SEVEN YEARS WAR - PRISONER OF WAR LETTER FROM ALRESFORD TO FRANCE VIA DUTCH FORWARDING AGENT; 15 Feb. 1757 EL (very slight loss of text along LH margin of second page; ex binding) from "Harasse St. Morny[?]"in "Alresford" (Hants.; recorded as a POW location by Renollaud from as early as 1757 through to 1813, but no covers recorded by him before 1778) addressed to his wife (?), "Mademoiselle de la Vuardiere Harasse" in "Grandville" in Brittany but exceptionally (for POW mail) endorsed on the flap as having been forwarded from "Rotterdam... [by] Andre Stuckey & Co." (3 March) , and so having a fine "D'HOLLAND" mark on the front with a "21" delivery charge. The letter concerns the couple's children, their health and so forth. There is an internal endorsement showing that this letter was used in Granville Court as evidence of the sender's still being alive. One of the earliest POW letter recorded from the Seven Years War and unique in its routing via Holland. [Ex Vandervelde.] [Not recorded by Renollaud.]Cross Reference: HAMPSHIRE, MILITARY - P.O.W. MAIL, NETHERLANDS, FRANCE (Image)

NAPOLEONIC WARS: European civilian mail 1793-1814 inc to France with variety of town and transit marks inc circular 'BS' or 'T', VON FRANKFURT , PETERSBOURG, rayon marks, s/l date hand-stamp of Nantes etc. Interesting lot. (18)Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY, MILITARY - NAPOLEONIC WAR (Image)

FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1870-71: POW mail – covers inc. fine Red Cross paper label of the Basle agency with oval hand-stamp, plus 5 (rather worn) Es ex French POWs with variety of authorising cachets. (6)Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY (Image)

BOER WAR MAIL - POW, CENSORS, A.P.Os, ETC.: 1900-1902 group (plus a 1910 cover) of Boer War covers going into or out of South Africa. Incs. May (?) 1900 env. to Sikhim & redirected in purple ink to Darjeeling with Transvaal 2½d and fancy "GEZIEN,/POSTCENSOR,/PRETORIA,/Z. A. R." censor's mark v. finely struck on the front above "Fr. Major. S Humphery/1st Gloster Regi." endorsement (a notable POW held in Pretoria after an engagement at Nicholson's Nek). Several other covers & postcards also with a variety of frankings, A.P.O. & censor marks. Interesting collection. (42 covers + a few pieces & used singles) Cross Reference: MILITARY - BOER WAR, MILITARY - CENSORED MAIL, SOUTH AFRICA (Image)

BRITISH ARMY: APO / FPO numbered cds inc. 'S'-prefix, on wide range of covers and cards 1914-1919 identified and written up on leaves in three binders: mixed condition but with better items noted. Good lot for further research. (245) Cross Reference: GREAT BRITAIN (Image)

BRITISH ARMY: Alpha-numeric FPOs 1914-1919 between A1 and 3Z on a range of covers and cards, identified and written up in a binder. Mixed condition. (100) Cross Reference: GREAT BRITAIN (Image)

NYASALAND FIELD FORCE - VERY RARE F.P.O. 1 COVER REGISTERED WITH "N.F." O.P. 1/- (2) & 3d (4): Remarkable long 14 Sept. 1916 "On Active Service" (adapted from OHMS) env. registered to Dublin with "N.F." overprint KGV 1/- Pair plus 3d Pairs (2), all tied by mainly fine large Neu Langenburg "F.P.O. No. 1" Squared Circles with the rare pink "R/N.F.F. 1/NYASALAND" registered label on the front (Zomba & Chinde backstamps); forwarded to England but not from a P.O. so endorsed "Posted out of course" with v. fine Dublin "2D/186" charge-mark endorsed "to pay" and 2d Black P. Due label (tied by superb red rubber "SALISBURY" cds). Spectacular and unique item with rare overprint values. Exhibition Item. [Sold in our Sept. 2011 auction for £700]Cross Reference: NYASALAND/MALAWI, REGISTERED MAIL (Image)

BRITISH COLONIAL TROOPS: Binder containing a collection of covers & cards written up on leaves with FPO date-stamps used by Indian (7), South African, New Zealand (2), Australian (6) and Canadian (18) forces attached to the BEF. (33) Cross Reference: GREAT BRITAIN, INDIA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA (Image)

BRITISH ARMY – RAILWAY: Group of covers & cards (mixed condition) used at Army rail heads with FPO/APO 'R' & 'T' coded date-stamps – good variety noted. (28) Cross Reference: GREAT BRITAIN (Image)

BRITISH ARMY – INSTRUCTIONAL MARKS: Boxed / unboxed 'Unable to Trace', 'Undelivered…', 'Returned', 'Location Uncertain' etc. types, 'Contains Coin' (3) etc. Also rest-camp cds (4), uncommon RNAS items (3) etc. Interesting lot with potential for study. (37) Cross Reference: GREAT BRITAIN, INSTRUCTIONAL MARKS (Image)

