THE INDIAN POST OFFICE DURING THE WORLD WAR I ERA - 1914-1924
THE INDIAN POST OFFICE BEFORE THE WAR POSTAL AGENCIES & OFFICES IN IRAN, OMAN, DUBAI, KUWAIT, & BAHRAIN PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL MAIL FOR NON-UPU COUNTRIES: TIBET, NEPAL, BHUTAN, & AFGHANISTAN SEA POST OFFICES BOMBAY-ADEN & BOMBAY-KARACHI INDIA BANGLADESH MYANMAR WILLIAM MAXWELL DIRECTOR GENERAL INDIA POSTS & TELEGRAPHS POSTAL SERVICES Ø 300 MILLION RESIDENTS Ø 19,000 POST OFFICES Ø 95,000 EMPLOYEES Ø 1 BILLION ARTICLES
WORLD WAR I UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES PERSONNEL ISSUES FIELD POST OFFICES (FPO) SHIP MAIL & SEA POST POST OFFICE SUPPORT OF CENSORSHIP THE POST OFFICE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAIL SERVICES TO THE FIELD DEPLOYED ARMY DISPLACED PERSONS BORDER WARS FINANCIAL IMPACT
INDIA POSTS & TELEGRAPHS 95,000 POSTAL WORKERS 12,300 REPLACEMENTS HAD TO BE RECRUITED AND THE OVERSEAS VOLUNTEERS SUPPORTED 3500 500 1200 7100 FIELD POST OFFICES CENSORSHIP DUTIES MILITARY TELEGRAPH OPERATORS OTHER OVERSEAS SERVICE 13% TOTAL STAFF Source: Pali, B. 1991 India and the First World War
INDIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE I.E.F. OVERPRINTED STAMPS FOR USE OUTSIDE OF INDIA BY 1.3 MILLION INDIAN FORCES WHO SERVED IN WW I CIVILIANS AND BRITISH FORCES USING INDIAN FPOs ½ ANNA DOMESTIC INDIA RATE 1 ANNA BRITISH EMPIRE RATE 2 ANNA REGISTRATION FEE 2 ½ ANNA INTERNATIONAL UPU RATE
I.E.F. OVERPRINTED POSTAL STATIONERY OVERPRINTED AUGUST 1914 IN CALCUTTA
CORRESPONDENCE TO & FROM THE INDIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE INDIA TO IEF TROOPS* PREPAID AT DOMESTIC RATE LETTERS & POSTCARDS BOOK PACKETS PARCELS REGISTERED OR UNREGISTERED NEWSPAPERS NOT INITIALLY ACCEPTED REGISTERED LETTERS OR CARDS VALUE PAYABLE, MONEY ORDERS OR INSURED *SOURCE: POSTAL NOTICE 10 SEPT 1914 FROM IEF TROOPS POSTAGE FREE-LETTERS & POST CARDS TO INDIA OR UK BETWEEN IEF TROOPS BETWEEN IEF & EMPIRE TROOPS POSTAGE REQUIRED ANY FEE SUCH AS REGISTRATION OR INSURANCE PARCELS DESTINATIONS OTHER THAN INDIA OR THE UK
CHIEF BASE OFFICE BOMBAY o SORTING o BY UNITS o SEPARATE BAGS FOR OFFICERS & TROOPS o ENQUIRY FOR RETURNED AND INVALIDED MAIL o CORRESPONDENCE FOR COMPLAINTS o MOBILIZATION IN WAR ZONES o RECRUITMENT o SUPPORT
