Gerald Marriner

I enjoyed Bryan Elliston’s article on the Red Cross message form carried on one of the German Fortress supply flights (Les Iles Normandes Vol 43 No. 2).

I can record two later Red Cross messages from Guernsey. Bryan illustrated a message written on 30 December 1944 (number – B22480). My example was written on 24 February 1945. This form is numbered B23912. This is illustrated in Figure. 1. It is addressed to Cirencester. However, it did not receive the

Geneva red circular Red Cross cachet nor a British censor mark on arrival in England.  This form did arrive in England because there is a message on the reverse, dated 2 June 1945.

In his earlier article, Alan Moorcroft (Les Iles Normandes Vol. 17 No. 4) states that this form was definitely flown out of the Islands on a supply flight. In this case, the form would probably have been sent out on the twentieth supply flight (13 March 1945) or the twenty-first supply flight (19 March 1945). The question is then what happened to the form when it arrived in Germany. Did this form ever reach Geneva? How did it reach England?

My second Red Cross message form (Figure 2) is addressed to Leicester and is from the same correspondent as shown in Bryan’s Red Cross message form. This was written on 17 March 1945. Again, there is no Geneva Red Cross circular cachet and no British censor mark. The Guernsey Red Cross number is B24766. There is no reply on the reverse but the arrival date in South Wigston, Leicester, is inserted in manuscript – 11 June 1945.  This could have been flown out on the last fortress supply flight which left Guernsey on 10 April 1945 (the twenty third flight). If this was the route,  how did the message form get from Germany to England?

Alternatively, this form was held in Guernsey until after Liberation. Then it could have been forwarded on the Vega which departed Guernsey on its final voyage on 5 June 1945 this time sailing to London. I would be interested to know if members have any further information on possible routes of these 1945 forms.

When and why did you start collecting C.I. stamps/postal history?

I started collecting C.I. stamps in 1969 when the Islands gained postal independence. I wanted to collect a “new” country from SG No.1.

When did you join the CISS? What/Who introduced you to the CISS?

I joined the CISS way back in 1971. Many collectors joined the Society at this time when there was no internet or website. I would have joined after seeing a Society advert in one of the stamp magazines.

What benefit have you got from your membership of the CISS?

There are many benefits in joining: the enjoyment of meeting like-minded people and making many friendships over the years; the enjoyment of both day and weekend meetings; and the chance of acquiring new material through the Society packets, Society auctions and, in years gone by, dealers tables at Society meetings.

What aspect of C.I. stamps/postal history do you collect?

I joined the Society as a stamp collector. However, I was soon converted to collecting postal history. Aspects I collect are: German Occupation of the Channel Islands; C.I. postage due markings; C.I. destination mail; and Jersey hotel postcards and ephemera.

Do you have a favourite item or group of items in your C.I. collection?

I have several favourite covers in my Occupation collection, especially covers which tell a story – either relating to the sender or the addressee. For example, the Harris correspondence concerning a honeymoon couple stranded in Guernsey during the Occupation. Their honeymoon lasted 5 years!

Do you collect other non-C.I. stamps/postal history?

Yes. I collect postal history of three other areas: Belgian Congo, Andorra, and the 1982 Falklands Conflict. This is another field where you can acquire interesting correspondences.

What has the hobby of philately meant to you?

This has been a life-long interest. Since my retirement, it has become a full-time passion/enjoyment. The hobby helps me to relax, although taking on Society Committee positions has had its stressful moments!I enjoy going to auctions in London. I have even attended auctions in Belgium where auctioneering is carried out in French, which has proved an interesting challenge for me. Finding an unusual new cover for my collection is always rewarding. I enjoy giving presentations to local and other specialist societies and now also giving talks via ‘Zoom’.

I illustrate above an unusual cover from Jersey to Blois in France. This cover was posted in February 1871 when the rate to France was 3d. The rate was reduced to 2½d in 1875. Unusually postage has been paid with 2 x QV 1½d line engraved stamps (SG cat no. 51) instead of the more usual 3d surface printed stamp. The stamps were cancelled with the Jersey ‘409’ duplex, code ‘C’. A circular ‘PD’ handstamp was applied in black.  The cover is endorsed ‘via St Malo’ There is a faint orange arrival datestamp on the front.

I would be interested to know if any other members have similar examples of this stamp on covers from the Channel Islands

Foreign mail incoming into the Channel Islands does not appear to be a popular area to collect. However I illustrate above an unusual recent acquisition. This is a scarce postal stationery card from the Belgian Congo addressed to Mr Toplis in Sark, (Fig. 1).  This card was posted in 1897. At that time the territory was referred to as ‘The Independent State of Congo’. This was posted from the small town of Albertville (now called Kalemie) which is situated on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. The Post Office in Albertville only opened in 1896. The card was forwarded to Leopoldville, a distance of 2,200 Km.  A transit datestamp was applied in blue to the reverse of the card (Fig 2). This was then transported along the River Congo to Boma which was then the capital of Congo. A transit datestamp for Boma can be seen on the front of the card (Fig. 1).

The journey from Albertville to Boma took ten weeks. The card was then taken by sea to Lisbon. (Fig 3) shows part of the Lisbon transit datestamp applied to the reverse of the card. I presume this card was then taken by ship to Southampton and from Southampton to Guernsey. The final journey was from Guernsey to Sark. What an amazing journey.

Following on from my article in the previous edition of Les Iles Normandes I have recently acquired another item in this correspondence. This was posted in Jersey on 7 March 1865 and is illustrated above as Fig. 5. In my previous article I illustrated an underpaid cover posted in November 1866 shortly after the rate had increased from 4d to 6d. Fig 5 shows an entire posted in 1865 at the then correct rate of 4d. The packet ship rate to Portugal was 4d per ¼oz. between July 1859 and July 1866. This was forwarded via London where a transit datestamp for 9 March was applied in red. It was then routed to Southampton from where the letter was taken by packet ship to Lisbon. Fig 5a shows the transit datestamp for Lisbon, dated 13 March 1865. However, I believe this letter weighed over ¼ oz and was underpaid. The 80 (Reis) handstamp was a surcharge mark applied in Lisbon. The letter was then forwarded to Oporto where it received a datestamp for 14 March Fig. 5b.