Towards the latter part of the 15th century Portuguese navigators roamed among the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, of Indonesia and traded with the native inhabitants. In the next century they extended their activities to the neighbouring islands. In the 17th century the Dutch and the British vied with each other as traders in this area, but in 1623 the British East India Company relinquished its interest and left the Dutch in possession of what was virtually a trading monopoly.

In the 18th century, however, the British East India Company tried to secure a fresh footing and in 1786 their efforts were rewarded with the cession of Penang. In 1819 the famous Sir Stamford Raffles founded a settlement in Singapore and later the whole island was taken over by the Company. Malacca, previously occupied by the British in 1795 and restored to the Dutch in 1818, came again under British rule by the Treaty of London in 1824.

The three settlements were amalgamated under one Governor, resident in Penang, in 1826, the seat of government being transferred ten years later to Singapore; in 1867 the settlements were constituted a separate British Colony.

A united India post was authorised by the Indian Post Office Act of July 24th, 1837 which came into force on October 1st of that year and it applied to offices within the Straits Settlements. Under it, service, soldiers’ or “free” letters were required to bear a red handstruck oval containing the name of the office and “FREE” also in red. Prepaid letters had to be struck with an oblong “PAID” in red; unpaid letters had to carry an oblong containing the word “BEARING” in black; “free” letters from overseas were to be stamped with a circle showing the office, the date and “SHIP LETTER FREE” in red. Mail brought from overseas by private vessels had to be stamped “Ship Letter Bearing” within a square in black and that brought by government steamships with “Steam Letter Bearing” within an octagon in black.

The postal rates varied with the weight of the letter and the distance it had to be carried. The unit of weight was the “tola” (about two-fifths of an ounce). Those laid down in the 1837 Act were, for instance, 20 miles, 1 anna; 50 miles, 2 annas and, up to 300 miles, an additional anna per 50 miles. But in 1854, when the first general issue of Indian adhesive stamps was authorised, their use became compulsory and fresh postal rates, irrespective of the distance a letter had to be carried, were introduced, e.g. ¼ tola, ½ anna; less than a ½ tola, 1 anna, and a ½ anna for each succeeding ½ tola up to 2 tolas; beyond this, 2 annas per extra tola or part thereof was charged.

Although the British Colony of the Straits Settlements did not issue its own postage stamps until September 1st, 1867, the then current adhesive stamps of India were in use in the Settlements from 1854 until 1867. It is possible to identify some of the stamps so used from the postmarks applied to them, though the first type of postmark – the diamond of dots (Fig. 1) – was used in several Indian offices. But after the introduction, early in 1856, of numerical postmarks, identification was simplified. The numbers allotted to Singapore, Penang and Malacca were 172, 147 and 109, respectively. With a capital letter “B” over each number, they were enclosed in the centre of a four-lined octagon (Fig. 2).

A variant of the Singapore postmark appeared about 1859, the figure “1″ showing a change in the style and thickness of the serifs.

A fresh type of cancellation was introduced about 1863 in the form of a duplex postmark containing the code numerals within a vertical diamond of ten fine lines rising from left to right linked by two parallel lines to a double circle datestamp bearing the name within the upper part of the circles and fleurons in the lower part, together with the date in the inner circle (Fig. 3). This type was apparently not used in Malacca and examples of its use with the Singapore numerals are rare, but in Penang it was in use from 1863 to 1867.

It was not until September 1st, 1867 that the Colony of the Straits Settlements issued its first adhesive stamps: they were provisional issues, two types of Indian stamps being overprinted with a crown and surcharged with new values in cents.

