Following the Italian capitulation in September 1943, Hvar remained under Partisan control until January 1944. While mail from this brief period is exceptionally scarce, foreign-bound items are of the utmost rarity...
Dispatched from Grablje, Hvar (1 Nov 1943) to Rialto, California, USA, this cover is the earliest known example of mail sent abroad from liberated Dalmatia. Its seven-month journey via Vis and Southern Italy reflects the extreme wartime disruption of postal routes. The item bears the “★ KOTARSKI NARODNO OSLOBODILAČKI ODBOR HVAR” (District National Liberation Committee Hvar) cachet and underwent multiple levels of inspection, featuring “CENZURIRANO VOCC CENSORED” and “DEPUTY CHIEF FIELD CENSOR” cachets.
