Journal Articles Archive - Page 4 of 231 - Channel Islands Specialists’ Society

Les Iles Chausey

In my quest to find a topic which is not part of mainline Channel Islands collecting which might be achievable and without attracting too much competition, I recently bought “blind” a collection of material covering the largest of the French Channel Islands, the Iles Chausey. It wasn’t the first line of the description which attracted me – “1916/1957, Iles Chausey, collection of just over 100 picture postcards, neatly mounted ….”, but the penultimate inclusion – “five WWI Prisoner of War cards/covers with various handstamps/censor markings”. Thinking that the collection might just reveal some postal history and hold more interest than as an island home to a few fishermen, and later as an outing for day-visitors, I went ahead with my bid.

Sadly, one of the cards was missing, but the remaining cards and cover may help to indicate some of the islands’ postal history. According to both Newport and Witney and Aitchison, the fort on the grande isle was used to house Austrian and German internees during World War I.

Figure 1 is a postcard of “Un coin de l’Ile” (a corner of the island) with ILES / CHAUSEY / (Manche) cachet on each side (JA C109 in purple) endorsed SM for service militaire entitling the sender to free postage as a military serviceman. The postmark is the standard Type 18 double circle datestamp GRANVILLE / MANCHE dated 16 September 1916. It is addressed to a serviceman in Granville – Monsieur Perin, Sergent 1^e Cie au Roc, from maps presumably the military installation in the harbour area of the town. The sender is assumed to have been part of the guard force for the internees on the island.

The second card (Figure 2), written in old German script, is of a street scene in Granville and was sent to “Nordhausen Allemagne” on 26 May. The card was addressed via the International Red Cross in Geneva and endorsed in French Prisoner of War mail. The feint cachet is JA C14 PREFECTURE DE LA MANCHE / CABINET DU PREFET, described by Aitchison as used between May 1915 and July 1917 and found on mail from German internees. The writer does not seem to mention Chausey specifically but does say “I find myself imprisoned in Granville.” The cachet “Auf eine Postkarte oder eine kurzen Brief antworten“ (reply by postcard or a short letter) looks remarkably clean and well-struck. A view on its authenticity would be appreciated.

The path of the third card is easier to track. It seems to be a basic unfranked German postcard sent to Duisburg, Germany, from the Iles Chausey 29/5.15. It was postmarked with a French Type 18 datestamp on 18 August 1915. It has the same prefecture cachet as in Figure 2 but also a clear boxed Kriegsgefangenen-Sendung in red (PoW mail), and a censors’ cachet reading ZENTRALAUSKUNFTSSTELLE FUR AUSWANDERER / REICHSKOMMISSION (Central Information Office for emigrants / Imperial Commission). The card is also endorsed in manuscript par la Croix Rouge / Genève Suisse (via the Red Cross, Geneva, Switzerland). So, this is a clear example of Pow mail from Chausey. The reverse also has a strike of the same cachet in Figure 2 referring to replies.

The fourth item (Figure 4) is a cover from GRANVILLE to an address in Caen dated 3 March 1916. The cachet in red is Aitchison C15 which reads MINISTERE DE L’INTERIEUR / SOUS-PREFECTURE D’AVRANCHES in the outer circle and DEPOT D’AUSTRO-ALLEMANDS DE LA CORDERIE GRANVILLE ET DE CHAUSEY. Aitchison describes this as from an Austrian-German detention camp. The manuscript endorsement reads Franchise postale int. civ.(free postage civ(ilian) int(ernee) )

I hope that these cards shed some light on this short period of Chausey postal history and show that serendipitous philatelic finds occasionally can occur. I look forward to your comments or feedback.

Neil Mumford also writen

I am not sure if you or the committee are aware of the recent digitalisation process that has now been completed in collaboration with Guernsey Archives and FINDMYPAST website. People can now access an extensive range of family history from the Bailiwick, which also includes extensive occupation records. Access to the records is on a subscription basis. I thought it may be worth a mention in the journal

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/discoveries/guernsey-ww2-holiday

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgp3xprk3po

Brittain under the Nazis – the forgotten occupation

To mark the 80th Anniversary of the eventual Liberation of the Islands, Channel 4 have just aired the two-part documentary “Britain Under the Nazis: The Forgotten Occupation”. It tells the story of one the most controversial periods in WW2 British history. Director Jack Warrender’s film uses the first-hand testimony of islanders, including Frank Falla, Jersey’s bailiff Alexander Coutanche and artist and anti-fascist activist Claude Cahun, drawn from their personal diaries, to tell the story of life under occupation, while historians Prof Gilly Carr and Dr Louise Willmot provide context with a light touch. A very informative and an enjoyable watch, it has been given rave reviews by both the Telegraph and Independent newspapers.

