No. 22 - Zurich, Switzerland to Piqua, Ohio, USA

Dated 13 November, 1942, this cover was posted at the Zurich post office and immediately a hand stamp "ZURUCK RETOUR!POSTVERKEHR EINGESTELLET/SERVICE POSTAL SUSPENDU"(Service Suspended) was applied. The cover was then detained at the Zurich Post Office until 28 January, 1943. The Swiss "service suspended" hand stamp was then crossed out to prevent its return to Zurich and the cover routed to Paris, France for German Censor Examination. The German censor applied a circular code X hand stamp and tested for invisible ink use with a chemical smear. The cover was then routed to Lisbon, Portugal for delivery to the USA by ship. It landed at New Orleans where it was examined by Censor #14424 and a circular "U.S. CENSORSHIP" hand stamp was applied.

This cover was also a casualty of Operation Torch and the occupation of Vichy France. After the occupation, the Swiss had to make new mail transportation arrangements and route their mail for North America through Paris. There, the German Army had set up a large Censor Station and looked at everything.