91th Holyland Postal Bid Sale

SARAFAND Censor Mail: Palestine to Australia An air mail censor cover from Sarafand to Sydney bearing four 5 mils and four 10 mils of Palestine which are cancelled by four strikes of a double ring cds of Sarafand dated 7th March 1940. Below the air mail label is a boxed British censor cancel, in red, No 566. In the SW corner is a single strike of an Australian military cancel, Railhead P.O. / RM1 dated 7th March 1940. According to Stobbs this cancel was in use at Gaza Ridge, Palestine, from 1st March to the 16th April 1940 by 211 AGH (Australian General Hospital) and was later used as a TPO cancel until March 1941. Proud does not record any usage for this cancel at this time. ( Sarafand is about 150 miles north of the Gaza Ridge ?? ) flap missing Sarafand was originally known as Sarepta during the Phoenician era and later as Sarepta Yudee during Crusader times. It is located on the Mediterranean coast between Sidon and Tyre and is now in Lebanon.