Post by jamesw on May 28, 2017 3:40:13 GMT
Sort of a sister thread to the WWII POW mail posts. Just found this in my box of tricks.
Know little of European postmarks, not my bailiwick, but once again, google is our friend.
Pte. Collins of the Royal Irish Fusiliers is in Zossen Germany in 1915, and is sending a letter to The Army and Navy Co-operative Society Ltd in London England. First of all, the A&NCSL was a store, founded in 1871, which was members only and catered to a military clientele and their families. And part of their service was mail order. They later became known as the Army and Navy Stores (sound familiar?)
So what is Pte. Collins doing shopping from Germany, in the middle of a war? Zossen is 20 miles south of Berlin. However the cover is postmarked in Limburg a Lahn (Sept 25, 1915) which is across the country, in the west, near Koblenz.
The purple postmark with the eagle is the key.
prulungsstelle des gefangenenlagers tranlates in google translate at 'Inspectorate of the captive camp' Not exactly an elegant translation, but I believe that would be a prisoner of war censor stamp. Perhaps Limburg a Lahn was a centre for processing prisoner mail.
Note the red London roller cancel dated Sept 30 1915. Five day mail delivery during armed conflict. Not bad service, I'd say.
Turns out there were several POW camps near Zossen during WWI, including two propaganda camps specifically for Islamic prisoners.
Here's an interesting website, talking of the camps, and how some Irish prisoners were housed temporarily (and to their dismay) with the Muslim prisoners.
www.irishbrigade.eu/camps/zossen.html
Digging further into this website I find a page for Private Michael Collins of the Irish Fusilers. Seems he was a naughty boy.
www.irishbrigade.eu/recruits/collins.html
Know little of European postmarks, not my bailiwick, but once again, google is our friend.
Pte. Collins of the Royal Irish Fusiliers is in Zossen Germany in 1915, and is sending a letter to The Army and Navy Co-operative Society Ltd in London England. First of all, the A&NCSL was a store, founded in 1871, which was members only and catered to a military clientele and their families. And part of their service was mail order. They later became known as the Army and Navy Stores (sound familiar?)
So what is Pte. Collins doing shopping from Germany, in the middle of a war? Zossen is 20 miles south of Berlin. However the cover is postmarked in Limburg a Lahn (Sept 25, 1915) which is across the country, in the west, near Koblenz.
The purple postmark with the eagle is the key.
prulungsstelle des gefangenenlagers tranlates in google translate at 'Inspectorate of the captive camp' Not exactly an elegant translation, but I believe that would be a prisoner of war censor stamp. Perhaps Limburg a Lahn was a centre for processing prisoner mail.
Note the red London roller cancel dated Sept 30 1915. Five day mail delivery during armed conflict. Not bad service, I'd say.
Turns out there were several POW camps near Zossen during WWI, including two propaganda camps specifically for Islamic prisoners.
Here's an interesting website, talking of the camps, and how some Irish prisoners were housed temporarily (and to their dismay) with the Muslim prisoners.
www.irishbrigade.eu/camps/zossen.html
Digging further into this website I find a page for Private Michael Collins of the Irish Fusilers. Seems he was a naughty boy.
www.irishbrigade.eu/recruits/collins.html