FRENCH ARMY – ADMINISTRATIVE CACHETS: 'Gare de Rassemblement' (4) inc boxed (3) and cds types, BCM (3), boxed 'Bureaux Frontieres' A-M (16) plus other associated types. An interesting study of these uncommon cachets. (45) Cross Reference: FRANCE (Image)

FRENCH HOSPITAL MAIL: Interesting variety of French hospital cachets, straight-line marks etc. on cards & covers, special cards, PPCs of hospital ships (2) etc. written up on leaves. Good lot for further development. (43) Cross Reference: FRANCE (Image)

FRENCH AMBULANCE TRAINS: Range of authorising cachets from ambulance trains used to evacuate wounded servicemen – mainly good strikes on postcards; also uncommon PPC of ambulance staff. (20) Cross Reference: FRANCE (Image)

ARMÉE D'ORIENT: Binder with range of covers & cards inc British X and Z coded date-stamps (14) inc. troopship PPC with FPO F2 skeleton (1917) and 'SZ7' of Malta (1916); French T&P items to 1919 (26) and later to 1938 (17) with interesting material noted. Mixed condition. (55) Cross Reference: FRANCE, GREAT BRITAIN (Image)

BELGIUM: Range of covers & cards with cachets & cds cancellations of the Belgian army 1915-18 (20) plus a further four from 1919-30 during the occupation of Germany; also mail from the Belgian government at Le Havre & Paris (7). Interesting lot. (34) Cross Reference: BELGIUM (Image)

BELGIUM – GERMAN OCCUPATION: Binder with selection of covers & cards overprinted for the German administration inc used & unused stationery, stamped covers with variety of regional censorship inc. feldpost cancellation etc. (52) Cross Reference: BELGIUM (Image)

ITALY & BALKANS, ETC.: Binder with covers & cards from the British Army (10) inc BAPO K & T skeletons, BAPO Y (Mudros) & APO Y (Constantinople); French material inc cachets of military missions to Prague, Roumania & Hungary, Czech element of the French Army, Austrian POWs, various Austrian/Hungarian items, German occupation of Roumania etc. Mixed condition but lots of interesting material. (42) Cross Reference: GREAT BRITAIN, ITALY (Image)

BALKANS, BALTIC AREA, ETC.: Group of items c1918-20 inc PCs to French missions at Helsinki, Prague, Petrograd & Romania, occupation of Hungary & Romania, PC ex ship off Latvia etc. Unusual mixture of interesting material. Inspection needed. (17) Cross Reference: FRANCE (Image)

CZECH, POLISH & RUSSIAN FORCES IN FRANCE: selection of covers & cards related to the Czech Legion (5) inc 2 with scarce regimental cachets, Polish regd cover & PC with T&P 303 or 308 hand-stamps plus trio of Russian forces T&P 189 items, one with uncommon unit cachet plus two further items with Russian cachets. Scarce material from these volunteer regiments. (12) Cross Reference: FRANCE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, POLAND, RUSSIA (Image)

ITALY: Items from French forces in Italy 1917-19 (12) inc SP 604 (3), unit cachets, s/l ARMEE FRANCAISE, military mission at Rome etc.; British (4) inc. APO L2 & L13, FPO FD1 and Italian mail inc official printed E with fine "MISSIONE MILITARE IN FRANCIA" cachet and 3 other items. (20) Cross Reference: FRANCE, ITALY (Image)

PORTUGAL: Small group of scarce WWI items from Portuguese forces in France with SPC date-stamps 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 (2) & 14 with distinctive censor marks plus one other item.(8) Cross Reference: PORTUGAL, FRANCE (Image)

RUSSIA – ALLIED MISSIONS 1918-20: Scarce group of cards & covers used from Russia inc. British forces FPO 201 (Vladivostock), APO SX22 (Batum), APO PB1, 14, 55 & 66 (2), US 'Siberia' duplex with fine boxed censor, French military mission cachets – 3 different plus photograph of ice on HMS Glory (1919) etc. Mixed condition but seldom seen material. (15) Cross Reference: GREAT BRITAIN, RUSSIA (Image)

SERBIAN ARMY: 1912-19 group of covers & cards from Serbian forces inc 1st Balkan War item, trio from the Bizerte training camp, T&P 504, Serbian army cachets & censorship etc. Uncommon material. (19) Cross Reference: SERBIA, YUGOSLAVIA (Image)

U.S. FORCES IN FRANCE: Substantial study of covers & cards from the AEF in France & Germany 1917-19 with wide variety of duplex cancellations, APO numbers and censorship inc. express service, aero-squadron, items sent through British & French FPOs, instructionals, uncommon 'honour' Es (2) etc. Written up in a binder. (136) Cross Reference: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FRANCE (Image)

POST-WAR PLEBISCITES, ETC.: Copy telegram (11.11.18) to Sir Douglas Haig congratulating him on the end of the war; Versailles Congress cover, French occupation of Germany (6), French mission to Poland cachet, Silesia plebiscite official printed E of French military, 'Controller of Railways' cachet, used stationery, French-occupied Saar, plebiscite British FPO 10 & Swedish Battalion covers, unused stationery items etc. (54) Cross Reference: FRANCE, GERMANY, POLAND, SWEDEN (Image)