Closed Auction

lot # 2110 - united states postal history

Tuesday Jun 16, 2020 09:00 to Wednesday Jun 17, 2020 16:00 America/Los_Angeles

1942 Cover Addressed to American POW in Japan, small envelope with typed address "Lieut. John L. Nestor/ % International Red Cross Committee/ Prisoner of War Information Bureau/ Geneve Switzerland" with added "Taken Prisoner by Japan at Guam/ now in prisoners' camp/ Southern Japan/ Zentsuji Camp Shikoku Island", 3c Defense issue tied by La Jolla Cal Apr 9 1942 machine cancel, partial Japanese POW camp dated (17.7.24) censor handstamp on back side, Very Fine and rare early mail to an American POW inside JapanrnLt John Nestor was stationed on the USS "R.L. Barnes" a small Navy oil tanker and served as an oil storage vessel in Guam beginning in April 1920 after service in the Caribbean. During Japanese air attacks on Guam Dec 8, 1941, the oiler was bombed and strafed at her mooring, causing damage topside and starting dangerous leaks. Still afloat when the Japanese invasion force landed on Guam, Robert L. Barnes was abandoned and fell into enemy hands on Dec 10. Lt. Nestor was one of 300 Americans captured and incarcerated at the Zenjitsu POW Camp. He was transferred to the Rokuroshi Camp in June of 1945 and rescued Sep 7 1945.