SIBERIA AMERICAN INTERVENTION (Text)

Military Mail:United States Intervention in Siberia During and After the First World War [Author: Alfred F. Kugel]. This exhibit was created to illustrate mail generated by U. S. personnel and military forces sent to intervene in Siberia, both during and after the official end of WWI.

This web page, published by the Military Postal History Society, contains text from the images of the exhibit pages created by Alfred F. Kugel, and are reproduced and distributed to the public with his permission.

The first Americans to go to Siberia were in the Russian Railway Service Corps, recruited in the fall of 1917 to assist the Russian Provisional Government, which was an ally in the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary, in operating the Trans-Siberian and Chinese Eastern Railways. The RRSC consisted of 288 employees of the Great Northern and Northwestern Railroads and the Baldwin Engine Works who were commissioned by (but not inducted into) the U.S. Army. George Emerson, general manager of the GN, was appointed head of the RRSC.

From Colona l 'G.H.Emerson RUSSIAN RAILWAY SERVICE CORPS y me r i oan uonsul , Ha ?*bin, Manchuria.

Tsuruga, Japan Paquebot

4 October 1918 ; U.S. Postal Agency

Siberia 12 December 1918

Mrs. G r . H. Emerson, 139 M a c a l e s t e r Avenue,

St* Pau l , Minnesota .

P RUSSIAN RAILWAY C<*PS. A. E. F- SIBERIA

i.'.e

4 ^ MX,

Although given officer ranks and uniforms, RRSC personnel were not entitled to free franking of their mail. However, they could send it through the U.S. Postal Agency in Vladivostok at domestic rates (3 cents for letters including the war tax from 2 November 1917 to 1 July 1919). Upper cover mailed by Col. Emerson from Manchuria via Japan to his wife.

A M E R I C A N I N T E R V E N T I O N IN SIBERIA Russian Railway Service Corps

Irkutsk-Krasnoyarsk TPO 198 8 October 1919

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 23 March 1920

MA Dffice oisMe £ n ' e & i ^ e j ^ r ' Chinese lastern Dismc^T^nl^an<al, Tomsk

and Omsk Railways.

(J C^'yKsi'A.

ar.?.

!I ;INESE E A S T E R N - S I B E R I A N R A I L W A Y S

I N T E R - A I X I E D TECHNICAL BOARS

PURCHASING COMMITTEE

VLADIVOSTOK

J-O emotive bnoeriiea ~ce:

30-Churcli S t ree t

Few York C i t y .

Because of the nature of their work, RRSC personnel were spread out over Siberia (and Manchuria) more widely than members of the AEF. Outside Vladivostok and other cities served by the AEF's railway mail couriers, they had to rely on the Russian and Chinese postal services, especially the railway post offices.

A M E R I C A N I N T E R V E N T I O N IN SIBERIA Incoming Mail to Russian Railway Service Corps

Altoona, Pa. 17 January 1918

Nagasaki, Japan 1 March 1918

Incoming mail to the RRSC is not often seen. Upper example (to a member of the "Baldwin Contingent") was sent to a forwarding address in San Francisco and then to Vladivostok, where it was received on 18 February 1918. Lower cover from Japan is highly unusual.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA AEF Siberia -- Troops in Transit On 3 August 1918 President Wilson ordered an expeditionary force to be sent to Siberia, which eventually comprised 9,000 men. The first U.S. Army troops were about 2,800 officers and men from the 27th and 31st Infantry Regiments stationed in the Philippines. Other forces arrived from California shortly thereafter. The AEF Siberia was officially on station from 15 August 1918 until 1 April 1920.