Guernsey and Alderney Nail sent via CHERBOURG, A Follow-up from Henri Chartier

In the December 2024 issue of this journal (Volume 43 No.4), I wrote about two very rare postcards that had recently been discovered, sent from Guernsey and Alderney via Cherbourg to France and England. I appealed to members for information of any other examples with the Cherbourg entry postmark, and for any information regarding the mail boats that might have carried this mail. Unfortunately, the request elicited only one response, but this was a very useful and exciting one from our French member, Henri Chartier.

Henri found a postcard in his collection (Figure 1 above) that has a superb image of the Mailboat VERDUN, of the S.R.E.T. steamship company (Société de Remorquages et de Transports) with the information that the boat makes a regular passage between Le Havre, Cherbourg, Guernsey, Saint-Brieuc and Morlaix (but no mention of Alderney) (Figure 1); while the back of the postcard bears a tourist map of Le Havre with the information that the journey to Guernsey via Cherbourg takes 10 hours. (Figure 2.)

Henri’s postcard of the VERDUN answered my queries about the S.R.E.T. steamship company and although he did not have any postcards that had been routed from Guernsey or Alderney via Cherbourg, he did have two that had travelled from Guernsey via the port of Le Havre. These were obviously carried on the VERDUN and are as scarce as those routed via Cherurg. (Figures 3 to 6 below)

Images are from the collection of Henri Chartier.

St Ouens UDCs – A New Discovery

Following David Winnie’s excellent UDC competition entry I can confirm that there are in fact two St John’s undated double arcs which we can record. The first David has, and second I purchased in late 2021 at a Swiss auction house.

The front of the flimsy envelope (Figure 1) shows a French 40c orange tied by an indistinct lozenge (see Editor’s note below).

The cover was endorsed in manuscript France via London. with a Jersey double arc in black dated 11 January 1858 alongside. The rate charged was 8 décimes.

On the reverse (see Figure 2 below) is an example of the St Johns udc in a blue-black colour, as well as another Jersey double arc. These are partially overstruck by two Paris double circles for 13 January. To the left is a LONDON transit date stamp for 12 January and a LE CHATEAU D’OLERON receiving date stamp for 14 January.

Editor’s Note: the cancellation is probably the CP3^e Calais to Paris TPO.

To see the exhibit go to this link: CISS Annual Competition 2025 Archives – Channel Islands Specialists’ Society). David’s entry is on the second page.

Great Union Road – A Spectacular New Sub-Office Find

Until now, only two items have been recorded for this town sub-post office, and these are cutout pieces of the 22mm single circle steel datestamp for the same date, 22 April 1905. An example of this item from my collection is shown at Figure 1.

On 22 March 2025, I visited the Stamp Fair at Kempton Park Racecourse and, as a last resort, having not added anything of interest to my Channel Islands collection, I found myself sitting at a well-known dealer’s stand. Having made myself comfortable, I worked my way through his stock of C.I. material, and, to my complete and utter surprise, I found myself looking at an early registered cover for a Town Office in Jersey. This is shown at Figure 2 below.

The registered letter is addressed to Kotagiri, Nilgiris (Blue Mountains in English), South India and is rated 3d, 2d for Registration and 1d for postage. The embossed stamp has been cancelled by a Registered Jersey oval for 2 February 1910. Beneath is the 22mm single circle datestamp with an asterisk code inserted for GREAT UNION ROAD for the same date.

A ’C’ type small sheet Jersey 7 registration label No.24 was attached top left. Most interestingly, Jersey 7 was subsequently allocated to Georgetown town office following the closure of Great Union Road in 1923.

The reverse of the cover (Figure 3) shows the arrival mark of Kotagiri on 20 February 1910. Kotagiri is a hill station in the Nilgiris district of the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. It is located at a height of about 6,400 feet and is therefore an unusual destination for such an item.

What I find strange is that Great Union Road opened on 15 June 1905 and closed on 7 November 1923, yet only three items are now recorded from this office. Nevertheless, for the time being, this is the only known complete example of postal history from this office, enhanced by its spectacular destination.

