Two "Sayang Sekali" postal cards

For readers who are not familiar with Malay, Sayang Sekali translates into What a pity.

Some of us would have items like these. Very nice covers or postcards or postal cards with stamps removed which drastically reduces their value and desirability. Nonetheless I still feel that the following 2 items are worth having.

There is a rather beautiful Lahat Datu D3 cancellation in violet and a Sandakan transit mark 2 days later. Surprisingly it took another 12 days including the 6-7 days getting there before it was dispatched from Singapore. Perhaps it was waiting for a ship bound for Hamburg where it was received at the post office on 6.1.04. The missing adhesive would probably be a 3c stamp of the British Protectorate issue to make up the concurrent 4c postcard rate to postal union countries. Anyone who has this particular stamp with the matching postmark, please please let me have it.

The name Oscar Kluge has been seen on several items of correspondence. He was probably working there possibly at one of the plantations. Someday, I hope this letter can be translated. I have a couple of items like this in German as well as a few in Dutch.

There are two Sayang Sekali reasons here. Again we have a 3c stamp removed for a card to Leipzip in Germany. The postmark is not clear but it is likely to be Sandakan 15 JA 1902. It was sent by the Government Telegraph Operator at Mempakol or Mempakul but posted when he was visiting Sandakan. The second reason is if it were sent from Mempakul, we would have a very valuable item if intact. The content of the letter was very interesting and I hope he was only ordering medical supplies. I do not know why crayon marks were made.

Mempakul was important as sub station for the telegraph line from Labuan en route to Sandakan. This telegraph was also extended to Kudat and Jesselton. Labuan was connected to Hong Kong and Singapore.

A Kuala Belait Retour cover

I am gradually building up my Retour cover collection. This is one of my particular favourites as it tells an interesting story of its journey through the mail system. You can use the search bar in the top left hand corner of this page to look for other retour items on this blog. And at the top of the right side is a google translate facility for changing the text into a language of choice. But I can not vouch for the accuracy of translation.

It was sent by the Chinese Labour Union in Kuala Belait to their counterpart in New York but unfortunately with the wrong address. It was posted on 4MR47 and dispatched on 6MR47. It has a rudimentary K Belait registration label and marked in manuscript Air Mail Registered. It was also handstamped Air To London Only in violet probably at Singapore. It bears adhesives to a total value of 70c for a combination of surface and air mail rates which included transmission by air mail to London only.
There is a Singapore transit registration postmark for 5 pm 17 MR 1947. It arrived at New York on April 5 1947. Delivery was attempted and failed despite trying a possible address. It was struck with a Retour cachet on APR 7 1947 with a linear date on the front and a cds at the back, both in violet. It was also written in pencil on the front with not at add given 0144. It stayed on at the New York P O until it was returned as seen on the oval cancellation for 7 May 1947. It arrived back to Belait via Singapore with a transit cancellation for 2 pm 15 JU 1947.
Update This Air To London Only handstamp is recorded by Proud as Sandakan AM8 with one date recorded of 25.3.47 and so that gives rise to more questions.