San Francisco, Cal. 4 September 1918

First Contingent

'This Side for A d ^ e s s Only)

I have arrived safely at a foreign port. My address will be "AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE SIBERIA"

Care of Depot Quartermaster, San Francisco, California

Special "Safe Arrival" cards were printed for the troops that accompanied General Graves from California. These were filled out by the men before departure, retained in San Francisco and mailed when word was received that the ship had arrived in Vladivostok safely. Six examples of this card have been recorded. Those above show the printing on the front and back.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA AEF Siberia -- Troops in Transit

San Francisco, Cal. 1 October 1918

Second Contingent

S A F H A V E A R R I V E D S I B E R I A N P O R T ; A

S I B E R I A 5 V I A

L Y A T A D D R E S S - M E H T » A . E

S A R " F B A N C I S C O F

fV^CE FOR W R I T I N G M E S S A G E S

The supply of special Safe Arrival cards was insufficient for the second group of men sent from Camp Freemont. So, picture postcards and other types of cards were overprinted with an Addressograph plate and given out to the men. These were postmarked on 1 October with about eight examples recorded.

A M E R I C A N I N T E R V E N T I O N IN SIBERIA A E F Siberia -- Forerunners

The AEF Siberia was organized with such haste that though troops began arriving in Siberia on 15 August 1918, no postal agency was established until 12 September and, even then, no cancel was provided until 25 September. During the interim, free franked mail was accepted for shipment on the returning Army transport ships. However, dating of forerunner mail, unless included in the sender's message on postcards, is unusual. Forerunner mail is usually, but not always, censored in the upper right corner (rather than the more normal lower left).

A M E R I C A N I N T E R V E N T I O N IN SIBERIA A E F Siberia — Forerunner

Vladivostok-Tsuruga Steamship 7 September 1918

During the forerunner period, the arrival of supply ships was uncertain, so that using the free frank had the cost of slow service. However, regular mail service between Vladivostok and Japan and from Japan to the rest of the world was available to those willing to pay for it. (As shown above, 30 kopeks to the U.S.)

The Vladivostok-Tsuruga Steamship postmark was used by ships of the Russian Volunteer Fleet and the Chinese Eastern Railway Maritime Company. It is one of the scarcest postmarks on AEF Siberia mail, with only four examples recorded.

A M E R I C A N I N T E R V E N T I O N IN SIBERIA A E F Siberia -- Shanghai Postmarks

U.S. Postal Agency/Shanghai, China 25 September 1918

17 October 1918

Earliest and Latest Dates of Use of Postmark

RCES,

A.E F, SIBERIA CENSORED

FOR AD[

9S,

The first official postmark used of AEF Siberia mail was a reserve cancel borrowed from the USPA in Shanghai, China and used for three weeks. Approximately 60 examples are recorded, mostly with poor to barely-legible strikes. Through 2 October this postmark appears with "1030AM" in the time slot. After that date only " A M " was retained, without the hour being indicated.

Postage was free,but the 10 cent registration fee had to be paid. Cover backstamped in San Francisco on 4 November 1918 so that the transit time was 33 days.

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 18 October 1918

18 December 1918

•H

A CO

r-f D

C/3

Earliest and Latest Recorded Use of This Postmark

Cover below self-censored by General Graves.

•H 03 !U

•P

n <& S O

WAR D E P A R T M E N T , H E A D Q U A R T E R S A M E R I C A N E X P E D I T I O N A R Y F O R C E S ,

S I B E R I A .

i*1

2 D

The first USPA Siberia cancel was brought to Vladivostok on 17 October 1918 by Postal Agent Stephen Cisler and put into use the next day, thus retiring the Shanghai marking. The time shown in the dial is always "9AM."

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA AEF -- U.S. Postal Agency Steel Postmarks

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 20 December 1918

14 April 1920

Earliest and Latest Dates of Use of Postmark

S O L D I tu H S U A I L F r a n k A . ^ u y e t t e , I n f

Air,. E x . F o r c e s , S i b e r i a . ^ iO.AiVi

M r s . C l a r a L a r s e n

738 ©̂wne A v e n u e , ,

L©s A n g e l e s , C a l i f o r n i a .

' U . S . A .