De La Rue and Co., who had printed the Indian stamps concerned on white wove paper with the Elephant’s Head watermark, also applied the overprint and surcharge, but they had to use different coloured inks to distinguish the various values because the 1 anna brown and 2 annas yellow were used to make three different “cents” values each. The new values ranged from 1½c. to 32c. The numbers issued were:

1½c. on ½ anna, blue – 40,000
2c. on 1 anna, brown – 96,000
3c. on 1 anna, brown – 96,000
4c. on 1 anna, brown – 32,000
6c. on 2 annas, yellow – 24,000
8c. on 2 annas, yellow – 144,000
12c. on 4 annas, green  – 24,000
24c. on 8 annas, rose – 80,000
32c. on 2 annas, yellow  – 64,000

Some of the 1½c. on ½a. blue were used with the “THREE-HALF” struck out in black with pen and ink and the figure “2″ put in manuscript above them. There was little demand for the 1½c. value which was not repeated in the permanent issue of 1867-71. The 12c. on 4 annas, green, is also known, unused, with a double surcharge.

It appears that the first values of the permanent issue appeared during December, 1867 and 1868. The design consisted of the Queen’s head within a double circle or rectangle enclosed within a frame, with different ornaments in each corner, the values appearing in letters or numerals at the base. These ranged from 2c. to 96c. and were printed on white wove paper – medium to thick to start with and later on thin. The watermark was Crown CC and the perforation 14. There were 240 stamps to a sheet – four panes of 60 arranged in rows of six by ten. For the earlier printings the gum used was yellow, but later issues bore a white gum. There is a variety of the 96c. grey, which appeared in June 1871, with perforation 12½ instead of 14.

In 1872 the postage on letters to Great Britain was reduced from 32c. to 30c. necessitating the issue of a fresh stamp. on this stamp the Queen’s head is enclosed within an inner elongated vertical hexagonal frame. Printed on white wove paper, with watermark Crown CC and perforated 14 the colour was claret and the sheet of 240 stamps was arranged in four panes of sixty (6 x 10). The stamp is known imperforate and such copies were used for making “SPECIMEN” stamps.

The Straits Settlements joined the Universal Postal Union in 1877 and two years later changes were made in the postal rates which required the issue of stamps of 5c. and 7c. denominations. This was effected by surcharging the 8c. orange and 32c. pale red of the 1867-71 issue with “Five Cents.” and “Seven Cents.” respectively, in two lines, in black. Varieties of the surcharge include no stop after “Cents.” in both values and an extended space between the “F” and “i” of the “Five Cents.”

With other changes in postal rates, the need arose for a stamp of 10c. value and to provide for this, stamps from the stock of the 30c. claret were surcharged “10 cents.” in two lines, the “cents” appearing in italics in 1880. There are no less than ten varieties of the figure “10″. The surcharging was done at the Government Printing Office at Singapore and a pane of 60 stamps was covered at each operation.

About a month later, a new setting of the “10″ surcharge was made with the word “cents” missing. Here again there were apparently eight varieties of the figure “10″. In August 1880, the 8c. orange stamps of the 1867-71 issue were surcharged in black in two lines with “5 cents.” the word ”cents” being italicised. There were three different types of the figure “5″, varying according to the rows of the pane utilised for this purpose. In December of the same year, the 30c. claret was surcharged in black in two lines with a new variety of “10 cents.” the numerals, as well as the letters being in italics and the “cents” in larger fount. It appears that by then the stock of the 30c. claret had been exhausted for, in January 1881, the surcharge was applied to the 12c. ultramarine value of the 1867-71 issue and to the 12c. blue value in February 1881. In November of that year it was applied to the 6c. lilac. In January 1882, the 4c. rose was surcharged with “5 cents.” in black in two lines with founts of a similar italic type to the “10 cents.” surcharge.

As a change from surcharging came the issue in January 1882 of two new stamps – 5c. purple-brown and 10c. slate – still with the Queen’s head in the centre but with new frames. These were printed on paper watermarked “Crown CC”, perforated 14. Later in the year, however, the 10c. slate, together with the 2c. brown, the 4c. rose and the 8c. orange of the 1867-71 issue, appeared for the first time with the Crown CA watermark.

This article has been extracted from “Philatelic Magazine” (UK), originally published September 29, 1967.

