My Cover of the Day 27th April HMS Reliance 1915

[Chris Grimshaw]

Morning Team

Staying with Naval matters

PPC from HMS Reliance, a repair ship serving the fleet at the Dardanelles during 1915.  Write up states "attributed to HMS Reliance. as also are several others."

Received in London 16 May 15, datelined May 1st 15

Chris

[Tony Walker]

This is interesting

I have a PPC of Liverpool (see scan of message side) with same censor mark as yours BUT with a W where you have an M at the start of the second line.  However in addition to this censor mark the card is endorsed by the writer 'R.F.A. Reliance', so this particular censor mark was used on Reliance

On the card in a familiar pencil note of Frank's, he says :
'J' removed (with arrow pointing to left of the 'W'), 'W' = Asst Paym S Walker RNR ? Why was the 'J' removed?  Was there another known censor J.W.?

Not sure whether we have moved this on on or not

I have two other items showing the circular censor mark Gould 3A46 (illustrated in his first book p. 90), which he has Reliance? but possibly Hector.  The printed initials in the censor mark of E.M.W.H. being Staff Surgeon Edward M.W. Hearn.  Can this not fix it to Reliance, or perhaps some other ship?  These two covers are dated 26 June and 16 August 1915, both with London machine cancel

[Chris Grimshaw]

Going back to my small album of Naval Mail find I have  a second example of Reliance.

See attached.  Again this shown the "M"

Chris

[Tony Walker]

So you have another example of the 'M' - odd perhaps because I think your card could be to Mrs Walker the wife of the censor of my item (see previous) with the letter 'W' in the censor mark.

If 'W' represents Walker one wonders why he got 'M' to censor his mail...?