BOER WAR: TVL. SCARCE 31 MAY 1902 "ARMY POST OFFICE" COVER IN SOUTH AFRICA

By the end of the Anglo-Boer War on 31 May 1902, most of the Transvaal's post offices had been taken over by the British authorities. These offices varied from those largely destroyed to instances where all or part of the contents had been removed.  The uncensored cover below was sent from "Army Post Office / Johannesburg" with date of 31 May 1902, the day that the surrender terms were signed at Pretoria. It received the London arrival strike on 23 June 1902 and was then re-directed to Southsea, Portsmouth (24 June 1902). A scarce example of this Army Post Office strike with historic datestamp and re-directed mail. See scans below.