Registered Letters of the Federal Camp 1925

It turns out that this letter, postmarked on the first day of the special post office on 27 July 1925, was the first registered letter to be posted.

Letter

Registered item R number 1 from the first day of use of the special postmark on 27 July 1925., postcard with additional franking. The card was carried from Berne to Zurich and then by airmail from Zurich to Lausanne, as evidenced by the two airmail postmarks of Zurich and Lausanne.

The special postmark was in use from Monday, 27 July 1925 to Tuesday, 4 August 1925. Postmark impressions are known from all days, least of all from Thursday, 30 July, as this was the day on which the excursion to the city was scheduled. Registered labels with numbers from 1 to 100 were used for the registered letters, which were stamped with a bar cancel "Bern, Schweiz. Pfadfinderlager" (Bern, Swiss Scout Camp). New research confirms the assumption that a total of three series of these registered mail labels were used.

The latest known registered mail item, dated 4 August, bears the number 69, which means that a total of between 270 and 300 items were registered. However, it is not clear at present whether the numbers 75, 84, 85, 94 and 95 of 4.8. could also be from the Third Series. The last number used on 3.8. is 73. If later numbers from 3.8. appear, this would mean that number 69 from 4.8. is not the last. The same numbers of the R labels can therefore appear three times. So far, duplicate numbers are known: number 13 from 31.7 and 4.8, number 6 9 from 3.8 and 4.8, number 73 from 29.7 and 3.8 and number 94 from 31.7 and 4.8.

Letter

"Biatter" letter dated 29.07.1925 to Dakar (Senegal}. The letter was first sent to Basel (airmail postmark 31.07.1925), from there by airmail to Carcassonne in southern France, where it received an additional franking of 5 F, postmarked 01.08. 1 925, and an additional R label (R number 309). It was then transported by airmail to Casablanca (Morocco) and arrived in Dakar (Senegal} on 13.08. 1 925, where it received an additional franking "Chiffre Taxe" of 20c, cancelled Dakar 13.08.1925. (Postmarks on the reverse: Casablanca 07.08.1925 and Dakar 13.08.1925).

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Two times number 94; below on a "Rochat" letter of 4.8.1925 with special part franking and above on a "Biatter" letter of 31.07.1925 with airmail to Geneva.

From the evaluation of the registered mail items known with date, the following number of items per day can be read:

Table

As of today, no registered letters are known from Thursday, 30 July, and Sunday, 2 August.

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Registered official camp card, R-number 75 of 04.08.1925. The R-label is from the second series, but possibly also from the third series. This can only be proven if further registered mail is found. The card from Berne to Parpan in the canton of Graubünden was transported by airmail from Geneva to Zurich (airmail postmarks of Geneva and Zurich dated 5.8.1925 8 o'clock and 12 o'clock) and arrived in Parpan on 7.8.1925 (arrival postmark). The card bears the official camp vignette in German).

It is interesting to note that some senders or addressees posted several items at once. The best known are those to Mr. F. Blatter. Of these, at least 18 letters were sent by airmail to Dakar (Senegal) on 29.7.1925 and again at least 16 airmail letters to Casablanca (Morocco) and to Geneva on 31.07.1925. Several letters are also addressed to Dr. L. Bossart in SI. Gallen, with numbers between 36 to 48 and dated 28.7.1925 To Mr. L. Rochat probably a little over 10 letters were posted on 4.8.1925, they are franked with blocks of four and reverse prints of the parts issue.
As can easily be seen, a large proportion of the posted letters were not sent out of necessity but for philatelic reasons. Not many of the demand letters are likely to have survived.

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Registered cover of 1.8.1925, R-number 17, with airmail to Bellinzona, airmail postmark of Zurich on the back, as well as the receipt (posting receipt). Covers with the receipt are very rare.

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Blatter letters, airmail to Casablanca (Morocco), R-numbers 100 and 1, both dated 31 July 1925.