+ &ib>ria

The most common postmark of the USPA Siberia is the small steel duplex first used on 20 December 1918. The latest recorded date, also shown above, is 14 April 1920.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA AEF -- U.S. Postal Agency Steel Postmark Mail to Non-U.S. Destinations

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 21 September 1919

March 8, 1920

Only Recorded Example of Double-Weight Letter to Foreign Address

Mail from Siberia to non-U.S. destinations is unusual, with fewer than a half dozen examples recorded. Upper cover with two different censor marks was double weight and sent to England by an Infantry major. Although soldier's mail was generally free of postage, this did not apply to foreign destinations. Thus, postage was properly paid at 5 cents for the first ounce and 3 cents for the additional increment. Lower cover to the Philippines was sent by a Red Cross worker and, thus, required 2 cents postage (war tax no longer in effect). Very late use.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA AEF U.S. Postal Agency Steel Postmark

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 20 December 1918

Only Recorded Example of This Postmark

This cover with a USPA Siberia duplex steel postmark and the #3 in the barrel is one of the highlights of an Intervention collection. Even after more than 80 years, only this one example has been found. It was used on the first day that the steel cancels were introduced but apparently not afterwards. One avenue of speculation is that the device was damaged at the top right of the killer, causing it to be retired.

A M E R I C A N I N T E R V E N T I O N IN SIBERIA A E F - Incoming Mail

New York, N.Y. 22 August 1918

Yokohama, Japan 18 March 1919

Carte postale — Postkarte — Post Card Cartolina posiale— Domsnice — Levelezo-lap — Karta k'orespondencyjna — Briefkaait CorresponaenzSarte — 'Hhieta postal — Brefkort — Brevkort — OTKpuToe naciMO

C. if si

/o-^U^f

Go jf /3/ T^^J^a^u 1

act ;'

Incoming mail from the U.S. could be sent at domestic rates, i.e. at 3 cents on a letter sent during the war tax period. Postcard from Japan addressed to the 131st Infantry, but Capt. Tapper wasn't in Siberia. Instructional handstamp inscribed "Not in Am. E. F. Siberia/Address unknown" was applied. Only three examples of this marking are recorded, of which this is the only one showing a USPA Siberia postmark.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA AEF « Postal Station Markings

There were three branch stations of the USPA in Vladivostok. No. 1 was located at Verkhne- Udinsk, but no examples of its marking are known on cover.

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 26 May 1919 9 April 1919

Station No. 2 was at Khabarovsk and No. 3 at Spasskoye. Their markings are highly sought after as only one and two examples have been recorded on cover, respectively.

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 11 June 1919

OLD!

JGT. l / c «E * i ' »SXt>iiiii..

ENCORED

// 3 - G^eczzrmy

EF. SIBERIA J

Approximately 25 registered covers are recorded from the USPA Siberia. These examples were mailed on the same day but reflect two entirely different numbering systems. It is known that there were three postal collection stations along the Trans-Siberian Railway line, and one can speculate that identical registry cancels were supplied to them as well as used in Vladivostok, which would account for the numbers.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA AEF U.S. Postal Agency Registration Postmarks

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 12 February 1919 27 February 1920

From

178

) I lb

A . R. Hager General Agent

NAL CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS 2-98 Escolta

30X429 MANILA, P. I .

This is the only recorded registered cover from the AEF Siberia addressed to a destination other than the United States.

T H E A M E R I C A N R E D C R O S S C O M M I S S I O N T O S I B E R I A

V L A D I V O S T O K

This is the latest recorded date for registered mail from the USPA Siberia.

A M E R I C A N I N T E R V E N T I O N IN SIBERIA A E F Siberia -- Special Delivery Service

One of only two examples of special delivery stamps used on A E F Siberia mail.

A most unusual usage of a special delivery stamp on a registered package from Siberia. It is the only example which appears to have actually obtained this service when it arrived in the U.S.

