1918 (August) YMCA envelope to Muskegon, Michigan, sent by a sergeant of the 339th U.S. Infantry Regiment, endorsed "Soldier's Mail" (i.e. this mail to be free of charge), with "Ship Censor" at lower right added by a 1st Lieutenant on board the ship, fine and rare early mail from the American North Russia Expeditionary Force (on July 14, 1918, the U.S. Army's 85th Division left their training camp at Camp Custer, Michigan for the Western Front in France. Three days later, President Wilson agreed to a limited participation by American troops in the Allied Intervention in Russia with the stipulation that they would only be used for guarding the stockpiled war material. When General John J. Pershing received the directive from President Wilson, he changed the orders for the 339th Infantry Regiment, along with a few other ancillary units from the 85th Division. Instead of heading for France, these units were trained and re-outfitted in England with Russian guns and then sent to North Russia. They arrived in already British occupied Arkhangelsk on September 4, 1918, coming under British command) (Image)

Est.US$500

1918 (4 Oct) cover to Mt.Vernon, endorsed "Sailor's Mail" bearing "U.S.S. Olympia / Foreign Service" datestamp, with framed "Passed by Censor 10/3/1918" alongside, cover repaired, still fine and quite rare (in early 1918, with the war in France his biggest concern, President Woodrow Wilson was reluctant to send troops anywhere other than to the Western Front. He did eventually agree to commit the 339th Infantry to the North Russia expedition and send as an advance party the cruiser Olympia, which arrived at Murmansk on 24 May. With the remote port rumored to be in danger of capture by German and Finnish troops, local Soviet authorities welcomed the Americans and other Allies. Thousands of miles away, Allied forces also would occupy Vladivostok, the eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railroad) (Image)

Est.US$500