Civil Censorship Study Group

Couple of questions about a WWII cover posted from UK by air to the H.M.A.S. Adelaide c/o GPO - The ship was initially used for convoy escort and protection duties in Australian waters.

I am not familiar with the Dumb Machine “Paid” cancel – any info would be appreciated. Why used and under what circumstances?

Also where was the boxed blue Passed By Censor handstamp applied – likely somewhere in the Australia/Pacific area, but anything more specific? The handstamp is dated 23/2/41 and initialled.

No markings on the back.

For me, this is a somewhat intriguing cover.

I think I have answered part of my own question – the censor mark is a naval censor handstamp applied somewhere in the Pacific region – the resource book “World War Two Censor Marks” (The Forces Postal History Society, edited by John Daynes, 1986) lists the marking as type N 537 (pages 39-40). A notation beside the type marking indicated “Hong Kong 5/40” although the one in question is dated “23/2/41”. Any further information on the handstamp would be useful.

Still curious about the so-called dumb machine “PAID” marking – its use and under what circumstances.

Hello Michael
Sorry I am a bit tardy in looking at WWII posts on the website. As a collector of WWI, I do not often search for other members' WWII problems.
As this was from a Naval source and to a Naval address you will be more likely to get an answer on the PAID postmark from the Forces Postal History Soc forum. I will be happy to put your questions there but I do not know whether I can lift your illustrations off the CCSG forum to post them on the FPHS ditto. If you have not got an answer yet maybe you could send me a scan.
I have copies of four books on the postmarks of Hong Kong, published over the years by the Postal History Society, none of them show the postmark on your cover. The square PAID marking on the machine vaguely suggests to me an Australian mark.
The postage being paid by British stamps is not surprising if it was sent from a RN vessel as they carried British postage stamps for sale to the crew.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Graham