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Kerang Postmark

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More info can be found at www.maldoncastlemaine.com

Maldon Visitor Information Centre
93 High St.
Maldon VICTORIA 3463
Australia

Ph. 61 354 752 569
Email: maldonvic@mountalexander.vic.gov.au
Web: www.maldoncastlemaine.com

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The reverse was not seen, and unfortunately the sender could not be identified (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Dietz was born in Prussia on October 19, 1869, and he moved with his parents to Richmond, Virginia in 1871 and began collecting stamps as early as 1880. He became an engraver trained in lithography and typography so that he understood the printing processes necessary for the preparation of the various Confederate States of America postage stamps. With his in-depth knowledge and interest in Confederate postal history, it was confirmed that he obtained information directly from postmasters and printers that had firsthand knowledge of many of the philatelic items used during the Civil War.

Figure 2

By 1896, Dietz was editor of the Virginia Philatelist, a monthly stamp magazine printed in Richmond. In March 1901 he started his own company, the Dietz Printing Company, Virginia. A picture of ‘philatelic luminaries’ including August Dietz (the young man with large moustache fourth from left), pose in front of the office of the Virginia Philatelist in 1898. The building is the old heritage ‘Goddin Hall’ which housed the last post office of the Confederacy in Richmond and was the location of August Dietz’s first printery (Figure 2).

Figure 3

In 1924, as an avid researcher and collector, he began writing informative articles on the subject of Confederate postal history to aid the increasing number of Confederate collectors. In subsequent years he operated his printing firm with his son August Dietz Jr. as business manager and published The Southern Philatelist (1924-29), The New South Philatelist (1929-33), Stamp and Cover Collecting (1933-36), and Stamp and Cover Collecting Review (1937-39). His most famous publication was in 1929 which had 320 pages, The Postal Service of the Confederate States, with subsequent updated editions in 1932-37-45 & 59, whilst he was alive, plus a last edition in 1986. Today, August Dietz Sr. is regarded as the Father of Confederate Philately. In October 1948, The Confederate Stamp Alliance conferred on Dietz the honorary title of ‘General’. A short biography of Dietz was published in the September 1900 issue of The Virginia Philatelist.

The American Philatelic Society (A.P.S.) bestowed the Lindenberg Medal on Dietz in 1938, and he received the first Luff Award in 1940 for Exceptional Contributions to Philately, and the Lichtenstein Medal in 1955. On September 26, 1963 Dietz died in Richmond, Virginia and he was inducted into the A.P.S. Hall of Fame in 1964. A photograph of August Dietz Snr. is seen in Figure 3.

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In March 20, 1980 the Beijing branch of the China Stamp Company (now known as the Beijing Stamp Company) issued a special topical philatelic cover entitled ‘Postal Chops of the Thirty-six Railway Lines Passing Through Beijing’. This was the first such TPO. cover officially issued by the Chinese Post Office and its appearance gave rise to unprecedented interest in Chinese TPO items of all periods.

In spite of the official cover’s value and contribution to promoting research into Chinese Railway Postal History, the cover had three noticeable shortcomings:

(i) It was an officially produced philatelic item and not a postally used cover. (ii) It recorded chops from only a very geographically limited area of China (i.e., areas directly connected to Beijing by railway).

(iii) It did not record chops of all of the railway lines that pass through Beijing and was thus incomplete in even the limited area it was intended to cover. (From a study of the chops on TPO covers in our own possession, it can be proven that, in fact, more than 40 train post offices pass through Beijing.)

“The more one studies, the more one realizes how little one really knows.”
While reseaching modern Chinese railway postal history, we are often reminded of the above quotation. We sincerely hope that this very limited and sketchy article on Chinese train post offices and postal items will serve to promote interest in collecting and researching current Chinese railway postal items.

Below we have listed information on all of the Chinese Train Post Offices which are known to us. The information is presented in three columns, with the first column containine the names of the city post offices responsible for the administration of the respective train post offices, the second column containing the actual names of the train post offices and the third column containing the routes covered by the respective train post offices. The information in the columns is arranged according to the order in which the relevant administering post office’s name appears in the ‘ZHONGHUA RENMIN GONGHEGUO XINGZHENG CHU HUA JIANCE’

The only exception to this order is that, for convenience sake, we have placed the names of train post offices administered by the Beijing post office at the top of the list, before the names of those administered by the Shanghai post office.

