Postage stamps and postal history of Hong Kong, Part Four
HF:
Japanese Occupation 1941-1945
Hong Kong surrendered to Japan on 25 December 1941, marking the start of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Postal services resumed in early 1942, with 20 or 21 Japanese definitives introduced for use in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Japanese occupation 1945 – set of three stamps. Source: unknown
As a response to hyperinflation during the occupation, three stamp issues were surcharged with a higher value. These were also overprinted with Office of the Governor of Hong Kong. Censorship, changes of local addresses into a Japanese format, and renaming of district and building names into names of Japanese origins led to a chaotic postal system during the occupation.
Most of the British stamps were safely hidden until Japan’s surrender. Some were stored in the vaults of the General Post Office and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation building, while others were sent to Australia and South Africa for safekeeping.
Two Japanese tanks, probably on King’s Road, 1940s. Source: grs.gov.hk
Source: Wikipedia
This article was first posted on 23rd December.
Related Indhhk articles:
We have almost no articles about the history of Hong Kong stamps and post offices or the first mail deliveries by aircraft in Hong Kong and would be grateful to be sent information regarding them.