Jersey Social Philately.
Here is an example of a French ‘Correspondance Militaire’ cover bearing a 25c to Jersey which was censored within the British postal system.
To prevent postage due being charged to the addressee, mail passing between the French military and the British postal systems had the relevant postage stamp affixed at a French military ‘frontier’ post office. These offices roughly equated to the British railhead post offices which handled the mails between military and civilian zones.
To prevent postage due being charged to the addressee, mail passing between the French military and the British postal systems had the relevant postage stamp affixed at a French military ‘frontier’ post office. These offices roughly equated to the British railhead post offices which handled the mails between military and civilian zones.
Another example from the same correspondence this time censored by the French. This fancy 'Contrôlè par l’Autorite Militaire’ mark has only been seen on mail into Jersey and could have been applied on the Island, as it is known that there were French censor offices in England at this time, therefore it is possible there was one on Jersey.
Postal Sector 157 came within the area of the French 72nd Infantry Reserve Division and was used at this time by the 59th Battalion.
Postal Sector 157 came within the area of the French 72nd Infantry Reserve Division and was used at this time by the 59th Battalion.
By 1917 Monsieur Prunier’s son was a captive in a German Prisoner of War camp and received money from his father via The London Committee of the Red Cross. Above is shown a cover from that society and a receipt for five shillings.
Seen is an example of cross post mail between the French and British military postal schemes. Note no stamp or postage due applied.
Post card sent through the French military postal system by a soldier of the Jersey Island Militia serving at this time with a supply unit in St Malo. In his message he talks of “rushing all over this part of the world at 40 miles an hour” which in those days was quite fast. It is possible that he owned and applied the oval mark as the ‘town name’ part of the mark was interchangeable and examples of this actual mark are found used in both St Malo and Ventemilia (Italy) on alternate occasions
National Registration Card.
Front and reverse of a cover sent by an inmate of the German prisoner of war camp in Jersey. However the mark on the front gives no indication as to the location of the camp and the only indication that it came from the camp is the manuscript address on the reverse. A mark which incorporated the word ‘Jersey’ had been used prior to the closure of the camp for a brief period, but when the camp reopened an anonymous mark, similar to those used in most POW camps, was put into service
A pre-printed POW cover from the camp with a different mark this time in black.
Scenes in and around the POW camp were sketched by one of the inmates which were later used on a set of postcards probably after the armistice. This is one of the most common to be found.
Front and rear of a civilian cover from Jersey to neutral Holland which was censored by the British authorities.