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Type 1. “Cork” Cancellation.

The “Cork” cancellation, as is well known, received its name from the fact that the cancelling stamp was made from a cork by cutting nicks out of the face. No set pattern was aimed at and there is consequently some variety of shape and size. In some case the “cuts” are quite small and more or less uniform in size, while in others they are as much as seven or eight times as large and anything but uniform. The number of cuts varies from about four to twenty.

The “Cork ” was at one time supposed to have been largely used for parcels, and as the stamps would in that case have been removed from the covering, it is not easy to disprove the statement, but there is plenty of evidence to show that it was used very freely on letters also. It is a more common obliteration on covers franked by the “bisects” than any other, though in this case it is usually (I think, probably, always) accompanied by the circular mark, Type III C(i). As stamps of the first issue are commonly found “corked”, it may be fair to assume that it was in use from 1878 to about 1895, or perhaps a little later. I have evidence as late as 28th December, 1893.

Type II. “F.I.” Obliterator
This was used concurrently with Type I. In my experience it is the usual one to be found on the 1d. and 6d. of the first issue and it is met with, though less frequently, on the stamps of the 1891-1904 set. I think it was probably put out of commission at the same time as the “Cork.” It consists of the letters “F.I.” in capitals enclosed by two short thin curved lines at each side, and, above and below, three thick bars. It takes the shape of an upright oval which, from vertex to vertex, measures 26mm., the greatest breadth being l9mm.

A variation of this postmark is also found consisting of the same letters but framed on each side by one, sometimes two, thick straight bars. The appearance of both letters and bars and the fact that they vary in shape and size make it obvious that they have been cut by hand, a combination of “Cork ” and ” F.I.” being the result. These are distinctly scarce and worth looking for.

Type III. Circular Postmarks
These postmarks always consist of two concentric circles, but they vary in size and I classify them accordingly A, B, and C.

A. Oute circle, diameter 25-26mm., Inner circle, 18mm.

B. Outer circle, diameter 28mm., Inner circle 17mm.

C. Outer circle, diameter 25-26mm., Inner circle 16mm.

A. is, I think, scarcer than the “Cork” or “F.I.”, though not the rarest of the circular postmarks. There is proof, that it was in use before the issue of adhesive stamps as it is found on the franked covers, and it was almost certainly the first type of postmark to be used in the Colony. The latest date I know of is 24th January, 1900.

The odd thing is that the year, a nineteenth century one, is always given in full (four figures), whereas I have yet to find a twentieth century date showing more than the last two figures of the year. This seems noteworthy, even if quite unimportant, as illustrating the tendency of the century to save time and trouble whenever possible!

B: There are two varieties of this class.

B(i) is, I think, without doubt the scarcest postinark of this Colony. It consists of the two words “FALKLAND ISLANDS” with a dot between them at each side, but in the word “ISLANDS” there has been mysteriously inserted an apostrophe. The apostrophe postmark is well known, but this example of it is not the one usually found. The commoner one is referred to later. The larger size and the fact that the apostrophe would so often fall on the envelope and not on the stamp make this example more difficult to identify on Ioose specimens, and accounts for so many collectors of this country being ignorant of its existence. (Known date as illustrated).

B(ii) is similar to the last but without the apostrophe, and crosses take the place of the dots between the words. This cancellation has been used on the stamps of the first three reigns, but as it never, so far as I know, has the date of the year in full, I think it must date from 1901. (In use 17th September, 1901 to present day.)

C. Under this heading we find six varieties.

C(i) is the well-known apostrophe postmark, is well known, but this example of it is not which, of course, cannot be mistaken for Type III B(i) because of the difference in size. It is fairly common, and is frequently found acting as a date stamp in conjunction with cancellation by Types I or II, especially on covers franked by the “‘bisects.” Both apostrophe types appear to have been used chiefly in the last decade of the nineteenth century and to have gone out of use at the end of it.

C(ii) and C(iii) are very similar and call for little comment, though I do not consider the former common. I have not seen any recent covers bearing either of these cancellations.