BASE POST OFFICES 1 BOMBAY, INDIA CHIEF BASE OFFICE 2 BOULONGE, FRANCE BASE OFFICE IEF FORCE A WESTERN FRONT 3 PORT SAID, EGYPT BASE OFFICE IEF FORCE E DEFENSE OF THE SUEZ 4 KILINDINI, KENYA & DAR ES SALAM BASE OFFICE IEF FORCE B/C EAST AFRICA CAMPAIGN 5 BASRA, IRAQ BASE OFFICE IEF FORCE D MESOPOTAMIA 6 ADEN, YEMEN BASE OFFICE ADEN BRIGADE
BASE POST OFFICES KEY FUNCTIONS o HEAD OFFICE FOR THEATRE OF WAR o ACCOUNTING, INSPECTIONS, RETURNED LETTER OFFICE o CONDUIT BETWEEN FPOs AND POST OFFICE IN BRITAIN & INDIA o MAINTAINS LOCATION LISTS FOR OFFICERS & UNITS o ADVANCED POSTAL SERVICES o REGISTRATION & REGISTRATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT o INSURANCE & MONEY ORDERS o POSTAL SERVICES FOR CIVILIANS
FIELD POST OFFICE KEY FUNCTIONS BRIGADE PICKS UP AND DROPS OFF ITS MAIL MOST FPOs PROVIDED ONLY BASIC MAIL SERVICES MAIL FORWARDED TO A BASE OR SORTING OFFICE GENERALLY MOVES WITH THE BRIGADE
FIELD POST OFFICES IN 24 COUNTRIES FORCE A WESTERN FRONT FORCE B/C EAST AFRICA FORCE D MESOPOTAMIA MIDDLE EAST FORCE E MIDDLE EAST GALLIPOLI OTHER MILITARY ACTIONS FRANCE KENYA IRAQ EGYPT GREECE AFGHANISTAN BELGIUM UGANDA IRAN ISRAEL TURKEY AJZERBIJAN TANZANIA JORDAN CHINA (C.E.F.) MOZAMBIQUE LEBANON GEORGIA PALESTINE SYRIA YEMEN PAKISTAN RUSSIA TURKMENISTAN
POSTAGE FREE TO INDIA OR UK MISSION MILITAIRE FRANÇAISE-FRANCHISE POSTALE ARMEE BRITANIQUE MERRUT DIVISON VERSO: CDS DATE & NUMBER PROVIDE LINK TO LOCATION viz FOSSE, FRANCE
POSTAGE FREE BETWEEN IEF AND EMPIRE TROOPS FROM INDIAN FPO 27 AT QURNAH, IRAQ TO SOLDIER IN THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE -WESTERN FRONT
IN-BOUND MAIL TO AN IEF SOLDIER INDIA TO EGYPT MAIL TO FIELD BASED TROOPS WAS AT THE DOMESTIC RATE Addressed to Tank, NWFP; MS: I.E.F. Force E c/o Presidency Postmaster Bombay; Again force E for remarks please
IN-BOUND MAIL TO AN IEF SOLDIER INDIA TO EGYPT VERSO LAHORE CANTONMENT FPO 30 MOASCAR CHIEF BASE OFFICE BOMBAY FPO 28 ISMALIA
POSTAGE REQUIRED CIVILIAN USE OF INDIAN FPO 1 ANNA EMPIRE RATE OCCUPIED GERMAN EAST AFRICA TO UK
POSTAGE REQUIRED ROYAL INDIAN MARINE MINE SWEEPERS IN BOMBAY AND ADEN HARBORS IEF 1 ANNA REEXPEDIE VERSO ROYAL INDIAN MARINE CREST & BOMBAY G.P.O. CDS 23 DEC 14
POSTAGE REQUIRED FROM ALLIED ARMIES TO IEF FRENCH TREASOR & POSTES 503 (GREECE) ARRIVAL & DISPATCH CDS AT INDIAN FPO 35 (EGYPT) ALEXANDRIA EGYPT POST OFFICE
POSTAGE REQUIRED BRITISH TROOPS IN OCCUPIED TURKEY 2 ANNA EMPIRE RATE FROM ISTANBUL (FPO 400) TO UK INDIAN TROOPS HAD FREE POSTAGE BUT THIS WAS NOT EXTENDED TO BRITISH FORCES IN TURKEY
POSTAGE REQUIRED PARCEL SENT FROM MESOPOTAMIA 2 x 12 ANNAS I.E.F. Hospital Wounded FPO 80 SHEIK SAID, IRAQ
