Serbian Red Cross Card

[Chris Grimshaw]

Team

A recent purchase from one of our respected Dealer members allows me to introduce something new prior to writing up. 

A Postal Stationery Card to the International Red Cross Geneva.  CROIX ROUGE SERBE Hand-stamp and what I suspect is a Austrian Censor cachet  Zensuriert ------

Card is cancelled 27 VII 17,  I cannot read the cancellation.  Message on reverse is also datelined 27 / VII 

Now for the mystery and query,  Card shows a Boxed Cachet BRITISH RED CROSS AND ORDER OF ST JOHN  5. OCT.1917 SALONIKA

I cannot read the message, any takers?? General civilian inquiry I'd guess about a Serb held hopefully as a POW if not Dead.  The mystery is the Salonika cachet. 

I know there were large numbers of Serbian POWs in Bulgaria.  Did this card get to Geneva,  No postal markings..  Otherwise where was it between 27 July and 5 October 1917 and how did it get to Salonika from occupied territory.

It's certainly a 'cracker' just difficult understanding it all fully.

All thoughts welcomed. 

Chris

[Peter Gassmann]

censored by Austrian Censorship in Feldkirch ("KuK Zensurstelle Feldkirch"), on the border to Switzerland --> the typical transit route from Austria into Switzerland

the cancellation looks like ETAPPENPOSTAMT/KRAGUJEVAC (Serbia)

cannot read Serbian, sorry

regards, Peter

[Chris Grimshaw]

Thanks Peter.

This certainly helps with the first part of its journey.

Chris