C(iv) gives us the first example of the name of a town included in the postmark, PORT STANLEY, the capital, and only town, received this distinction some twenty years ago. The cancellation is found on the stamps of King Edward VII, but probably only because those of the next reign were not issued till 1912. (In use 27th September, 1913 to present day.)

C(v). FOX BAY followed Stanley and like the latter is to be found occasionally on the Edward VII set. This settlement is in West Falkland, one of the two main islands of the group. (In use 1914 to present day.) The postmark is similar to Type III. C(ii). The words “FOX-BAY” are above and “FALKLAND ISLANDS” below.

I have an interesting cover, addressed to a business firm in Manchester, bearing a pair of S.G. 69 cancelled in manuscript in ordinary ink “24/7/30″ across the pair and “Fox Bay” across each stamp, and tied. There is no postmark at all on the envelope.

C(vi). NEW ISLAND, which lies off the west coast of West Falkland, had a special postmark in use during the time that a Post Office was open there. This is said to have been from August, 1909 to October, 1914. These dates have been quoted by Mr. B. S. H. Grant as official, but in that excellent book “The Falkland Islands” by V. F. Boyson (Clarendon Press), the author states, page 225, that “the first whaling factory erected at the Falkland Islands was that on New Island by the British firm of Messrs. Salvesen and Co., in 1908-09″, and later, pane 226, “No whaling operations have been carried on at the Falklands themselves since March 1916, when Messrs. Salvesen’s station at New Island was removed to South Georgia.” The first of these dates corresponds with the date of opening given by Mr. Grant, but, if the date of Salvesen’s removal is correct, it seems odd that the Post Office should have been closed seventeen months before, as the reason for its existence is obvious. Copies are known dated 22nd November, 1915, and other dates, but these have been regarded as having been done by favour. The postmark is similar to Type III, C(ii). The words “NEW ISLAND” and above and “FALKLAND IS.” below.

Type IV. Ship Cancellations
A. “AFTERGLOW” – This cancellation is well known. The “Afterglow,” a patrol vessel employed to protect the seal fisheries, is not now in commission and specimens are scarce. It was discontinued in 1926. Copies seen dated 6th November, 1923 to  24th March, 1926. This is certainly one of the most attractive Ship cancellations to be found anywhere.

B. “POSTED ON BOARD” – A cancellation applied in black or violet ink, and similar in size and shape to that of “Afterglow.” In between the lines of the double oval occur the words “Posted on Board” and the name of the vessel. This latter has been cut away Ieaving only a series of indecipherable marks. The earliest date I have seen is 20th September, 1914, and the latest 8th November, 1918. These both occur during the War period, and I think that the cutting away of the name was a war measure utilised for official reasons. Copies also exist without date. The dated copy referred to (November) shows that a second and separate handstarnp has been applied, reading “R.M.S. Falkland,” in a straight line lengthways across the oval cancellation.

Type V. The Postmarks Used in the Dependencies
SOUTH GEORGIA – There is a Post Office open all the year round at Grytviken, this dating from 3rd December, 1909. No special cancelling stamp was issued at first, the ordinary postmark, Type III B(ii), being used in conjunction with the famous handstamp “South Georgia” applied below the stamp. I have a cover from the Dependency bearing this combination and dated 23rd May, 1910, addressed to the Falkland Islands, and backstamped there 2nd June, 1910, Type III C(ii). This is proof that cancelling was done at South Georgia, at any rate at that time, and not, as has been stated, at Stanley on arrival of the mail.

A(i). The first distinctive South Georgia postmark appeared in July, 1910. The outer circle is 27mm in diameter, inner, 16mm. Similar to Type III. C(ii). The word “SOUTH” is above and “GEORGIA” below.

A(ii) followed shortly after, the earliest date I can give being 1914, and this and the foregoing have been used concurrently. I have examples of both used on the same day, 7th December, 1933, and both were in use until quite recently, but a new one has now appeared and may have superseded them. Similar to Type III, C(iii).

