WW I Military Mail
This post provides a brief look at the handling of military mail during WWI.
1. Military Camps in Canada
Field Post Office Canada Militia Petawawa Camp, Ontario to Hamilton, N.Y., September 15, 1916
5 cents 2 ounce letter rate to the U.S. (2 cents for each ounce (4 cents) + 1 cent War Tax)
Petawawa Camp, Ontario
Brockville to Toronto, June 8, 1918
YMCA Post Card
2. Forces in England and Europe
Postage was not required on mail from Canadian soldiers in England and France. Until July 28, 1917, however, Canadian Exchange Offices for overseas soldiers' mail affixed Canadian postage stamps on stampless mail received from soldiers overseas. The stamps were not paid by the sender or the addressee.
Free franked from Belgium, October 10, 1915
Montreal exchange office affixed the 2 cent stamp which was cancelled at Montreal on October 25, 1915
Field Service Post Card
Free franked , September 18, 1916 to Renfrew
Ottawa exchange office affixed the 2 cent stamp which was cancelled on October 2, 1916
Green Envelope
Free franked April 15, 1916 to St. Thomas, Ontario
London cancellation May 1. 1916
Field Post Office 142, July 29, 1916 to Renfrew
Montreal exchange office affixed the coil 2c +1c war tax stamo which was cancelled August 12, 1916
Military Hospital England
Camp Bramshott to Brantford, June 29, 1917
Hamilton flag cancellation, July 10, 1917
Bramshott Military Hospital oval handstamp
Mail to Member of the Expeditionary Force in France
The letter rate was 2 cents + 1 cent War Tax ( January 1916 Postal Guide supplement)
Kitchener to B.E.F., France, February 4, 1919
2 cents letter rate + 1 cent War Tax
3. Internment and Prisoner of War Camps
a) Prisoners of War in Germany
Postage was not necessary on letters addressed to Prisoners of War.
Toronto to Canadian POW Cellelager (Sennelager?), December 13, 1915
c/o General Post Office
Mount Pleasant
London England
British POW Post Free handstamp
Halifax to Canadian POW at Lenne (via Paderborn), December 20, 1915
Stamps were not necessary
b) Internees in the Netherlands
Combatants who entered neutral Netherlands were interned.
Tatamagouche, N.B., to Belgian soldier interned at Zeist, Netherlands, May 2, 1916
5 cents UPU letter rate + 5 cents registration fee
British censor tape
Toronto to Belgian soldier interned at Ammersfoort, Netherlands, 1916
Dutch Military censor
Patriotic label
Toronto to Belgian soldier interned at Ammersfoort, Netherlands, January 22, 1917
Dutch military censor
c) Internees and German Prisoners of War in Canada
Prisoners of War interned in Canada were permitted to write two letters per week. Letters to or from prisoners of war were postage free.
Amherst, Nova Scotia
German POW letter from Armherst internment camp to Hiddestorf, Germany, December 31, 1917
Amherst camp dated handstamp
Amherst camp to Lehe a/d Weser, November 13, 1917
A hand-drawn Christmas card
Kapuskasing, Ont.
Kapuskasing Internment Camp to Toronto, October 17, 1918
Internment camp censor handstamp
Kapuskasing Internment Station handstamp
Kapuskasing Internment Camp to Toronto, December 17, 1918
Passed by Internment Censor, Kapuskasing, Ont.
Censor label used to seal the envelope
Kapuskasing Camp to Gutach (Schwarzwald), Germany, October 5, 1919
Kapuskasing circular date stamp
McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York to Mr. T.A. Altenberg, P.W. 1976, Kapuskasing, Ont., July 16, 1918
Kapuskasing Internment Camp censor handstamp, July 25, 1918
Passed by Internment Censor Kapuskasing, Ont.
Kingston, Ontario (Fort Henry)
Cologne to Fort Henry, Kingston, February 12, 1917
Internment camp censor handstamp
April 12, 1917
Censor tape
Fort Henry camp, Kingston to Gutach, Germany, June 15, 1915
Lethbridge, Alta.
Registered letter from Lethbridge internment camp to Red Cross POW Agency, Geneva, Switzerland, October 28, 1915
Lethbridge internment camp handstamp
Vernon, B.C.
Vernon internment camp to Red Cross POW Agency, Geneva, Switzerland, March 27, 1917
Return address
Vernon internment camp triangle censor handstamp