Royal Navy in Vladivostok

HMS Suffolk (per deck log)
14 Jan. 1918 – 7 Jan. 1919

HMS Kent (per deck log)
4 Jan.-23 June 1919 (at America Bay 15-19 Apr., St. Olga Bay and Tetyukhe 13-16 May)

HMS Carlisle
1 July 1919-1 Nov. 1919
23 Feb.-1 Apr. and 11 Apr.-4 May 1920 (per deck log)

HMS Cairo
11-24 Feb. 1920 (per deck log)

Thanks, Nick. How do I download it? I don't see anything obvious on the website.

In June 1919 American troops were evacuated from Archangel and transported to Brest, France. Some, or all, of the transports stopped at Lerwick in the Shetlands for several hours and off-loaded mail destined for the US. Two covers from a soldier in E Company are shown with barred circle mute cancels. Can anyone verify that these cancels were applied in Lerwick?

I looked through "The Postal History of the A.E.F." (Theo Van Dam) and did not see that mark. In fact, there are no recorded censor marks showing "Passed Censor" without the word "by" in the middle.

Looks like British Guiana. See attached image. I just googled apo 807.

For the past 3 years I have been compiling a roster of all units sent to north Russia in 1918 by the U.S.
All 6050 soldiers have been accounted for in a 200 page list. Anyone who collects this material is welcome to a copy. Just send me an email request.

Chris, I can supply some information on your items. Item 1 has a Moscow cancel and Moscow censor mark and seal. Item 2 has a Moscow cancel and censor mark. Item 3 has a Moscow cancel and Moscow censor mark (D. Ts. = Passed by Censor). Item 4 has a Petrograd cancel and censor mark (D. Ts.). The postage is overpaid by 1 kopeck. Item 5 is a registered cover from Mardinovka in Kherson province (southern Ukraine). London receiver is dated 18 Feb. 1918. There are large and small Petrograd censor marks. Postage was overpaid by 5 kopecks. The censor wrote on reverse that the evelope contained 1 sheet of paper and postage stamps. If you look at the backflap you can see part of the sender's name and the sender's home address in Moscow: #8, Maly Znamenskii Street. The visible last name is De Couriss. If you can lift the censor seal you would see the first name. It turns out that E. V. De Couriss is listed in the Moscow phone book at that address in 1915 and 1916. This family was part of the nobility in Kherson province. All of your items were sent by 1 or 2 members of this family. The post card messages mention the Couriss name and the village of Isayevo in Kherson province. Also mentioned is Vadim Couriss who died in 1922 at age 25.

Could a sergeant in the British army censor his own mail?
In the American army, only lieutenants and higher could censor mail.

Chris,

Hold on to the candy until I next visit England. Glad I could help out.

Chris, I can read most of it. The censor marks obscured the rest.

July 1, 1915
Dear Aunt Amy,
I received your letter dated April 27th a few days back. I was wondering when a letter was going to arrive.
I have no paper so have to make a post card from cardboard. We are having very fine weather here. A bit too warm in the day. Not like Invercargill [New Zealand] weather here at all. Last night we had a heavy thunderstorm. The heavy rain tested ... bivouac but it proved rain proof. We are dug down about 5 feet into the earth ... around the top to keep the dust from blowing in.... We have one great boon ... have a swim pretty well every day or rather every night ... The snipers made things too warm during the day. The bullets came altogether too close to take the risk....Hope all my cousins are well. Tell George to stick to his farming. This life is just as slow at times. It does get exciting now and then though especially when the shells start flying round. Makes you think and act quick when you hear the whizz of a shell. Allan is all right as far as I know. I have not seen him for about 4 weeks. We get no chance to go visiting here. By the looks of things at present, we won't be home by next Xmas. Still you never know what will happen. Well must wind up with love to all. Ivan

Handwriting a bit of a challenge. He was Carl Frank Moritz 1888-1958. Left San Francisco on 14 Aug. 1918 on the USAT Thomas. Arrived Vladivostok 2 Sept. 1918. Assigned to 27th Infantry (company unknown). Promoted to PFC and left Vladivostok on 11 Sept. 1919 on USAT Logan. Arrived SF 18 Oct. 1919. Resident of Denver. Cover addressed to his mother. He was a grocery salesman. Draft card attached. 

During the intervention in the Russian Civil War, the Royal Navy maintained a presence in Vladivostok.
For the benefit of anyone who collects that material, here is a list of ships and dates. Unfortunately, I have no examples to show.
If any member has examples, please post.


HMS Suffolk
14 Jan. 1918 – 7 Jan. 1919

HMS Kent
4 Jan.-23 June 1919

HMS Carlisle
Spring-24 Sept. 1919
23 Feb.-1 Apr. 1920
11 April-4 May 1920

HMS Cairo
11-24 Feb. 1920

Chris,

The front of the envelope is addressed in Russian and French to Elena Vladimirovna Kiteri in Tiflis. The printing at top says British Military Mission.
Both letters were written at Geriusy (now Goris), a small place in Armenia. The letterhead says British Military Mission in Shusha (crossed out and replaced with Geriusy).
Shusha is in Azerbaijan, in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh area.

Howard

I found another document concerning this man on fold3.com

See attached images.

Thanks for the information, Mike. Mine is the 35.5 mm variety.