Postcard of the Day APO L16

[Frank Schofield]

My Postcard of the day- APO L.16

Sgt/Major Flora Sandes, the only British woman in the Serbian Army.

With the arrival of the five British Divisions in Italy in November 1917, a new series of Army Post Office 'L' datestamps were sent out in December 1917, numbers L1 - L12 (except L10) were issued to various stationary offices in Italy, L13 went to Modane on the French/Italian border, L14, L15 and L16 were held in reserve at GHQ, Italy, they came into use early 1919, L14 (Fiume, Yugoslavia), L15 (Venice, Italy) and L16 (Belgrade, Yugoslavia).

This postcard, sent home by Sapper Harry Dann of the Royal Engineers, postmarked Army Post Office L16 on 6th June 1919, states "she was in my office this morning, dressed has in the photo"

Flora Sandes went out to Serbia with a St. Johns Ambulance Unit and later joined the Serbian Red Cross, she became separated from her unit and joined the retreating Serbian Army, was wounded by a grenade, highly decorated and promoted to Sgt/Major. In 1927 she married a former White Army General. During WWII she and her husband were interned for a short while by the invading Germans, her husband died in 1941. After returning to England, she died in Suffolk in 1956 at the age of 80.

The full story of this remarkable woman is available on Wikipedia.

[Peter Harvey]

Great Item Frank, don't think I have seen an L16 for more than 20 years - few and far between and on a stunning card.

Thank you for sharing this.

Peter

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hi Frank

A Great card, as Peter writes a cancel not often seen. 

Also it confirms what I suspected that censor 7/510 was used in Belgrade, I have a PPC datelind in September from Belgrade I believe, censor 7/510 but no postal markings.

Thanks for sharing a great item.

Chris