A further Balloon Monté to Guernsey

At the meeting in Guernsey Roger Harris showed a cover which had been flown out of Paris by ballon monté and then sent on to Guernsey. If I remember correctly, he said that only four covers have been recorded sent to Guernsey by ballon monté.

I knew that I had a ballon monté cover. On checking, mine is also to Guernsey. See illustration below.

It was sent to Madame Esperou at Hotel Marschalls, Guernsey, with a small St. Pierre written at the bottom.

It is dated 14 November 1870 with a PARIS R. D’AMSTERDAM / 4e datestamp 15 NOV 70. It has a Guernsey receiving backstamp NO 24 70 code B. The expertising form states that it was carried on the balloon Le General Ulrich.

I hope this would be of interest to the readers of the Journal.

Rare step type Jersey/Ship Letter (J14) Handstamp, 1840

This rare item came into my possession during August 2024 by private sale and is one of the key items in my Channel Islands Ship Letter handstamps collection. It is listed in Gibbons Catalogue of Postal History of the Channel Islands (1991), but not in Robertson’s A History of the Ship Letters of the British Isles (1983 Reprint)

To date, this is the only known example of this ship letter handstamp. The letter was written by William Moss, a Wesley missionary in the Gambia. He arrived on 30 November 1838, serving the missionaries at MacCarthy Island and St Mary’s, both situated on the River Gambia and returned to England on 28 March 1841. Unfortunately, William Moss’ wife died on 22 January 1839, shortly after their arrival following a fever. They married shortly before departure to Gambia. This letter was written shortly after his wife’s death.

Mission House

St Mary’s, River Gambia

January 4, 1840

Rev^d and my dear Sirs,

I have just returned from another visit to MacCarthey Island and hearing that a vessel will leave this Port for Jersey in about an hours time, I thought it advisable to inform you of my welfare and also to forward the list of Subscribers to the Mission lands at both stations. From the accompanying letter you will perceive that the Subscriptions at St Mary’s are more than double of the amount of last year. In fact about every European has subscribed for the year 1839 and are anxious to promote the wellbeing of the dark degraded demonised Sons of Ham, nor are the Subscription at MacCarthey’s behind those of the proceeding year. Every European there has subscribed and sincerely hope the time is not to far distant when they will see a chapel erected in which most of them doubt not are anxious to worship the God that made prescribed and redeemed them. I did intend to send the accounts of both stations by this vessel, but as I have only just returned from settling the affairs at MacCarthey’s it is utterly impossible. However you may depend up receiving them. God willing by the very first opportunity with a lengthened report of everything connected with these all important stations on the banks of the Gambia. The farm I am happy to state has answered my expectations. The production twice as much as last year. [Note: Since 1823 the mission has grown peanuts].

I trust you will publish the list now sent home in the next report and please do not forget to send a good supply of reports.

The new Brethren have not arrived but are expected every hour.

At present I am in possession of perfect health thank the Lord for this and all his other mercies believing you sympathetic with me in my present circumstances and intreating an interest in your prayers and in the prayers of all God’s people.

I remain your humble and

obedient servant

William Moss

Wesleyan Missionary

Brethren, Pray for me, WM.

Northampton to St Servan via St Marlo, 1835

I was recently given the letter below which raised issues about which I ask for help.

A straight cross-Channel route via Dover and Calais would appear to me to have been logical, the final address of St Servan (near St Malo) notwithstanding. 1835 seems to be late usage of the GRANDE BRETAGNE / PAR ST. MALO but this does not seem to explain the routing request or final routing. Help would be appreciated, please.

Ship Letter Lyme on letter from Gurnsey, 6 January 2811

In his book A History of the Ship Letters of the British Isles (reprint 1993), Alan Robertson states on page E.203 that the “standard” oval type with crown for Lyme Regis (Lyme) probably exists, but as yet no example is recorded. There are now two known examples.

Les Iles Normandes Volume 10.1 (1991) pg 9, illustrates a letter that was in the collection of Mike Burrington, one of the Society’s Canadian members. The letter from Guernsey to London, written in French, is dated 30 August 1811. There is no mention of the significance of the LYME ship letter handstamp. As with the example shown below, it too was sent via the forwarding agents, James Cazenove & Co.

This earlier use of the LYME ship letter is dated 6 January 1811 is also from Guernsey to London. It was charged at the triple letter rate of 3/3d (3 x 4d ship letter fee (1799 rates and 3 x 9d mileage rate for 120-170 miles as per 1805 rates).