Airmail Immediately After the Mixed-franking Era Up to the May 10, 1940 Occupation

 

As of May 1, 1939, mixed franking was no longer required on international airmail from Luxembourg.  Covers from that date until the May 10, 1940 German occupation are surprisingly scarce. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

5g Registered Airmail Letter Via Strasbourg to the USA in 1939 Mersch, 25 Aug 1939 Strasbourg A Belfort TPO, France, 26 Aug 1939 New York, NY USA, 1 Sep 1939 Kew Gardens, NY USA, 2 Sep 1939  UPU 20g letter rate = 1.75 F UPU registry fee = 1.75 F. Airmail supplement per 5g = 3.50 F

 

3g Airmail Letter Via Brussels to USA in January 1940 Mersch, 30 Jan 1940 Bruxelles, Belgium, 30 Jan 1940 To New York, NY USA Forwarded to Goshen, NY USA UPU 20g letter rate = 1.75 F Airmail supplement per 5g = 3.50 F

 

 

Censored Consular Airmail Letter Via Brussels to Finland in January 1940 Luxembourg-Ville, 31 Jan 1940 Bruxelles, Belgium [b/s], 1 Feb 1940 Censored in Finland [green rectangle] Helsinki, Finland [b/s], 6 Feb 1940 Endorsed:  “poste militaire” Endorsed:  “Via Pay Bas – Suède” Cachet of the Finnish consulate in Luxembourg UPU 20g letter rate = 1.75 F Airmail supplement within Europe = 75c

 

 

6g Airmail Letter to USA May 2, 1940 Posted 8 days before the WWII German occupation; Received 3 days after the occupation Luxembourg-Ville, 2 May 1940 Bruxelles, Belgium, 3 May 1940 To Chicago, IL USA Endorsed:  Par Avion Transatlantic Via Lisbon Docketed on the back:  13 May 1940 UPU 20g letter rate = 1.75 F Airmail supplement 3.50 F per 5g = 7.00 F

 

 

6g Airmail Letter to Venezuela May 5, 1940 Posted 5 days before the WWII German occupation; Received 4 days after the occupation Luxembourg-Ville, 5 May 1940 Bruxelles, Belgium, 5 May 1940 Caracas, Venezuela, 14 May 1940 UPU 20g letter rate = 1.75 F Airmail supplement 8.00 F per 5g = 16.00 F

 

 

4g Registered Airmail Letter to USA May 8, 1940 [4:00-5:00 p.m.] Awaiting dispatch on the morning of Friday, May 10, 1940, as the Third Reich overran Luxembourg. Detained by the occupiers, censored at Frankfurt, and not delivered until November 9, 1940 – 213 days later! Luxembourg-Gare, 8  May 1940 Censored at Frankfurt [code ‘e’ on censor tape] New York, NY Registry Division, 8 Nov 1940 Chicago, IL Registry Division, 9 Nov 1940 Chicago, IL (Hyde Park Sta.), 9 Nov 1940 UPU 20g letter rate = 1.75 F UPU registry fee = 1.75 F Airmail supplement 3.50 F per 5g = 3.50 F Endorsed:  “Via Lisbonne”