Indian passport with Allied visa
AMG issued visa for occupied Germany.
Much has been written about the allied occupation of Germany and the 4 zones that divided the former “1000 year Reich”.
In order to enter Germany, for a visit, work or just transiting, one had to obtain the Allied Military Government visa from the permit offices that were now located in nearly all corners of the world: South America, Africa, Asia and also the Middle East. All diplomatic missions abroad had the capacity to issue such permits and visas as well.
The item here is extra special: 1949 Bombay issued passport (seems the paper used for printing the Indian passports was the same used for printing Indian banknotes during WW2, using an interlocking “Govt of India” watermark. The notes were probably printed at Nasik, the Indian government security printer. Most or all Indian, Ceylonese, Burmese, and even some Iraqi notes were printed there) for travelling to Europe, it was used by a young Indian Jewish student for his studies in mechanics and vehicles in Luxembourg. Mordy Solomon Mordecai, from Poona, obtained his passport on April 5th for this purpose. Other passports that followed this first one contained numerous visas for Luxembourg as well. After his studies he would immigrate to Israel were he would represent the French car manufacturer Peugeot.
What makes this passport a superb World War Two related great find is the AMG visa that he applied for at Prague in 1950! To my knowledge, not many passports (Indian) exist with allied visas for occupied Germany are inside. So this is truly an opportunity to share it here with other readers and collectors. I warmly welcome other similar images from others to share with us all.
The passport was issued to my dad’s closest friend who sadly recently passed away.
Thank you for reading “Our Passports”.
