BELGIUM: WORLD WAR 1 SOLDIER writes U.S. about to be repatriated 1918 INTERNMENT

Item Specifics

Country

United States

Catalog Number

Non-Scott

Stamp Type

General Issue

Condition

Cover (Postal History)

Centering

F/VF

Stamp Format

Single

Topic

Military

Year of Issue

1918

Item Description

INCOMING MAIL from Belgian soldier interred in the HAGUE: World War One STAMPLESS; Small showy cover sent postage paid from The Netherlands (bottom cover in first scan), endorsed Post-free Interred soldier, canceled Nov 16 1918, addr Centre Hall PA USA, this was THE LAST PIECE OF MAIL SENT by T. Peers who had kept up a correspondence with a young American girl while interred, an earlier piece of mail (flty) accompanies, but the 1918 cover is also fascinating as it is the only one from this correspondence that had CONTENT, which is a small embossed card with a "P" (for Peers, I assume), somehow this soldier had ordered quality writing paper and envelopes while interred, the card is poignant: . . . I am very pleased to inform you that I am to be repatriated next week after 49 long and wearisome months of internment, clear note with a couple of small errors due to the soldiers excitement (he datelines 1916 but the cover clearly dates this to 1918), my guess is that the young lady, who was 16 at the beginning of his internment (she went to Bucknell and there is a bit about her on line) had been given his address, perhaps by the Red Cross and struck up a friendship with him that lasted 49 months -- that's FOUR YEARS, he ends stating he will write her but we know nothing after that, the other cover (from 1916) is reduced and tatty but has one great thing: the censor label was not applied well, so it lifts up for a clear view of the handstamp (which is frequently illegible on covers from this era), a close-up accompanies in the second scan, some bends in the lower cover, rather remarkable pair of covers, worthy of more research, Fine-VF

Belgium had an interesting role in WWI. In 1914, as the Great War began, Germany invaded neutral Belgium in an attempt to capture Paris quickly by catching the French off guard by routing through neutral countries. On 2 August 1914, the German government demanded that German armies be given free passage through Belgian territory, although this was refused by the Belgian government. The soldier captured here was most likely separated from his unit early on in the war. Straying over the border meant automatic internment in this time period.

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3251

Seller Information

Seller

OddityMan (3098)

Registered Since

12/16/2008

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Item Location

Pennsylvania, United States

Ships To

Worldwide

Returns Accepted

Yes

Returns Policy

14 days. Email first, please.