POSTAGE REQUIRED REGISTERED MAIL INDIA POSTAL STATIONERY ½ ANNA POSTAGE WAS NOT REQUIRED. 2 ANNAS REGISTRATION FEE REQUIRED
POSTAGE REQUIRED REGISTERED & ACKNOWLEDGED TOTAL 4 As IEF POSTAGE 2 As REGISTRATION 1 As ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1 EMPIRE RATE COVER SENT BY CIVILIAN
POSTAGE REQUIRED REGISTERED AND INSURED 87 th PUNJABIS PATROLLED THE AFGHAN BORDER DERA ISMAIL KHAN WAS THE BASE OFFICE FOR 1915 NWFP CAMPAIGN
POSTAGE REQUIRED MAIL SENT OTHER THAN TO UK OR INDIA I.E.F. POSTAGE FREE GERMAN EAST AFRICA (TANZANIA) TO THE US REQUIRED 2 ½ As Soldiers letter. No stamps obtaining POSTAGE DUE PAID IN THE US
POSTAGE REQUIRED MAIL SENT OTHER THAN TO UK OR INDIA MESOPOTAMIA (IRAQ) TO THE US REQUIRED 2 ½ As UPU RATE
THE WAR IMPACTED MAIL SENT BY SHIP q SUBJECT TO WAR TIME RISKS AND RE-ROUTINGS q BRITISH INDIA MAIL SHIPS WERE CONSCRIPTED TO THE BRITISH ROYAL NAVY q MAIL WAS TRANSPORTED BY MILITARY & FREIGHT SHIPS TO GULF PORTS ON AN IRREGULAR SCHEDULE q ADEN SEA POSTED TERMINATED; KARACHI SEA POST LIMITED
MAIL LOST OR DAMAGED AT SEA SHIPS REPORTED CARRYING INDIA MAIL LOST AT SEA PERSIA ARABIA MALOJA SUSSEX LUSITANIA SHIRALA TASMAN OMRAH DJEMNAH SPECIAL HAND STAMP FOR THE SS MONGOLIA SUNK BY A MINE OFF BOMBAY
WITH ITS ARMY OVERSEAS INDIA BECAME VULNERABLE THREATS DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL BASED VIOLENT NATIONALISTS WELL ARMED TRIBES FROM NWFP RAIDED INDIA GERMAN AGENTS IN AFGHANISTAN AND PERSIA ENEMY NATIONALS IN INDIA REACTIONS CENSORSHIP MILITARY PRESENCE ON THE BORDERS MILITARY PRESENCE IN PERSIA CIVILIAN DETENTION CAMPS DEFENCE OF INDIA ACT
INDIAN POSTAL CENSORSHIP POST OFFICE ACT 1898/1912 GRANTED CENSORSHIP POWERS WITHOUT JUDICIAL OR LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY AS DETERMINED BY THE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL BLOCKADE OF THE ENEMY NATIONS INTERCEPT ANYTHING THAT SUPPORTS THE ENEMY OR WOULD BE USEFUL TO THE EMPIRE GUARD THE PUBLIC SAFETY
CENSOR S TOOL KIT WAX CENSOR SEAL FOR REGISTERED MAIL TAPE FOR RESEALING HAND STAMP
INDIA POST OFFICE COOPERATED WITH CENSORS STOPPED MAIL AND DELIVERED IT TO THE CENSOR OFFICE SORTED BY COUNTRY WITH REGISTERED MAIL KEPT SEPARATE THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE WAS USED TO DISPOSE OR STORE STOPPED MAIL CENSOR OFFICES WERE LIKELY LOCATED AT THE POST OFFICE BUILDING COVERS RESORTED AND DELIVERED WITH CENSOR H/S AND TAPE
