24, 1939

Advice of Delivery fee was 3d.




Romania


Famborough to Bucharest, Romania, February 28, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate
2 1/2d. postage + 3 d. registration fee



Leeds to Bucharest, Romania, October 3, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate
Shortpaid 1d. and taxed 8 lei


8 lei postage due
Bucharest, October 8, 1938



U.S.S.R.


London to Leningrad, June 9, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate
2 2/2d. postage + 3d. registration fee

Addressee left and letter returned to sender. Leningrad "Retour" handstamp on the front of the envelope.


Leningrad June 15, 1938


Group 4: August 23, 1937
Switzerland



Kilburn, London to Switzerland, May 13, 1937
1 1/2d. surface post card rate



London to Basel, Switzerland, September 9, 1937
4d. air mail letter rate



Coldson to St. Moritz, Switzerland, March 8, 1938
2 1/2 d. all-up letter rate
Forwarded to Post Restante, Raphael France, March 9, 1938
30 c. poste restante fee



Birmingham to Bienne, Switzerland, July 26, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate
Shortpaid 1d.
Swiss tax : 25 centimes





Warrington to Lucerne, August 8, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate
Shortpaid 1d.
Swiss tax : 25 centimes






Gerard's Cross to Bael, Switzerland, May 30, 1939
1 1/2d. all-up post card rate


Group 5: October 4, 1937
Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands


Belgium (Luxembourg)


Hastings to "Luxembourg Gare", August 17, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate (to Belgium)
Poste Restante fee 30 c.


Finland


Glasgow to Helsinki, August 18, 1938
2 1/2 d. all-up rate
Shortpaid 1 d. and taxed 2.8 marks




France


Slough to Paris, June 25, 1937
2 1/2d. surface letter rate

The 1 1/2d. George VI definitive stamp had not been issued when this letter was mailed. The date of issue was June 30, 1937.



Blackpool to Nice, France, January 5, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up letter rate



Portsmouth to Paris, July 18, 1938
1 1/2d. post card rate
Shortpaid 1/2d and taxed 70 c.






Southport to Lille, France, November 25, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up surface letter rate
2 1/2d. postage + 3 d. registration fee
Opened and resealed with Postes, Telegraphes et Telephones sealing tape


Insured Letter


London to Nice, July 19, 1939
11 1/2 d paying postage + insurance
Insured for £30

Insured Mail Fee

The fee was 5d. for the first 12 (registration fee included) and 2d. for each additional £12.




Italy


Southampton to Milan, August 4, 1937
2 1/2d. surface foreign letter rate
Fermo Posta (Poste Restante) fee charged by the Italian post office
25 cent. postage due stamp paying the fee



London to Florence, June 23, 1938
2 1/2 d. all-up letter rate
Fermo Posta (Poste Restante) fee, 25 cent. paid



London to Mantova, January 22, 1939
2 1/2 d. all-up letter rate
Shortpaid 1/2d. and taxed 50 cent.




Netherlands


London to Amsterdam, April 18, 1938
2 1/2d. all-up surface letter rate
Shortpaid 1d
British tax = 20 gold centimes
Dutch Conversion = 10 cents



London to 's Gravenhage, Netherlands, January 16, 1939
2 1/2 d. all-up letter rate
London County Council (LCC) perfin


Group 6: February 20, 1938 Albania
(No covers shown)



Group 7: No All-Up Service
Gibraltar, Malta, Portugal, Spain


Malta


Walton-on-Thames to St. Julien's, Malta, May 13, 1937
4 d. air mail rate
Shortpaid 1 d. and taxed 2d. by Malta post office



Portsoy to Valletta, June 25, 1938
1d. (preferred) surface post card rate
Valletta receiver June 30, 1938
Re-directed to Keith, Scotland





Newcastle-on-Tyne to Rabato, Malto, August 31, 1939
1 1/2d. (preferred) surface letter rate
Valletta transit September 21, 1939



Valletta transit September 21, 1939
Onset of war likely cause for the three week transit time to Malta


Portugal


London to Operto, Portugal, June 1, 1937
4d. air mail rate
Mixed franking since 1 1/2d. George VI definitive not issued until July 30, 1937


London to Lisbon, October 20, 1938
2 1/2 d. surface letter rate



Law Society registered letter from London to Estoril, Portugal, November 23, 1938
2 1/2d. surface letter rate + 3 d. registration fee
Law Society perfins : L S
Undeliverable and returned December 5, 1938




"Parti" label


Spain


London to Las Palmas, Canary Islands, April 19, 1938
2 1/2d. surface letter rate
Spanish censorship, purple CENSURA handstamp and purple sealing tape

Glasgow to San Sebastian, Spain, June 27, 1938
2 1/2d. surface letter rate
SAN SEBASTIAN CENSURA MILITAR handstamp



December 16, 1938 to Durango, Vizcaya, Spain
21/2d. surface letter rate
CENSURA MILITAR BILBAO handstamp, January 8 (1939)


B. Printed Papers

The printed papers rate to Europe was 1/2d. for each 2 ounces. All-up service was not provided for printed papers.



Shipley to Stockholm, December 31, 1938
1/2 d. printed papers rate



London to Basel, Switzerland, June 17, 1939
1/2 d. printed papers rate for each 2 oz.
6 d. paying the 12 x 1/2d./2oz. rate = 24 oz.