Censorship letter from Cuba
Envelopes bearing the marks of censorship during periods of tension or war in the world hold a particular interest for me. Therefore, I was once again pleased with the discovery of an envelope that fit into my collection of 'overseas territories': Suriname. The envelope was sent from Cuba and addressed to Mr. Van Westen in Paramaribo.
The envelope was franked with seven different Cuban stamps, including the ½c stamp, a beautiful orange color, and the V sign for Victory. The stamp was issued on July 1, 1942, and was a mandatory surcharge stamp, the proceeds of which went to the Red Cross. 37 million copies of this stamp were printed.
The green 1c stamp is from a series of three issued on August 28, 1939, and is dedicated to the Cuban cigar industry. The image shows an Indian smoking a cigar and, naturally, a genuine 'Havana'. A star is depicted on the cigar band, the star from the Cuban flag. A cigar is also depicted on the red 2c stamp. The stamp comes from the same series.


The 4c stamp depicts a torch of liberty. The stamp is part of a series of eight, issued on November 18, 1936, on the occasion of the 100th birthday of General Maximo Gómez. Gómez was born in the Dominican Republic and fought for the freedom of Cuba during the 'War of Ten Years' (Guerra de los Diez Años from 1868 to 1878) against the Spanish rulers. However, the stamp states: November 18, 1935. Remarkable!

On the bottom row are three airmail stamps. The 5c (issued on April 5, 1932) and 10c (issued on August 15, 1931) stamps show an airplane over a mountain landscape. The 20c (issued on March 2, 1931) stamp shows an airplane over the coast of Cuba. The Cuban airline Cubana de Aviación was founded in 1929 and was then called Compania Nacional Cubana de Aviacion Curtiss.
Back to the envelope. The sender sent the letter to Mr. Van Westen, Home for War Refugees in Paramaribo, Suriname. This home was probably located in one or a few houses at Jacobsrust in Paramaribo.
The purple stamp impression shows that the letter was sent from Havana on June 25, 1943. A number filled in by hand has also been placed next to it. A registration number on a list of mail items to be dispatched?
The letter arrived in Paramaribo on July 6, 1943, as evidenced by an impression of the Paramaribo date stamp. The letter was opened in Paramaribo and censored. Subsequently, the envelope was sealed with a green strip bearing the imprint OPENED BY CENSORSHIP SURINAME and marked with several impressions of a number: 060743.


But under the green strip, two more strips have been pasted: a cream-colored strip and a brown strip. Censored three times? I am curious, but I won't remove the green strip to see what is hidden underneath.
But who knows what the letter A means that is printed in the bottom left corner of the front of the envelope? This letter A was applied at the same time as the impression of the stamp to the left of the letter, so in Havana.
So I'm curious about that too!

Great article!
Cees, on November 18, 1935, a monument to Gomez was erected in Havana. It would have been the general's 90th birthday that day.
See Wikipedia (Spanish).