Historama Autumn Mail Auction #5

Israeli "No Service" mail to Arab countries: 9-12-1955 small a/m cv ex HOMS Syria to LONDON, franked 40q & tied by strike of local pmk + stamped on back by boxed cachet "The Army is the Impervious Fortress of the Nation, Support it with Money to Give you Lives"; upon arr. cv affixed by Br. GPO label "arrived opened or damaged | and officially secured": as addressee info probably ruined by the damage, cv returned: label tied by "RETOUR" & f/s 14 DEC 1955 dispatch using X-mas greeting machine cancel - but here misrouted to ISRAEL, where b/s 29.12.55 HAIFA arr. (delay may be due to X-mas) using scarce "Give to Defence Fund" machine slogan cachet (on 5th day of use; 25-12-55 to 13-01-56) & tied by Haifa PO "PAS DE SERVICE VIA ISRAEL" IM h/s K-Type-H.I.3 - this rare as less than 10 cv's dating mid-1950's known such stamped; RTS (UK). Very rare instance of Syria-bound mail routed to Israel. Ironic combination of defense-related Syrian & Israeli slogans on 1 cv.