It devolves upon the Director of Army Postal Services, who is represented at general headquarters, and at the headquarters of each Army by an a.s.sistant Director, to organise the service, and to supply to the various offices the information necessary to ensure the proper circulation of the mails. This, especially in a campaign like the present, is a delicate task, often complicated by the restrictions necessary in military policy to preserve secrecy as to the movements of the troops.
NAVAL POSTMARKS. Of the naval postal arrangements, reference has already been made to the cancellations used on letters originating with the British Fleet in the Baltic during the Crimean War (_Fig._ 20). Special navy post offices were in the early days established by local postmasters at various ports as a link between the land service and the Fleet in home waters. The letters were marked with _Fig._ 44, and the local postmaster collected an extra penny charge upon such letters for delivery to ships lying in the harbour or roadstead.
[Ill.u.s.tration: 44]
The late Mr. W. G. Hendy, of the Muniment Room, records that with the introduction of Uniform Penny Postage (1840) it was decided so far as Portsmouth was concerned, that such letters should be delivered free in the harbour as far as Spithead; but it was not until May, 1852, that the practice of charging the extra penny for delivery was abolished at Devonport and Plymouth, and free delivery extended to all vessels lying in the harbour (Hamoaze), although not to vessels lying in Plymouth Sound. The following are types of postmarks used after free delivery was granted. (_Figs._ 45, 46.)
[Ill.u.s.tration: 45 46]
The same authority states that a privilege was accorded to non-commissioned officers, seamen, and soldiers of sending and receiving within any part of the British dominions, under certain regulations, letters on their own concerns only, not exceeding half an ounce, at the rate of one penny each. Such letters had to be superscribed with the name of the seaman or soldier, his cla.s.s and description, the name of the ship or regiment to which he belonged; and if they were the writers of the letters, they had to be countersigned by the officer commanding. When this regulation was not complied with letters were charged as ordinary, and postmarked with _Fig._ 47.
[Ill.u.s.tration: 47]
No doubt there are many more postmarks with a naval interest, including those valued by collectors as indicating stamps on letters originating in the various naval stations abroad from 1858 to 1870, recognised by the following letters and numbers:--
A79 to A89. Pacific Naval Stations.
A90 to A99. Atlantic Naval Stations.
B03, B12, B56. African Naval Stations.
B53 (Mauritius), B62 and C79 (Hong Kong), B64 (Seych.e.l.les).
Also "B", "H", and the date stamp in the case of "Ascension".
In the present war the naval postmarks promise to be of exceptional interest. The postmarks for both Army and Navy give no clue to the locality in which the correspondence originates; this, of course, applies to mails coming from the field or area of operations; there is no occasion to disguise place of origin of letters going out to sailors or soldiers. Most of the naval marks at present in use bear no inscriptions of any kind, though there is a type inscribed Fleet Post Office (_Fig._ 48).
[Ill.u.s.tration: 48]
Even the machine cancellation, doubtless used in some large centre of naval concentration, has had bars (or type turned base upwards) in lieu of the lettering and date (_Fig._ 49).
[Ill.u.s.tration: 49. _Machine Cancellation_ (_Navy_).]
Other naval marks introduced in the present campaign, in accordance no doubt with a secret code, are in various devices, such as a propeller, a target, and various arrangements of rings, etc. (_Figs._ 50-57).
[Ill.u.s.tration: 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 54A. 57A.]
CHAPTER II.
INDIAN ARMY POSTAL SERVICE--China Expeditionary Force--British Railway Administration in China--Somaliland--The Forbidden City of Lha.s.sa--Indian Expeditionary Force in France.
The Army Postal Service forms a highly organised branch of the Indian Army organisation. It dates from 1878-1880, when, during the Afghan War, a mail cart route was set up between Peshawar and Jellalabad, and a horse post was conducted thence to Kabul, in all about 176 miles.
Jhelum and Peshawar were also connected by rail, a military transport train being run by the Post Office between these points. Even earlier than this date there were postal arrangements for Indian Expeditionary Forces, including that operating in Abyssinia (1867-68), the type of postmark being lettered F.F. (Field Force), as in _Fig._ 58.
[Ill.u.s.tration: 58]
The postmarks used on letters despatched from troops accompanying the numerous Indian military expeditions form a very considerable range for philatelic exploration. They include Egypt, Miranzi, Kurrum, Hazara, Waziristan, Suakim, Tochi, Chitral, Malakand, Tirah, China, Tibet, Somaliland, and South Africa. The system of the Indian Army Postal Service is similar to that already described for the British Expeditionary Force on the Continent. A base office is established at each military base, and works as a head office, communicating with India and with the field. Field post offices of 1st and 2nd cla.s.s are attached to brigades, divisional troops, and divisional headquarters, and these fly a distinguishing flag by day and display a distinguishing lamp by night. The establishment of base and field offices varies according to the size of the force which they are to serve, but ordinarily the establishment of a base office is: 1 postmaster, 2 deputy postmasters, 15 clerks, 2 khala.s.sis, 6 packers, 1 sweeper.
First cla.s.s field post offices are accompanied by 1 postmaster, 2 clerks, 1 packer, 2 tent khala.s.sis, and 1 sweeper, while for second cla.s.s field post offices the establishment consists only of a postmaster, a packer, and a sweeper. In addition there are supervising officers for each division, and in the event of the post office making its own arrangements for transport between the base and the field offices, a number of overseers are required. The officers and men all have the word "POST" in bra.s.s letters on the shoulders of their uniforms.