A M E R I C A N INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia A E F U.S. Postal Agency Money Order Postmarks 7 April 1919

10 April 1919 17 May 1919

4 February 1919

2277 R E C E I P T

I4T AMOUNT FOR WHICH I S S U E D

T O B E D E T A C H E D B Y T H E P U R C H A S E R , W H O S H O U L D P R E S E N T I T A T T H E O F F I C E O F I S S U E IF H E W I S H E S T O M A K E I N Q U I R E R E G A R D I N G T H E O R D E R

S S U I N G 0 ? F , C E

S T A M P H E R E

United States Postal Agency, Siberia. X 9 5 0 0 M A i i « j

5221 S E R I A L N U M B t R

O F F I C E N U M B E R Coupon for Paying1 Office

T H I S M O N E Y O R D E R I S N O T G O O D

F O R M O R E T H A N L A R G E S T A M O U N T

I N D I C A T E D O N L E F T - H A N D M A R G I N

O F T H E O R D E R A N D A N Y A L T E R A

T I O N O R E R A S U R E R E N D E R S I T V O I D

I S S U I N G O F F I C E

S T A M P H E R E

United States Postal Agency, Siberia. X 9 5 0 0

Coupon for Paying Office

7880 S E R I A L N U M B E R

O F F I C E N U M B E R

NOT TO ME D E T A C H E D BY H O L D E R

D O L L A R S . 1 4 ^ SffcURKS F O B

/zhr-r—i

T H I S M O N E Y O R D E R I S N O T G O O D

F O R M O R E T H A N L A R G E S T A M O U N T

I N D I C A T E D O N L E F T - H A N D M A R G I

O F T H E O R D E R A N D A N Y A L T E R A

T I O N O R E R A S U R E R E N D E R S I T V O I D

I S S U I N G O F F I C E

S T A M P H E R E

United States Postal Agency, Siberia. X 9 5 0 0

Coupon for Paying Office

9720 S E R I A L N U M B E R

J O F F I C E N U M B E R

R E N U T T E

T H I S M O N E Y O R D E R I S N O T G O O D

• « F O R M O R E T H A N L A R G E S T A M O U N T

I N D I C A T E D O N L E F T - H A N D M A R G I N

O F T H E O R D E R A N D A N Y A L T E R A

T I O N O R E R A S U R E R E N D E R S I T V O I D

The existence of three outlying postal collection stations has been documented since 1953, but there is little postal evidence of their operations. For Station No. 1 at Verkhne-Udinsk, it consists only of the money order coupon shown here. For No. 2 at Khabarovsk there are two money order coupons and one registered cover. For No. 3 at Spasskoye there are four money order coupons and two registered covers. The money order receipt at above left is the only evidence of this service from Vladivostok.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia AEF -- Field Service Cards ? February 1919

15 August 1919 3 November 1919

"Am in the-tmsptt^t^TTtLk—.stig'hLl.y wuimdefl — seriously— ^jKnnnripd —am now-feeeyeying rapidly: '

These special cards were printed for the AEFS to permit soldiers to send a brief message to friends and family back home that would not be held up by the censors. Two different types are known, with identical backs but different typefaces on the front. Three examples of the first type are recorded and seven of the second type.

A M E R I C A N INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA A E F Troopships

KS>t p

\<JV \

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 8 May 1919

19 August 1919

Return address on flap. 2^. ^Zy-

A series of Army transport ships were engaged in carrying soldiers and supplies to Siberia. At least twelve different vessels have been recorded as making at least one trip to Vladivostok during the intervention period. However, the USATs were not equipped with on-board post offices, so mail from them can only be identified by return addresses or contents. Examples are scarce with only two each known from Sherman and Thomas.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA AEF Troopship

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 23 March 1920

Only Recorded Use from Siberia

»l««*ivoStoK Siberia

C i a ^ t t ^ > 7 (Too

US AT South Bend made only a single trip to Siberia in order to evacuate the 31st Infantry. She arrived in Vladivostok on 20 March 1920 and departed on 31 March. This cover was postmarked on 23 march 1920, the second latest date for mail from the USPA Siberia.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA AEF-Siberia Christmas Card

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 13 December 1918

A m e r i c a n Jt£x;peditioiiary F o r c e s ,

S i b e r i a .

€Ux tatmaa i r m i m j s

W mhwQ % tiu AB € hristmau f

axA

A i apij anil p raapmrnii Jjf t«ui ffl el

A Suiter a Utal?