A(iii). This is interesting and I believe it to be the first example of time stamping to come from the Colony. It is slightly larger than the normal, the outer circle being a full 26mm., inner 16mm. Mail despatched from Port Stanley on 31st December, 1935, failed to show any time stamp, and it looks as though South Georgia is one up on the capital. (Earliest date seen: as illustrated.)

SOUTH SHETLANDS. B(i). In 1914 an oval rubber date stamp was use to cancel stamps in this Dependency; it bore the words “Deception Island, South Shetlands,” with the date in a straight line across the inner oval. This was in use for a period of ten years to 1924. It is only in the whaling season (October-April) that mails are handled and the quantitymust be very moderate. Covers are comparatively scarce and the existence of the majority of them has probably been caused by the demands of collectors.

B(ii). In 1924 the circular South Shetlands postmark was substituted for the oval date stamp and this is now in use. No registration facilities exist and such correspondence usually bears the Stanley registration label, though I have a cover from the South Shetlands (dated 15th March, 1929) which has been registered at South Georgia. Similar to Type III, C(iii).

And here ends the list of the various postmarks of the Falkland Islands, but this account does not pretend to be the last word on the subject. AII dates quoted are known to me, on specimens either in my collection, or which I have seen; but there must be many who can add to the information given here and communications from collectors interested would be very welcome.

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-

External links

Bendigo Governement website: http://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/Page/Page.asp?Page_Id=642&h=1

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One of Lt. Henkart’s Minerva armoured cars (pictured above)
Crew of 3 or 4
4.9 m long x 1.8 m wide – Weight 4 tonnes
1 Hotchkiss machine gun
4 mm thick armour plating limited top speed to 40 kph

Henkart made forays into the German lines gathering information and prisoners. Soon they established a reputation, such that the enemy started tracking them down. On 14 September 1914, they laid an ambush at Zammel (nr Antwerp), in which they confronted the cars with a cavalry squadron of some 450 men. After a fierce two hour battle, Henkart and his men were killed, but not before they had killed 25 Germans as well as inflicting heavy casualties. This decided the Belgian GHQ to create the Corps of ACM’s. (ACM = Auto-Canons Mitrailleuses, which translates as car mounted machine guns).

The Corps operated from early September 1914 under Lt. Thierry, being attached to the 1st Cavalry Division. They were used for reconnaissance, intelligence and infantry support in attacks and operations behind enemy lines. They did a wonderful job until mid-October, at which time the Belgian army was ensconced behind the river Yser, which was then flooded from the 25th. Thus, their role effectively ended in Belgium. Belgium to the west of the Yser remained unoccupied throughout the war. King Albert lived in this area at De Panne, which normally was his summer retreat, during the war.

The decision to create an independent unit with ACM’s was made in Nov 1914. Major Collon was in charge of some 350 volunteers, who were billeted in Paris. The Corps consisted of the following:-

• Headquarter staff – 1 officer and 10 men
• 2 batteries of armoured cars, both of them including
  • 3 cannon-cars – one with 37 mm navy gun
  • 2 machine gun cars with Hotchkiss machine guns
  • 1 command armoured car
• 2 ammunition cars, 2 lorries and an ambulance
• 1 bicycle platoon
• 2 motorcycle sections
• 1 catering section
• 1 supply depot with 2 officers and 65 men

They even had a special uniform designed by Paquin, a Parisian couturier, with jacket, trousers and cap of black cloth. For combat there were black leather jacket & trousers.

While in France, both Mors and Peugeot built armoured cars to replace the Minervas.

Minerva motor, Mors chassis armoured car (pictured above)
built at Billancourt, France
37 mm cannon or 2 x Hotchkiss machine guns
Crew of 3 or 4
Armour plating 7 mm thick

Peugeot motor on Peugeot touring car chassis (pictured above)
two built for the ACMs in 1915
1 x 37 mm naval cannon
crew of 3

The ACMs also purchased some English Lanchester armoured cars

Lanchester armoured cars (pictured above)
Probably one of the best known armoured cars made for WWI
Length: 4.9m
Lanchester: 60hp motor
Top speed: 80kph
Machine gun: 1 x Vickers 303
Crew: 4

On 17 April 1915, French General Clergerie presented Major Collon with the Corps Colours at Longchamps. On 21 April, with training complete, the Corps took up quarters at Furnes behind the Yser in unoccupied Belgium. As the static war continued, there was no use for the ACM. In Galicia (Ukraine) large Russian armies were on the move. King Albert decided to put his armoured car corps at his cousin’s, Czar Nicholas II, disposal.

