No. 20 - Oswego, NY, USA to Zurich, Switzerland

Dated 10 October, 1942, travelling by Air Mail, this cover was intercepted in Bermuda by the British Censor Station. There it was examined by Examiner #4472 who applied a PC 90 closer label and at the request of the USA, detained it. It was returned to Morgan Annex, New York on 07 July, 1943.

This cover would normally have transited through Vichy France on its way to Switzerland. However it was a casualty of Operation Torch which was the Allied invasion of North Africa on 08 November, 1942. The next day, Germany, occupied Vichy France. This closed that last open mail route to neutral Switzerland. After the German occupation of Vichy France, the U.S. Government decided to cut off all mail to Switzerland with the exception of POW and Red Cross Mail. They didn't want their mail looked at by the Germans.