Occupied Philippines Postal Cover

From the Collection: An envelope from the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during the Second World War

Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Empire of Japan struck at the US controlled Philippine Islands with plans launched from Formosa. This would be followed by a short campaign resulting in the defeat of the US forces there and the institution of a military occupation and a puppet government. For three long years the people of the island of Luzon, including the capitol city of Manila, would suffer under an ever more restrictive Japanese regime.

The Manila General Post Office before the war (US National Archives, colorized)

The envelope, or “cover” as seen here is one sent within metro Manila in early 1943, and is marked as being issued on the first anniversary of the founding of the Japanese controlled Philippine Executive Committee on the bottom of the cover. The processing stamp for Manila, dated 23 January, 1943, is also present, as is a large ink stamp for the Executive Committee. Perhaps most notable is the large ink stamp proclaiming that this has been inspected and cleared by the Japanese military authorities, as well as the postage stamps. These are original US administration stamps, overstamped with Japanese characters and with “Commonwealth of the Philippines” and “United States of America” blacked out.

The ruins of the Manila General Post Office after the city was retaken by US forces in February of 1945 (US National Archives, Colorized)

The occupation of Manila would continue until early 1945, when US Army forces retook the city in some of the most vicious urban combat of the Second World War. When they were pushed from the city the Japanese would also massacre some 2,000,000 civilians in the process. The Japanese would still be fighting on Luzon when their country surrendered in September of 1945.

For more information on the battle to retake Manila, please see the Day by Day History project for that engagement.