I looked for something a little out of the ordinary to send to the Editor for his empty final page, and chose a registered cover, sent from the Austro-Hungarian Consulate-General in Sydney, Australia to Budapest. It was caught up during transit by the outbreak of WW1, and almost certainly did not reach the intended recipient (see Fig. 1.).

Figure 1. Cover Sent from the Austro-Hungarian Consulate in Sydney to Budapest
at the Outbreak of World War I, July 1914.

The single circle CDS on the stamp is quite weak, and the date of posting is indistinct, but it appears to be either 7 or 17 July 1914. Another, slightly better impression on the back (see Fig. 2.) tells us that the full CDS is ‘REGISTERED / SYDNEY NSW,’ and confirms that the date of posting was either 7 or 17 July. From the sailing dates for 1914 given in the Post Office Guide, ships carrying mails to London were due to depart on 8, 15 and 22 July 1914. As the journey by sea took at least 30 days at that time, the mails carried on these departure dates would have arrived in London in August after the outbreak of the war. Great Britain (and Australia) declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary on 3 August 1914.

It is not known whether it was customary for any articles intended for Central and Eastern European countries to be taken off the mail steamers at intermediate ports such as Alexandria, Brindisi or Marseilles. In the absence of this knowledge, we can only assume that the letter arrived in London; and, because of the declaration of war, may have been held there for a time before being passed to the London Dead Letter Office. Because it was a registered article, it is unusual that there was no marking applied recording its arrival in London. The Return Letter Office there would have eventually sent the cover back to the point of origin - Sydney, Australia - by one route or other, and it may not have been a particularly speedy one.

On its return to Sydney, the cover was passed to the Second Military District (II). M. D.), which was the authority responsible for censorship in New South Wales during WWI. Following inspection, the cover was marked on the front with the boxed stamp ‘UNDELIVERABLE / MAR 20 1915 / II. M. D.’ in pale blue. It may have been in the same office that the hand stamp ‘RETURN TO SENDER’ in violet was applied. The cover was then returned to the Post Office, and delivery to the Austro-Hungarian Consulate-General’s office may have been attempted.

It is very likely that shortly after the outbreak of hostilities on 3 August, the Consulate-General’s Office was closed, so there was no one to accept this returned article. The cover would then have been sent to the Dead Letter Office. On the back (see Fig. 2.), among penciled annotations and initials, is the red double circle cds for ‘DEAD LETTER OFFICE / SYDNEY NSW / May 13 1915’. This marked the end of the cover’s journeys.

Figure 2. Reverse Side of the Cover Showing Posting and Return Postmarks

There is also a possibility that the article might never have left Australia. In view of the worsening of conditions in Europe, postal authorities might have held the cover in Sydney to await an improvement in the situation in Europe. Finally, they gave up waiting, and sent to cover to II. M. D. for examination before it was consigned to the Dead Letter Office.

My thanks to David Collyer, Philatelic Research Officer, for his advice of the possible paths this cover might have taken, and for the information on the dates of ship sailings for July 1914.

Judy Kennett

/Judy Kennett’s e-mail address, reported in the last issue of the newsletter, was listed wrong due to my mistake. Her correct e-mail is If anyone has information about airmail rates to Australia in the 1930s, please let her know. Thanks! Ed./