1948 registered / "service suspended" 1st Flight PEDI airmail: 22 April 1948 reg. comm. cv ...

1948 registered / "service suspended" 1st Flight PEDI airmail: 22 April 1948 reg. comm. cv ex NYC to TEL AVIV ("Palestine"), franked 120c; b/s same day at NY GPO & Registry Division; however as airmail service to Palestine suspended by Mandate on 26th, US suspends same by their request on 27th - cv handstamped by 2-line "Service Suspended | Return to Sender" h/s (K-T-VII on EKD of use); however this not done: cachet crossed out and cv remains at PO until May 17th (b/s) when Registry Division transfers it to Bowling Green Station (b/s 18th) who add new "Via Air Mail" handstamp on front & forward it to PEDI, where cv is included on its 1st flight shipment to Israel, issued number 474, tied by 2x Type II cancels dated MAY 21 1948, address re-written & "First Flight" cachet added on front; flight arrives in HAIFA 2 June where CSA Airlines cachet added & cv b/s 3-6-1948 TLV arrival - unusually the TLV sorting office add the National Loan cachet on front even though this isn't domestic reg. mail. Identical cv illust. in IFPL p.93/102 (1 digit apart from this cv) & Kibble p.48 - less than 5 such cv's known. Slit open at top, right edge creased; unusual & rare. The unique handling in NY suggests that reg. mail during the mail suspension was treated with extra care: PEDI's service was announced publicly on 19 May and the prior transfer of cv suggests US post was made aware of special arrangements even earlier, probably by the local Jewish Agency rep. who devised PEDI.