Description
A striking, original WWII soldier’s cover mailed APR 19, 1945 from APO 84 (84th Infantry Division “Railsplitters”), identified in manuscript to Co. I, 333rd Infantry and addressed to Wilfred T. Foster, Jamaica Plain, Mass. At left is a large patriotic “This Is America – Streamliner” poster-stamp (cinderella) set into an eagle-and-stars printed frame-an eye-catching, privately produced cachet style not often seen on APO covers from the ETO. The front bears a U.S. Army Postal Service machine cancel and boxed “Passed by Army Examiner” censor handstamp; the back shows a MAY 1 REC’D marking with “Germany” noted in pencil.
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Date/Unit: U.S. Army Postal Service APR 19, 1945; sender line Co. I, 333rd Infantry, APO 84
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Theater: European Theater in the final weeks of the war; 84th Division operating in Germany
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Cachet element: Bold “This Is America – Streamliner” poster-stamp (cinderella) in decorative frame
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Censorship: Boxed Army Examiner handstamp with signature/initials
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Backstamp: MAY 1 REC’D on flap; pencil “Germany”
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Scarcity note: Poster-stamp patriotic adornments on wartime APO mail are far less common than plain soldier covers and are typically one-off creations rather than mass-issued cachets, adding display value and collector appeal
Condition: Overall wartime toning and light edge/handling wear; minor waviness and a small crease near lower left; manuscript endorsements present; no U.S. postage affixed (typical of soldier mail). Please view all photos for the best sense of condition. We offer combined shipping on covers.
Great crossover piece for APO/ETO postal history, 84th Infantry Division, and patriotic/propaganda poster-stamp collectors.
#114
