RND Drake Bn RNExForce

[Tony Walker]

I have a PPC of the pyramids in Egypt, sent by a John Wilkie (see attachment), but undated.  Nevertheless there is a fair bit of info. on the card.

The censor mark I reckon is 4C351A as in Michael Gould's Part II (page 82)

Wilkie writes at the top of the card :

  J.Wilkie R.N.V.R. No. Z294C /  Question : This is a Transport identification number presumably.  Any info. on it?
  D Coy Drake Batt 1st RNR /
  Royal Naval Br Expeditionary Force /
  c/o GPO London

Part of this may be difficult to read on the scan.  In his message he also writes ... having grand weather here in Egypt.

K&C state 'some units of the RN Division were in Egypt briefly before the Dardanelles operation' 
Question : Would this card have come from them?
By the time the division went into action their Naval censors had been superseded by the Army type 2.
It is interesting that despite the writer giving full information on his unit and location, it was still passed by the censor.

Question : Any info. on John Wilkie

Cheers
Tony

[Alan Baker]

I have found this on FWR (see scan to follow). It is the same man. He served with Clyde Division, RNVR. I imagine the "C" in his service number stand for "Clyde" but not sure about the "Z". I imagine Frank or Chris could clarify

I have also found a reference to the RND in Alex in 1915 in "The Lost Olympian of the Somme", which contains the diary of Frederick Kelly, an officer with Hood Battalion. He was aboard SS Grantully Castle in March 1915 but sailed to Egypt without landing. They returned to Lemnos in April and assisted in the landings on Gallipoli

Hope this helps

[Alan Baker]

Scan of doc