Red Cross Mail
1940
 
To facilitate correspondence between Allied and German controlled territories, The International Red Cross instituted a service where brief messages of 25 words or less could be delivered to relations and friends.  Messages were to be written in either Faroese, Danish or the language of  the intended country and could only pertain to personal matters.  There was a special charge of 1 DKR (5 times the ordinary postage rate), although no evidence of this payment appears on the form.  This message of 25 words was sent from the Faroes in June 1940 arriving in Denmark on 9 September 1940, taking 74 days.  Accepted in Thorshavn on June 27th it received a red datestamp and then was forwarded to Switzerland where a small Red Cross handstamp was applied in red after which it went to Denmark where the Danish Red Cross applied a Danish Red Cross marking and forwarded the message to the addressee.
 
1940 Red Cross letter
 
1943
 
This Red Cross Message, consisting of 18 words, was sent from the Faroes during March-April 1943 taking 29 days to reach Denmark.  After being accepted in Thorshavn on March 29th it received a black handstamp (the date stamp by convention always used French).  It was then sent to Great Britain, where it was censored (lower right handstamp with red crown) and stamped with the British Red Cross Symbol (a large Red Cross handstamp in red). It was then forwarded to Switzerland where a small Red Cross handstamp was applied in red after which it went to Denmark where the Danish Red Cross applied a red dated handstamp and forwarded the message to the addressee.
 
1943 Red Cross Letter
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