Ambulance driver in Russia WWI

[Tony Walker]

I have achieved little with this PPC of Russia which came with limited description

The mess reads :

Cheer up old feller we're not dead yet - oh no just taking a trip up and down the mountains to keep the cars in trim.  But I'd like you to just have a look round my old ambulance body, there's a few squeaks I don't like.  Kind regards Locker(?).  Endorsed : On active service with Russian Army along top of card

I think Locker is right - look at L in 'London' in address and the K in 'like' near end of message.  It would be too much to expect this came from Locker Lampton of the Royal Naval Armoured Car Division in Russia.

There seems to be a possible date across the datestamp but I do not understand it.  There is also a faint two line cachet diagonally across the address in Russian script, most of which is legible, ending in No 10.  Too faint to pick up in the photocopy

Addressed to Mr Merritt, 44A Ej?ham Rd., St Julntins? Park, London W, England

The suggestion is the writer was an ambulance driver with the Russian Army

Not much to go on I'm afraid.  I would be happy to send the card to anyone who thinks they might work something out with card in hand.

Front and back scanned herewith I hope

Cheers
Tony

[Reg Gleave]

Hello Tony,
I think the address is EYNHAM ROAD, ST QUINTINS PARK.
It is close to Hammersmith Hospital ( & Wormwood Scrubs Prison )
But that doesn't get you very much further.
Reg

[akennedy]

It certainly looks as though you have struck lucky- with the boss Locker himself.
The circular mark is the cachet of the British Armoured Cars -English Admiralty in centre
out of time
Alistair,

[Tony Walker]

Thanks Reg and Alistair

There should be some examples of Locker Lampson's signature around to make a comparison. It would be a really lucky find if it is him - I didn't buy it with that in mind.  I wonder why he apparently had an ambulance back in the UK.  He was based in East Anglia mostly, but the address he's written to is in London.  Of course Mr Merritt to whom 'Locker' has written may have been expected to go to East Anglia to look at the ambulance.

To add to the intrigue, my father went to Russia with Locker Lampson with the Armoured Cars.  I have a photo album of many photos he took of the armoured cars in a range of locations, on trains, ships, in mud and so on.  No correspondence however.  It would be good to derive more detail from the card if possible

Thanks again

Tony

[Graham Mark]

I agree with Reg, the address is Eynham Road, St Qunitins Park.  This is a small road parallel to the railway line which links the GWR main line near Old Oak Common with Kensington Olympia and the Southern Railway at Clapham Junction.
I would doubt this was sent by Locker-Lampson himself. 
It does not look to me like an educated hand. 
Godfrey Lampson Tennyson Locker-Lampson was born in 1875, educted at Eton and Trinity Coll Cambridge, was an MP from 1910, Under-Sec of State for Foreign Affairs from 1925 and a Privy Councillor in 1928.

[Michael Gould]

Tony.
The two line mark on the front is a Russian Military Censor, such are usually found on civilian mail going abroad. I cannot read it but it should include the town where it was applied (probably on the lower line). Michael

[Tony Walker]

Graham

A small point, but the Locker Lampson of the Armoured Cars was Oliver.  I do agree your point re. it not being an educated hand writing.  However many 'educated' people write atrociously (doctors...) and often rather immaturely.  Reading the book on the Armoured Cars in Russia, it was not a gentle trundle along smooth tarmacadam !

I believe there were 600 - 800 men in the Division, there being another Locker amongst them would be something of a coincidence

Cheers
Tony

[Tony Walker]

I started this post a while back, and thanks for info received.

I am trying to place where the writer may have been when he sent the card, there is no date given.  Can anyone translate the name on the picture side of the card? 

I have seen one other item (cover) with the same two marks, from a Petty Officer.  Again no date cancel, which supports the view the circular mark was used for official armoured car division mail, perhaps post-free for officers?  If so my card was sent by an officer, narrowing down considerably the chances there were TWO people named Locker in the division.  Ever the optimist.

Tony

[Tony Walker]

I've been working on this postcard since my post earlier today, and came across a casual reference to the establishment of an RNAS headquarters at 48 Dover Street, off Piccadilly AND A DEPOT AT WORMWOOD SCRUBS.

So the address of the postcard, as noted by Reg Gleave as near Wormwood Scrubs confirms the link between the sender and the recipient as being internal armoured car correspondence.  Each squadron of the armoured cars had it's own ambulance, and Locker Lampson had 3 squadrons under his command in Russia.

I'm beginning to think it may well be Locker Lampsons postacrd......

[Nick Colley]

Tony, that is a cracking little item. Do you have the book The Czar's British Squadron by Bryan Perrett and Anthony Lord ? It is quite a detailed account of Lampson's unit and its adventures.

ISBN 0-7183-0268-0, published by William Kimber & Co in 1981.

chrs
N

[Tony Walker]

Yes Nick, I have the book.  It reads like a Boys Own ripping yarn !!

Peter High has also just sent me some extracts from way back in the FPHS Newsletter, 1963 vintage and later.

I'm currently trying to get the location of the PPC view on the postcard translated, which is in Russian, which could give a hint as to where the writer was, or had recently been

Cheers
Tony

[Alan Baker]

I think Peter High has connections with someone in Russia who translates things for him