Gallery

 

17) Code A - 29th Oct.1920 - Stampless O.H.M.S. envelope to Commandant Boudot, Mission Nollet, Berlin. Violet circular cachet: COMMISSION REGULATRICE ALLIE, signed Wm. Temple, Major and pencil no. 4/18. Backstamp ARMY COURIER SERVICE S5, 30th Oct 1920. London & Brighton S.A., 21/10/83, lot 1157. in Author’s collection.


18) Code A - 10th Nov.1920 - Envelope with 2d. stamp to Barnard Castle. Cachet: ALLIED BOUNDARY COMMISSION, DANZIG, BRITISH SECTION. No signature.
Collection M. Goodman.


19) Code A - 27th Nov.1920 - Small unaddressed O.H.M.S. envelope with Danzig M.20. Illustrated in Reference a). in collection H. Berneaud, Cape Town, S.A.


20) Code A - 27th Nov.1920 - Unaddressed envelope with M.17, 38, 50. HBA Auctions, Hamburg, Kniep sale, 4.10.89, lot 293.


Comments
I have been able to obtain a photocopy or other illustration of all the items listed, except for No. 14. This was a particularly interesting item, with its U.S.Naval connection. Reference b) states that there was a small U.S. Navy contingent serving in the Port area, which applied a single-line mark to mail: U.S. NAVY PORT OFFICE, DANZIG, GERMANY. it was taken by courier to Paris and transferred to U.S. A.P.O. 702 for transmission.

Items 2,4,6,8 and 10 are an interesting group. They were found by a dealer who had themon sale at the AGM of the Germany & Colonies P.S.m Sept. 1991; they caused great excitement. Mailed from a Fred Cooper to his girl friend, the messages are brief, but two of the cards are of interest, item No.2 has the message “This is a picture of our General’s house”, and the card is a photograph of the Generalkommando. This was just south of the main railway station, in the triangle formed by the Stadtgraben, Elisabetwall and SilberhUtte. Item No.6 is a photographic postcard entitled ENGLISH HEAD QUARTERS, DANZIG (fruher Eisenbahndirektion). This builthng, the old Railway Offices, was north of the station, near the Olivaer Tor, across the irrgartenbrUcke. Cooper says that the field post office was at the top of the building - “so pity us running upstairs all day long.”

I have an unused example of this picture postcard and also have two other photographic postcards showing Lt.Gen. Haking.with recipients of handouts at a presentation parade and with Sir Reginald Tower setting off to attend Sunday Church parade. I have a photocpy of another, captioned on the reverse as No.22, so it is possible that quite a number of different cards may exist.

A final item is worthy of record, which is in the Hennig collection. An envelope with a vertical oval cachet: ALLIED ADMINISTRATION DANZIG in green (as item no.15), with a l-1/2d. stamp postmarked LONDON SW1, 14th April 1920. It was probably sent to London in the Diplomatic Bag and posted in Whitehall. The envelope is addressed in a distinctive hand, to Sir C.des Gra.z, K.C.M.G.at Wimbledon. It has been suggested to me that it may be from Sir Reginald Tower.

Conclusion
As far as I am aware, no previous attempt has been made to record the material known to exist from the British Field Post Office. I am extremely grateful to all those people who have provided copies of material over the years, especially Bud Hennig. John Campbell and Pat Rothnie.

Hopefully, this publication will provoke some interest and I should welcome any further information that readers can supply, either about the items listed, or details of further covers. A more comprehensive, updated listing could then be published.

John L. Whiteside
4 Moorsfields, Scott Hall Road, Leeds LS 17 6SJ, England

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 80 - July - August - September - 1993, Page 10.