(Fbte be our J® tat? tbal

30om> mag neuer mb,

Gtfu? utorlo may roam,

Liberia, may aneno.

Next (Ebrtatmaa nrith. our

iFrienoa ano folka at Imme,

This special AEF Christmas card was recently discovered. It is the only such item seen by the exhibitor in some four decades of collecting this material. Obviously locally printed in Vladivostok, it was mailed on December 13, so it was unlikely to have been delivered to the U.S. by Christmas based on usual transit times.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA Naval Mail

1919

£ < o ^ / (2^^ rj^c/fc

U.S.S. Albany Protected cruiser with a complement of 326 . Three types of cancels known from Siberia: U.S. Navy 4-bar USS Albany with location USS Albany w/o location

H E A D Q U A R T E R S A M E R I C A N E X P E D I T I O N A R Y F O R C E S ,

A ...

V cm

— / / J ?

_=—~

Tours in Siberia 19 June-26 July 1919 19 Dec. 1919 -30 Mar. 1920 23 Sept. 1920- 19 Feb. 1921 30Sept.l921 - 17 Feb. 1922

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA Naval Mail

<$f Mil . %rpjoJ^u^> U.S.S. Brooklyn

Armored cruiser with a c o m p l e m e n t of 7 2 9 . Three types of cancels known from Siberia: U.S. Navy 4-bar USS Brooklyn 5-bar USS Brooklyn registered

Tours in Siberia 1 March - 9 October 1918 23 Dec. 1918-2 Apr. 1919 28 October - 8 Dec. 1919 23 Sept.1920- 19 Feb. 1921

^ ^ 7 *PffiN RECBPTBffiSSie

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA Naval Mail

^ 1

U.S.S. Helena Ocean-going gunboat with a complement of 207. In Siberian waters from 15 F e b . - 2 June 1919. This is the only recorded example from the Siberian intervention.

U.S.S. Sacramento Ocean-going gunboat with a complement of 171. In Siberian waters 11 Sept. - 24 Nov. 1922. This is the only recorded example from the Siberian intervention.

A M E R I C A N C O N S U L A R S E R V I C E

R i c h a r d 3 . N o r t o n , U.S.S.NEW ORLEANS,

c / o P o s t m a s t e r , SAN FBANCISC0, CAL.

A M E R I C A N INTERVENTION I N SIBERIA Naval Mail

A M E R I C A N I N T E R V E N T I O N IN SIBERIA Naval Mail

O BQ

t> o ^ >

CO ' 4 t> p

b U o • to M • Hi • •to eg •

U.S.S. South Dakota Registered Mail

S% a,

U.S.S. Saturn

Collier with complement of 74. In Siberian waters from November 1918 to 12 January 1919. No on-board post office but used USPA Siberia.

A M E R I C A N INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA Marine Corps Mail

U.S.S. Albany 1 March 1920

U.S. Postal Agency/Siberia 15 April 1919

U.S.S. New Orleans 4 July 1920

9'y

U.S. Marines in Siberia consisted of small units aboard the cruisers and, from 16 February 1920 to 19 November 1922, eighteen Marine guards at the USN Radio Station on Russian Island. Only four examples of Marine mail are recorded from the Siberian intervention.

AMERICAN INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA Russian Island Mail

U.S. Navy 5 March 1919 30 May 1919

" W I T H T H E C O L O R S "

A U.S. Navy radio station operated on Russian Island (10 miles southeast of Vladivostok in Peter the Great Bay). Date of inception and number of personnel are unknown, but the facility was closed down on 19 November 1922.

Only a few pieces of mail have been recorded, with all but one being postmarked on Navy ships in the harbor. The postcard shown above was processed by USS Brooklyn. Registered cover could have been postmarked on Brooklyn or New Orleans, the only two U.S. warships at Vladivostok on that date. (Note that original 7 cent stamp had fallen off and was replaced by a hinged-on copy to restore a similar appearance.)