Bidspirit auction | War of Independence – Mail

War of Independence – Mail to Syrian P.O.W. Held in Israel, Cover from Bosra (Syria) via Transjordan and the Red Cross, 1949 - Refugee from Tantura - Envelope sent from Bosra, Syria, 4 January 1949, addressed to Yosef Issa al-Sheich Mahamud, a Syrian prisoner of war held in Central POW Camp No. 791 (near Herzliya), Israel. The sender, Issa al-Sheich Mahamud, is identified on the envelope itself as a refugee from the village of Tantura near Haifa. The cover travelled through Jordan and the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva before reaching Israel. The cover documents a complex wartime postal route during the War of Independence, transmitted between enemy territories through Red Cross channels. Markings recorded on the envelope include: Bosra, Syria postmark – 4 January 1949 Transit backstamps Amman and Ramallah Comité International de la Croix-Rouge – Genève marking Syrian military censor marking Transjordanian censor marking Israeli bilingual censor marking The envelope was opened for inspection and resealed with a green Arabic censor label Franked with Syrian stamps and bearing Arabic postal markings; reverse with transit markings from Transjordan. Mail to Syrian POWs held in Israel in 1949 is relatively scarce, making this an unusual wartime postal item. Referenced in philatelic literature: I.P. pp. 4939–41 Condition generally good for its age, with expected postal and censorship handling marks from wartime transmission. Items from the collections of Jacob Yablok - VirtualJewishmuseum.com. The items are placed in a quality proactive nylon sleeve and can be easily and safely taken out from the display page. Displayed on a thin cardboard sheet.