CENSOR OFFICES IN RED & SOME DETENTION CAMPS IN BLACK BUSHIRE ADEN PRISON
POST OFFICE COOPERATION WITH CENSORS AUTHORIZED 10 AUGUST 1914. ENDED 10 AUGUST 1919 EXCEPT FOR CENSORSHIP AT BOMBAY OF CIVILIAN DETAINEES WHICH ENDED DECEMBER 1919 MAIL STOPPED, PASSED OR HAD PORTIONS REMOVED ABOUT HALF OF ALL CENSORS WORKED AT BOMBAY EACH CENSOR OFFICE HAD UNIQUE HAND STAMPS AND CENSOR TAPE BOMBAY CENSOR WAX SEAL ON REGISTERED MAIL NUMBERED AND UN-NUMBERED CENSOR HAND STAMPS
POSTAL CENSORSHIP CONDUCTED BY C.I.D. HOME OFFICE GENERALLY NOT CENSORED DOMESTIC INDIAN MAIL UK MAIL BRITISH EMPIRE NOT LISTED FOR CENSOR KNOWN COMPANIES COMMERCIAL MAIL MOST TRADE & SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS CENSORED ALL ENEMY MAIL STOPPED ALL INTERNATIONAL MAIL TRANSIT MAIL BRITISH EMPIRE-LISTED FOR CENSORSHIP ALL POW & DETAINED CIVILIAN MILITARY MAIL NOT OTHERWISE CENSORED
INDIAN POSTAL CENSORSHIP BRITISH TERRITORIES OIL & COAL BAHRAIN, KUWAIT AND PERSIAN GULF POSTAL AGENCIES BORNEO INDIAN NATIONALISTS BRITISH EAST AFRICA CANADA ALL MALAY PENNISULA HONG KONG MAURITIUS & SEYCHELLES CIVIL UNREST CEYLON EGYPT & ANGLO-EGYPTIAN SUDAN SOMALILAND TRANSIT POINTS ADEN CYPRUS (TO INDIA) GIBRALTAR (TO INDIA)
INDIAN POSTAL CENSORSHIP NEUTRAL NATION COVER TO US WITH BOMBAY CENSOR MARK. MAIL TO US WAS CAREFULLY CENSORED BECAUSE OF GHADAR ACTIVITY
DOMESTIC CENSORED COVER RANGOON TO MYAUNGMYA CANCELLED 12 JAN 1916 DELIVERED 14 JAN 1916 CENSORS WORKED QUICKLY DOMESTIC MAIL RARELY CENSORED
INDIAN POSTAL CENSORSHIP TRANSIT MAIL
DISPLACED PERSONS HOSPITAL MAIL
DISPLACED PERSONS PRISONER OF WAR MAIL MAIL TO INDIAN POWS REQUIRED DOMESTIC RATE POSTAGE HALBMONDLAGER JIHAD POW CAMP ZOSSEN, GERMANY
DISPLACED PERSONS CIVILIAN DETENTION CAMPS POW MAIL POSTAGE FREE TO ANY LOCATION BUT WITH LIMITS ON FREQUENCY SERVICE OF PRISONER OF WAR or UNMARKED FAINT BOMBAY CENSOR MARK FROM BELGAUM CIVIL CAMP TO BRAZIL SPECIAL CENSORSHIP RULES APPLIED TO DETAINEES
DISPLACED PERSONS DEMOBILIZED PERSIA TO SARAWAK
POST OFFICE SUPPORT OF THE WAR WAR & RELIEF FUNDS LETTER SEALS MADRAS WAR FUND BOMBAY WAR & RELIEF FUND WOMEN S BRANCH CENTRAL PROVINCES WAR SEAL
POST OFFICE SUPPORT OF THE WAR POST OFFICE CASH CERTIFICATE BUY P.O. CASH CERTIFCATE 10 Rs FOR 7 Rs 12 As INDIAN POST OFFICE FIRST SLOGAN HAND STAMP THIS COVER IS DATED 17 MAY 1917 TWO DAYS AFTER THE HAND STAMP WAS AUTHORIZED LATER VERSIONS HAVE DIFFERENT FONTS AND SIZES
