1905 PEACE CONFERENCE: Three cards of the conference. One postally used in September 05 and produced in USA of the Peace Commission. Japan was ahead on points but had not delivered a knock-out. American interests required that the war ended before a rampant Japan took control of the Pacific. President Theodore Roosevelt had called a Peace Conference to take part in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA in August 1905. Victorious in the field the Japanese were out-manoeuvered at the negotiating table, thanks to the wily de Witte, Russia’s former Minister of Finance. Under the Treaty of Portsmouth they obtained some territorial concessions but not the huge monetary indemnity they had demanded. The Japanese public felt they had been cheated by the Russians and the Americans and turned against their own representatives. The second card is a Special Commemorative card posted from Portsmouth on August 14th, 1905. This Conference resulted in the Treaty of Portsmouth (5th September) whereby the belligerent parties agreed to evacuate Manchuria and return it to China. Japan was the victor and Russia ceded the Lyaotung leasehold, the southern half of Sakhalin Island and the section of the Chinese Eastern Railway between Port Arthur and Kwangchentze. The third card depicts the leaders involved under the banner “The Portsmouth Drama”, postally used from Jamaica Plain-Station to Riga (Image)

1905 Registered postcard from a Cossack officer with his photograph affixed to the obverse from MAI-MAI-KAI, Manchuria to a lady friend in Kramatorskaya, a few days after the Treaty of Portsmouth (5 Sept.1905) had ended the Russo-Japanese War. Contents include: “Greetings from far-away Manchuria. In two days we shall go to Bukhai, near Harbin, where we shall be dispersed…You cannot break a Cossack…” Franked pair of 5k Arms issue cancelled FIELD POST OFFICE GENERAL HEADQUARTERS 2nd MANCHURIAN ARMY (3) 13 IX 1905. Registration label reads: FIELD POST OFFICE ATTACHED TO GENERAL HEADQUARTERS COMMAND 2nd MANCHURIAN ARMY. This was a mobile F.P.O. following the unit in its travels. (Image)

1905 Mukden viewcard to Gmunden (arrival 14 ++ 05 (N.S.), Austria datelined 24/IX (7 X) 05 franked two 2k cancelled in violet FIELD POST OFFICE/3/5th SIBERIAN CORPS 24 9 05. Message in German states writer attached to 244th Infantry Regiment of 5th Siberian Corps. (Image)

1905 Stampless military cover to St Petersburg bearing free-frank Red Cross cachet of RUSSO-DUTCH MEDICAL DETACHMENT cancelled TALADZHAO ‘b’ 5 10 05. This cancellation is in a style issued by the Russian State Postal Administration but was probably used at a military establishment open to civilians and ceased to function after the Army had left in March 1906. The railway station at Taolaichao had its own post office. (Image)

1905 Cover to Poland with violet free-frank cachet of 42nd RIFLE REGIMENT on reverse, cancelled on front RESERVE FIELD POST OFFICE No. 23 2nd MANCHURIAN ARMY. Radom arrival backstamp 9 11 05. Envelope slightly reduced at left. The location of RFPO No. 23 at this time is not known. (Image)

1905 Registered cover from a Chinese firm in NINGUTA to Moscow franked on reverse 7k pair tied NINGUTA Type 2 (Subtype with serial ‘e’) reading: 4th RESERVE FIELD POST OFFICE/e/ 12 10 05. Registration label on front reads: No. 4 RESERVE POST OFFICE. The registration label omits the word “Field” in accordance with the conversion of this office to civilian status after cessation of hostilities. (Image)

1905 Viewcard to St Petersburg from hospital train travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, dateline “10/X 905” postmarked three days later with green cds: STATION MOSKALENKI/SIBERIAN RAILWAY 13 10 05. Violet circular free-frank cachet reading around Imperial Eagle: 32nd SIBERIAN MILITARY-MEDICAL TRAIN. Although hostilities between Russia and Japan had ceased in September 1905, the Siberian Hospital Trains were kept busy for several months evacuating wounded soldiers from the Manchurian hospitals. (Image)

1905 Pictorial envelope with military motifs used from HARBIN RAILWAY STATION 20 X 05 to Moscow. On reverse oval violet cachet : 3rd COMPANY OF 2nd SOFIISK INFANTRY, manuscript endorsement “From the Army of the Rear” and Moscow arrival. (Image)