Postage stamps of India (including postcards and embossed envelopes, both ordinary and "official") are stocked by all field post offices, and ordinarily a six-months" supply is sent out with the force, and is distributed from the base office to the field post offices. It is part of the duty of the base office to see that each field office maintains a sufficient stock of stamps, in accordance with a minimum determined by the chief superintendent in respect of each field post office.
In 1900, in connection with the Boxer Troubles in China, Indian troops were despatched to a.s.sist with contingents from all the Powers in the relief of the Legations, and with them went their Army Post Office.
Since the settlement of the troubles a permanent Legation Guard has been maintained by the Indian Army in China. On reaching China, the Indian Army Post Office established its base at Hong Kong, but this was temporarily shifted to Wei-hai-wei on account of objections raised by the Postmaster-General of the British colony of Hong Kong. The new base did not prove satisfactory, however, and ultimately Hong Kong became the permanent base, and the Army Post Office worked in harmonious co-operation with the British Post Office and the Chinese Imperial Post. Field post offices were set up at Pekin, Tientsin, Shanghai, Stonecutters" Island, Wei-hai-wei, Tongshau, Matao, Ching-w.a.n.g-Tao, Yangstun, Tongku, Sinho, Hanku, Shan-hai-Kwan, and many other points, sometimes consisting of a couple of tents, but often during this campaign in more substantial structures, and even (according to Mr. Ashley C. Vernieux) in the Temple of Heaven at Pekin.
With the troops sent to China in 1900 the Indian Post Office started the supply of specially overprinted Indian stamps, so that stamps bought in China could not be subject to speculation and sale in India by reason of varying rates of exchange. The Queen Victoria stamps then current, values from 3 pies to 1 rupee were overprinted with the initials C.E.F. (China Expeditionary Force), and the successive issues of Indian stamps have been similarly overprinted for the use of the troops still maintained in China (_Figs._ 59-61.).
[Ill.u.s.tration: 59 60 61 62 63]
The postmarks used on the expedition were _Fig._ 62 for the base office, and _Fig._ 63 for the advanced base, similar marks inscribed at top "_FIELD P.O. No._ ..." or "F.P.O. NO. ..." or single line circular marks inscribed F.P.O. (_Figs._ 64, 65). There are also a single-line circular date mark of the base office, and registered marks (_Fig._ 66).
[Ill.u.s.tration: 64 65 66 67]
Fig. 67 ill.u.s.trates the postmark of the present base post office of the Indian troops in China, located at Tientsin.
On the suppression of the Boxer rising the troops of the Allies were in occupation of Chihli, and the Pekin Shanhaikwan railway was divided up between the English, j.a.panese, Germans and Russians. By February, 1901, the administration of the whole of the line was in the hands of the British, but it was under the control of a Board consisting of a British director and two deputies, one German and the other j.a.panese.
At this period the Allies had about 100,000 men in Chihli, but the British troops were stationed at various stations on the line. To facilitate the prompt delivery of the letters of these British troops, the postal superintendent of the British force applied for a sorting van to be attached to the train so that letters could be dealt with _en route_.... To this application the reply was that no concession could be given to the British which was not given to all the other forces, and that as the service was then restricted to one train a day, such a concession might result in the train consisting largely of mail vans. But to meet the general convenience, subject to the British postal authorities undertaking to receive and deliver the letters of all nationalities posted at the stations or in a box attached to the van, thus making the service international, a van was placed at their disposal from April 20, 1901. The new facilities were announced in the circular, of which a facsimile is given (_Fig._ 68), and the extra fee was collected by surcharging and selling a number of cent Chinese stamps "B.R.A. 5 Five Cents" in black or green (_Fig._ 69). The B.R.A.
stands for British Railway Administration.
[Ill.u.s.tration: 68]
DIRECTOR OF RAILWAYS: CIRCULAR No. 15 d/ 15: 4: 1901.
BRITISH RAILWAY ADMINISTRATION.
RAILWAY POSTAL SERVICE.
1.--In order to allow of letters being posted up to the latest possible time, it has been arranged, with effect from the 20th April, 1901, to open post offices at the Railway Stations at Peking, Tientsin, Tongku, Tongshan and Shanhaikwan. These offices will open an hour before the advertised time of departure of the trains carrying the mails and will close ten minutes before the trains leave.
2.--Only ordinary letters will be accepted at these post offices. Registered or insured letters cannot be accepted, nor can newspapers or parcels.
3.--The letters should in all cases have affixed to them the same stamps, or be franked in the same manner, as if they were going through the post in the ordinary way. The Railway Postmaster will therefore accept letters stamped with the stamps of any nationality with post offices now in Northern China, and the stamp will indicate the nationality of the post office to which the letter will have to be handed over for delivery, or further transit, at the end of the railway portion of the journey. Unpaid, underpaid, and unfranked letters will be accepted, but they will be liable to all penalties now existing, and unpaid and unfranked stamps will also run the risk of misdelivery.
4.--The letters must be handed, _together with a fee of five cents for each letter_, to the Railway Postmaster at any of the stations above named. This five cents is a late letter fee and is in addition to the ordinary postage.
5.--The Railway Postmaster will then affix the Railway stamp, and will retain the letter for posting in the train. The Railway stamp will not be issued to the public to affix themselves, nor will the Railway Postmaster accept any letters with the Railway stamp already affixed.
6.--This service can be used for letters to Europe or any country over sea.
The trains carrying mails leave the stations as detailed below:
Peking to Tientsin 8.28