ss Stockholm 1916
I have received the following enquiry:
I have a postcard sent from the SS Stockholm in December 1916 home to Sweden. I am pretty sure the ship was held in Kirkwall by the British Authorities and that the card was posted in Kirkwall. The card has an ucnlear FPO S.14 cancellation. Can you explain this please.
I have asked for a scan of the postcard (front & back). Can anyone provide any useful information please?
Kennedy & Crabb show APO S14 as being at Calais June 1915 and Corps Troops September 1916 - February 1919.
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Mike,
The card is cancelled January 1917 and the writers comment on the front I translate as 'I was on board 21/12/1916 and I am in England' the main text the message side does not add any additional clues.
APO S.14 was still in Calais as a stationary office The 1d rate was paid as an normal rate for overseas postcards as the card was to Sweden, there is no indication as to the writer being in the military.
The SS Stockholm sailed the return transatlantic route Gothenburg, New York via Liverpool 1915 to 1917.
So the card wa not posted by a passenger on board, however a Swede, who had been on board, but by the time the card was posted, had arrived in Calais. That leaves the question how did a civilian manage to use a 1d rate through the APO in Calais.
They meant to post the card in England and applied the stamp, however posted in one of the many APO locations in Calais on arrival, the APO allowed this - the card then travelled back to England, was sorted and sent in the normal mail
The sender was a volunteer serving with the British (military or civilian - nursing as example) the 1d rate would still have applied as writing to Sweden. If it were 2 above I would have expected to see some censorship, either a Unit censor cachet of special censorship through the Base APO. As neither are shown, my guess would be 1 above. Peter