1905 Pictorial envelope with Cossack motif addressed to Pskov with free-frank cachet of RESERVE BATTALION of an EAST SIBERIAN REGIMENT in violet on reverse. Blue HARBIN ARMY CORPS SUBURB ‘b’ 24 10 05 cds on front, Pskov arrival backstamp 14 11. Under the Treaty of Portsmouth (September 1905) both Russia and Japan agreed to evacuate their forces from Manchuria and to retain only small contingents to protect their railways. (Image)

1905 Card from a Bohemian officer attached to the Russian army writing home with his photograph on the obverse, message in Czech, sent to Prague franked two 2k tied TSITSIKAR FIELD POST-TELEGRAPH OFFICE/IN MANCHURIA 25 10 05 (=7 11 05 New Style), Prague arrival 30 11 05. Ordinary mail to Russia and Russian post offices abroad was sent post-free for the serving military. Mail to foreign countries paid the normal rate. (Image)

1905 Money letter for 60 roubles sent by Captain Blofield of the Viborg Regiment to his wife in Finland franked on reverse with 4k and pair of 14k cancelled STAFF (GHQ) 3rd SIBERIAN ARMY CORPS POST OFFICE ‘e’ 7 11 05. no registration label but manuscript No. ‘192’. On reverse central wax seal: INSURED CORRESPONDENCE/STAFF 3rd SIBERIAN ARMY CORPS POST OFFICE, abbreviated inscription on corner seals: 18th FIELD POST OFFICE PRIAMUR DISTRICT. St Petersburg arrival 25 1 06, Viborg transit 26 1 06 and Kristinestad 28 1 06 arrival. The corner wax seals establish a connection between 18 FPO and GHQ 3rd Siberian Army Corps. (Image)

1905 Double-rate registered cover to Finland franked 1902-5 issue 7k and 14k on reverse cancelled in black STAFF (GHQ) 3rd SIBERIAN ARMY CORPS POST OFFICE ‘d’ 9 11 05. No label but manuscript “N 388” in top left corner. On reverse red circular cachet STAFF 3rd SIBERIAN ARMY CORPS and Kristinestad arrival 28 1 06. (Image)

1905 Viewcard of Baikal sent to Poland from 7th RESERVE FIELD POST OFFICE ‘v’ 10 11 05. Violet circular cachet reading around Imperial Eagle: SEAL OF 12TH RIFLE REGIMENT. Lodz arrival 22 1 06. At this time No. 7 Reserve FPO was situated at KIRIN. (Image)

1905 Lake Baikal viewcard endorsed “From the Active Army” and addressed to Warsaw (arrival 6 1 06), message in Polish with dateline 21 Nov 1905 (=8 Nov 05 Old Style). Blue cds reading: FIELD POST OFFICE & TELEGRAPH BRANCH HEADQUARTERS 1st ARMY ‘v’ 10 11 05. Circular free-frank cachet in red: EAST SIBERIAN MILITARY TELEGRAPH BATTALION. Headquarters of the Russian 1st Manchurian Army was then located at SHWANGCHENPU, a station of the Chinese Eastern Railway about 50km south of Harbin on the 265/266 Line. (Image)

1905 Registered cover to Kaluga endorsed “From the 3rd Manchurian Army”, franked on reverse 14k, abbreviated cancellation reading in full: FIELD POST OFFICE/3/HEADQUARTERS 3rd MANCHURIAN ARMY 20 XI 1905. A second strike added below next day. Not received in Kaluga until 18 1 1906. Registration label: 3rd Army/GENERAL HEADQUARTERS POST OFFICE, circular violet cachet on reverse: GHQ 3rd INFANTRY DIVISION: (Image)

1905 Stampless card from private soldier giving thanks for gift from Empress Maria Feodorovna’s charity, St Petersburg, dateline “St. Kuanchenze 20 XI 1905”. Cancelled the next day FIELD POST OFFICE No. 31 21 XI 195. This card establishes the location of FPO No. 31 at this time (Nov 1905) at STATION KWANGCHENTZE, there being no previous record of its location after April 1905. After the Treaty of Portsmouth (Sep 1905) St. Kwangchentze (Changchun) became the southern terminus of the Chinese Eastern Railway Line 265/266, the rest of the line being ceded to Japan. (Image)