22 September 1915 the Corps embarked at Brest on the British steamer, Wray Castle, for Archangel, where they docked on 13 October.

They moved to Peterhof, 20 km west of St Petersburg, where they stayed until 11 January 1916. The Czar inspected the corps there on 6 December 1915. The severe Russian winter meant changing their Parisian uniform for Russian sheepskin coats (choubas) and hats (papachas) to keep warm.

Early Picture postcard from Petrograd (St. Petersburg) to Belgium
Written 21 October 1915 (G) (a week after landing at Archangel)

The Gregorian calendar led the Julian by 13 days. Thus 14 October Julian was 27 October Gregorian and
17 October Julian was 30 October Gregorian

Peterhof Palac
(20km west of St Petersburg)
The postcard (pictured above) took a week to reach the Petrograd post office, 3 days to be censored, and then 10 days to reach Calais via Archangel, whence it went to Mr Meert of the Belgium 3rd Division in the area behind the Yser.

As such, postage of 4 kopecks was paid, since frank free mail had not yet been set up.

1916 letter to Baarle-Duc

The ‘Mot du Soldat’ was a staging post to smuggle letters into Belgium

The letter has passed through the two postal zones, which apply to ACM mail 8 & 213, having been written during the field campaign in Galicia.

Free frank mail existed for the rest of their stay.

They fought valiantly in Galicia, being mentioned 5 times in the Order of the Day. In February 1916, Major Collon, having been recalled to Belgium, handed over command to Major Semet, who arrived in early April. From June 1916, after the campaign, the ACM returned via Moscow to its winter quarters.

1916 picture postcard from Jezerna (Ukraine) to Calais

It took 7 weeks from 18 Jul (J) (31 Jul G) until 14 Sep (G) to travel from the Ukraine to St Petersburg, to Archangel to Calais.

Not bad time during all the upheavals.

With the Revolution early 1917, the Czar abdicated. Karenski advocated a new offensive in which the ACM partook. From July 1917 the collapse of the Russian army spread, but the ACM kept fighting for the White Russians as long as they could. The ACM decided it was time to head home with all the turmoil. However, it proved very difficult for them to obtain the necessary authorisations for departure from the Soviets.

Rather than give their vehicles and armaments to the Bolsheviks, they destroyed their vehicles and hid the weapons and stores, then took them with them. The Bolsheviks were gaining control and the projected route north to Murmansk was not an option. Thus they decided to head east via the Trans-Siberian rail to Vladivostok. The convoy reached China on 27 March 1918, and after being threatened with armed conflict, surrendered their guns.

They left Vladivostok for the USA on the SS Sheridan, and docked at San Francisco on 12 May. They were fêted all across the USA, which culminated in the Memorial Day parade (end May) in New York.

They reached Bordeaux 24 June and passed through Paris to Eu, where they had overdue leave and were finally disbanded. Thus ended the official ACM saga.

The picture above shows all the places the ACM either passed through, stayed at or fought in their 4 year life.

The Corps, while officially disbanded lived on as a Brotherhood for 50 years.

The picture above is from the front cover of the May 1969 edition of the ACM Bulletin, when the Brotherhood had their 50th anniversary of their founding in February 1919.

The car shown is a Lanchester, which supplemented the Peugots and Mors and replaced the original two Minerva cars of Lt. Henkart.

14 soldiers were killed in Galicia. The Belgian Government later confirmed the Russian citations, which were embroidered into the Royal Army Museum in Brussels.

External links

Belgian Armoured Cars in Russia

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1. Belgium Registered Airmail Letter to Gwalior – A Cover Story
2. Stamps Between the Wars or, My Forgotten Belgium Pages
3. Belstamps.com