1945 Postage Due

After liberation, postage was free for military personnel sending or receiving mail. The Post Office typically overlooked cases where this was not evident. However, occasionally, specimens are found where postage due is charged. Early examples with overprinted postage due stamps are rare.

Unfranked letter, sent to Belgrade (13.II.45) where it was censored by Military censor No. 5 and charged a postage due fee of 20 din for inland postage. The place of dispatch is not visible as the postmark is obscured by the stamps. Rere usage of postage due stamps with the 1944 overprint.

Late usage of Vuk stationery

At first, this was the latest use of  Vuk 1.50 din stationery I had seen...

Vuk 1,50 din stationery, sent from Lazarevac (11.VI.45) to Belgrade via Valjevo (11.VI.45), where it was censored by the military censor. Late usage.

However, I found one with a significantly later usage date. The usage date is magnificent: 25.XI.46. So, more than 17 months after my previous one...

Vuk 1,50 din stationery, sent from Novi Sad (25.XI.46) to Belgrade. Very late usage.

Exceptionally late use of Small Petar

The use of stamps and stationery with Small Peter's motif is considered late usage already for 1941. Therefore, we can examine that the usage at the end of 1945 is exceptionally late ...

1 Din stationery of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia "Small Petar" sent from Dubrovnik (13.XII.45) to Split. The post office in Dubrovnik allowed its use, as they cancelled it and put it into the postal traffic. Exceptionally late usage.

Vuk stationery used in Čakovec

Vuk stationeries used outside Serbia, Baranja or Srem are very rare...

1944 DFJ provisional issue, Vuk 2+3 din stationery, sent from Čakovec (2.VIII.45) to Novi Sad (3.VIII.45). Very rare usage in Croatia.

1944/45 Serbia, Postcard to Bulgaria

Exceptionally rare use of this issue on foreign mail...

1944/45 provisional issue for Serbia, photo used as a postcard, franked with 5 occupation Din (first tariff period), sent from Belgrade (10.II.45) to Yambol (ЯМБОЛЬ) Bulgaria (17.II.45), censored by the military censor in Belgrade. Mail to Bulgaria was charged at domestic tariff. Exceptionally rare use of this issue on foreign mail.

Celje, cancellers used in 1945

After the liberation and until the beginning of 1946, different adapted and new postal cancellers were used in Celje. So far, I have found three of them...

Letter sent from Celje (4.IX.45) to Sisak. Canceled with "CELJE C / 1" adapted canceller. 

"CELJE C / 1" adapted canceller.
(click on the image for a larger view)

Registered letter sent from Celje (12.X.45) to Sisak. Canceled with "CELJE a" adapted canceller.

"CELJE a" adapted canceller.

(click on the image for a larger view)

Letter sent from Celje (1.XII.45) to Sisak. Canceled with new "CELJE 4" canceller.

New "CELJE 4" canceller.

(click on the image for a larger view)

1945 DFJ - Vuk stationery used outside of Serbia

This overprinted stationery was intended for use in the territory of Serbia, which at that time included also the Danube Banovina with Baranja and Srem. Until now, I was not aware of the use of this stationery outside that area...

1944 DFJ provisional issue, Vuk 2+3 din stationery, sent from Petrijevci (18.V.45) to Stari Bečej, censored by the censor of the III Battalion of the III Army. Rare usage in Croatia.

Mute cancellation with the handwritten date and a provisional rubber canceller of Petrijevci.

Censorship of mail from abroad

Although censorship of private mail was officially ended on 2.7.1945, shipments from abroad or to abroad were censored still long afterwards.

Letter, sent by air from Osek u Duchcova, Czechoslovakia (3.X.1945) to Domžale (18.X.1945), censored by the military censor in Belgrade. 

1944 DFJ, Vuk 2+3 stationery with message

I saw only two such postcards, both were unused and both with the same message on the back. I don't know if the message was prepared together with the original stationery or later with the DFJ provisional overprint.

1944 DFJ provisional issue, Vuk 2+3 din stationery with preprinted message on the back. Message was prepared for wounded soldiers in a military hospital in Smederevo.

Jay T. Carrigan

If you are collecting WWII YU provisional issues, you should see this! A superior exhibition: The Liberation of Yugoslavia by Jay T. Carrigan.

August 22nd, 2015: Rest in peace.