1905 Pre-addressed card used by wounded soldier to send thanks to Empress Maria Feodorovna for a gift from her charity run from the Anichkov Palace in St Petersburg, postmarked : FIELD POST OFFICE SIBERIAN ARMY CORPS No. 4 ‘e’ 30 11 05. St Petersburg arrival 21 1 1906. Writer identifies himself as belonging to 10th (Omsk) Siberian Infantry Regiment (17th Army Corps). The 1st Company of this regiment is depicted at Port Arthur in a separate viewcard. (Image)

1905 Viewcard of Vladivostok to Porkhov, Pskov Guberniya, endorsed “From the Manchurian Army”, written 7 XII 05 and posted next day at FIELD POST OFFICE HEADQUARTERS/2/2nd MANCHURIAN ARMY 8 XII 1905. Violet free-frank cachet: 1st SECTION/1st EAST SIBERIAN BRANCH OF TELEGRAPH COMPANY. Pskov 6 2 06 and Porkhov same day arrival cds’s. Lengthy time between dispatch and delivery possibly due to congestion of military traffic on Trans-Siberian Railway. (Image)

1906 Viewcard of Revel (top right corner missing) franked 3k tied Revel 5 2 06 addressed to STATION MANCHULI/CHINESE EASTERN RAILWAY, arrival cds: 29th RESERVE FIELD POST OFFICE ‘a’ 21 2 06. From June 1905 to March 1907 29th Field Post Office was based at Manchuli Station and during that period its postmarks were used there exclusively. When the military evacuation of Manchuria was completed the Station reverted to railway administration and used the normal oval “vokzal” canceller. (Image)

1906 Japanese postcard used by Russian soldiers to send message to friend at BOBRUISK FORTRESS, White Russia, franked 3k tied by FIELD POST OFFICE/4/4th ARMY CORPS 25 III 05. The message speaks of an “indefinite stay in Harbin”. (Image)

1906 Registered postcard to Warsaw written in Polish from TAOLAICHAO, Manchuria, franked 3k and 7k cancelled FIELD CORPS No. 1/POST OFFICE ‘v’ 27 2 06. Registration label translates FIELD CORPS POST OFFICE WITH 1st SIBERIAN CORPS. Although the Russo-Japanese War ended in September 1905, the Russian military postal organisation remained in use during the evacuation period. (Image)

1906 Japanese card to Finland with message in Finnish dated 28 II 1906. Double-circle free-frank cachet in red reading: FIELD POST AND TELEGRAPH ADMINISTRATION AT THE REAR OF THE MANCHURIAN ARMIES, Kuopio arrival 5 IV 1906 (=23 III 1906 Old Style). When the post-telegraph administrations of all three Manchurian armies were disbanded at the beginning of 1906 all their field post-telegraph networks came under the Rear Administration, based at HARBIN. This in turn was abolished in July 1906 after the majority of Russian troops had been evacuated from Manchuria. (Image)

1906 Pictorial envelope with military motif addressed to St Petersburg; free-frank regimental cachet in violet on reverse and cds of dispatch on front struck in blue, reading: HARBIN ARMY CORPS SUBURB ‘a’ 2 3 06, St Petersburg arrival 20 III 06. (Image)

1905-06 Two insured money-letters to Moscow, each franked 4k and 35k, handstruck registration cachet MANCHZHURIYA (MANCHULI). Central wax seal and cancellation: 29th RESERVE FIELD POST OFFICE, latter dated 7 II 05 and 15 3 06. Corner seals with inscription: ABAGAITUI FIELD POST-TELEGRAPH OFFICE/TRANSBAIKAL DISTRICT. These corner seals suggest that RFPO 29 was formerly located at ABAGAITUI, where a Halt of the Chinese Eastern Railway was situated near Manchuli and the Siberian (Transbaikal) border. No previous evidence of a Russian FPO at Abagaitui. (Image)

1906 Money-letter to COMMANDER of 3rd FINLAND RIFLE REGIMENT, Abo, Finland, sent by REGIMENTAL PAYMASTER, 23rd EAST SIBERIAN RIFLE REGIMENT, franked 10k tied by FIELD POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE OF HAILAR/a/ 18 4 06. HAILAR registration on obverse. On reverse regimental corner seals and central seal reading: FIELD POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE OF HAILAR/a/INSURED CORRESPONDENCE. Situated at the railway station in Hailar, western Manchuria, this office was converted to civilian status in 1906/07 when the Russian armies evacuated Manchuria. (Image)