Japanese Occupation in Malaya 1942 (Postal Cover)

This is a postal cover used during Japanese Occupation in Malaya. It uses Japanese stamps that were authorised for usage in Malaya. On 8 December 1942, on the first anniversary of the start of the Pacific war, and five months before the pictorial definitives started being issued, the Japanese authorities issued four Japanese stamps in Malaya, for use there.

The commemorative cancellation dated 12 - 8 - 2602 in Japanese calender (December 8th, 1942) to celebrate First Anniversary of the start of the Greater South East Asia War when the Japanese troop first landed at Kota Bharu, Kelantan just after midnight of December 8th, 1941 (The Battle of Kota Bharu).

Top outer ring:

ペナン中央郵便局

Read: Penang General Post Office

Bottom outer ring:

馬来。ペナン

Read: Penang - Malaya

Centre:
12 8
大東亜戦争
一周年記念
2602

Read:
12 8
Greater East Asian War
First Anniversary Commemoration
2602

It was addressed to:
Yeah Phee Theik Esqr.
150, Anson Road,
Penang.

It has a stamp marking censor by the military:

検
閲

Read: CENSORED

Cover size: 151 x 87 (mm)
Stamps size: 21 x 26 (mm)

Stamps

The inscriptions on the stamps read right to left. Reversed, modern-style and with modern, simplified characters:

大日本　帝國郵便
Read: Japanese Imperial Posts

参銭
Read: Three Sen

五銭
Read: Five Sen

Scott's Catalog Number

A85 260 Power Plant - Green - 3 Sen (1939)
A86 331 Admiral Heichachiro Togo - 5 Sen




Special thanks to tonymacg (from Melbourne) for the Japanese characters.

References:
Susan McEwen, Japanese Occupation of Malaya, the Pictorial Issues. (Malaya Study Group, April 2009)
Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, 2009