RNAS Armoured Cars in Belgium WWI

[Tony Walker]

The Royal Naval Air Service first used Armoured Cars very briefly  between 27th and 30th August 1914 at Ostende in support of the Belgian forces.  They then moved to Dunkirk.

The PC below is from PO H J Bryant to his son in Cromer, Norfolk.  It has a partially legible [i]Belgian fight? squadron[/i] beneath his name at the top.  It is undated, but has the triangular PASSED BY CENSOR No 1327 mark in red.

Also a censors pencilled name bottom left, Sub Lieut RNVR

It is highly unlikely this card was sent during the short stay near Ostende, but the armoured cars were in Belgium later in the war, however Bryant went with the armoured cars to Russia later in 1915 commanded by Locker Lampson

Is there any way a date could be attributed to this card from the censor mark?

Rather a fine picture on the reverse of an Anglo-Belgian armoured train

Tony

[Frank Schofield]

Tony

Nice card

CM3 No 1327 unlisted by Frank Daniel, but I have a pencil note "Calais" 15.9.15, which probably ties in with the partial date on the card 3-10 B.E.F
I think the heading reads "Fighter" Squadron
Cannot tie the  censor name down, the closest I can come up with is S/Lt Withell, RNVR but his initials are H.G.

Frank Schofield

[Tony Walker]

Many thanks Frank

I've had another look at the partial date (which I also assumed was just that). 

In continuing writing up the Armoured Car covers I have found another card dated JY 21 15 with an S.10 APO cds, from the same correspondence, from Squadron No 15.  Perhaps it's not the date but S.10.?  Looking at it with this in mind I think it may well be

I also have an S.10 cover dated JA 10 16, but from a different correspondence, and from Squadron No 5

Kind regards
Tony

[Michael Dobbs]

Tony

I agree with you - it is S 10 BEF - see the way the S is written "On Active Service" and it is written the same way.

Regards, Mike

[akennedy]

CENSOR 3/1327 was used by a base censor; one on cover from APO S17 at Etaplesindicates possibly used at Boulogne, but could be Calais.
The date 6 Oct can only be in 1915.

Alistair

[akennedy]

Have just realised I had misread (as you did) from the image on screen S10 as 6 Oct, so please ignore the last line in my previous post!
The year is definitely  NOT 1914

Alistair

[akennedy]

Period of use of the triangular censor stamp on the Western Front is April 1915 to January 1916.

Alistair