VICTORY WITHOUT PEACE ARMISTICE OTTOMAN EMPIRE 30 OCT 1918 AUSTRO-HUNGARY 3 NOV 1918 GERMANY 11 NOV 1918 PEACE TREATY GERMANY/AUSTRIA VERSAILLES TREATY 28 JUN 1919 PEACE TREATY OTTOMAN EMPIRE TREATY OF SEVRES 10 AUG 1920 TREATY OF LAUSANNE 10 AUG 1923
VICTORY WITHOUT PEACE LAST OVERSEAS FPO CLOSED 1924 TURKISH WAR OF INDEPENDENCE ARAB RIOTS NATIONALIST RIOTS ARAB REVOLT SOVIET INVASIONS FAILED STATE 3 rd AFGHAN WAR NWFF CAMPAIGNS PUNJAB RIOTS AND MOPLAH REBELLION
VICTORY WITHOUT PEACH THIRD AFGHAN WAR FPO 154 WAS ONE OF TWO FPOs IN AFGHANISTAN TERRITORY DURING THIS WAR
VICTORY WITHOUT PEACE INDIAN FIELD POST OFFICES IN PERSIA DUNSTERFORCE/ NORPERFORCE (NORTH PERSIAN FORCE) 1918-1920 HAMADAN TO THE TRANSCAUCUS EASTERN CORDON FIELD FORCE/ SIESTAN FIELD FORCE 1914-1920 BLOCK ATTACKS LAUNCHED FROM AFGHANISTAN Kuh Malik Siat Ziarat WILHEM WASSMUSS Kuwait BUSHIRE Duzdab BUSHIRE FIELD FORCE - SOUTH PERSIA 1915-1919 Manama Linga Jask MALLISON EXPEDITION 1918-1919 PERSIA TO TURKMENISTAN
VICTORY WITHOUT PEACE INDIA TO PERSIA OVERLAND MAIL CDS BOMBAY: 14 JANUARY 1921 FRANKED WITH 3 ANNA INDIA. TRANSIT MARK 22 JANUARY 1921 AT FPO 379 NEAR BORDER OF PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN & IRAN. BOMBAY CDS REQUEST FOR VIA BANDAR ABBAS WAS NOT FOLLOWED YEDZ ARRIVAL MARK 12 NOVEMBER 1921
VICTORY WITHOUT PEACE SUNNI & SHIITE ARAB REVOLT ARAB REVOLT CENSOR MARK ON MILITARY MAIL TO INDIA
NEW POSTAL ERA SIR WILLIAM MAXWELL 1913-1919 GEOFFREY CLARKE 1919-1925 DIRECTOR GENERAL OF INDIA POSTS & TELEGRAPHS
NEW POSTAL ERA WHAT ENDED I.E.F. POSTAGE 1914-1921 DE LA RUE CONTRACT 1854-1923 SEA POST 1868-1914 PERSIAN GULF POSTAL AGENCIES 1863-1923 ARMY POSTAL SERVICES 1854-1925 HALF ANNA BASIC RATE 1854-1921 WHAT BEGAN INDIANIZATION OF THE POST OFFICE INCREASED POSTAGE RATES NASIK PRINTERS INCREASE USE OF MACHINE CANCELLATIONS PROMOTIONAL CANCELLATIONS FIRST COMMERCIAL AIR MAIL FOR INDIA 1920
NEW POSTAL ERA POSTAGE RATE INCREASE ½ ANNA LETTER RATE INCREASED TO 9 PIES 18 APRIL 1921 AND THEN TO ONE ANNA ON 24 APRIL 1922
DOMESTIC POSTAL RATES AND FEES ARTICLE OR SERVICE PRE WAR RATE POST WAR RATE BASIC LETTER RATE ½ As ½ TOLA 1 A 2 ½ TOLAS POST CARD ¼ As ½ As NEWSPAPERS ½ As 40 TOLAS ½ As 20 TOLAS BOOK PACKET ½ As 10 TOLAS ½ As 5 TOLAS PARCELS 2 As 40 TOLAS 2 As 20 TOLAS VALUE PAYABLE FEE 1 As 5 Rs 2 As 10 Rs MINIMUM INSURANCE 1 A / 50 Rs 2 As/ 100 Rs PARCEL REDIRECT FEE NONE REGISTRATION 2 As 2As ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1 A 1 A 50% of POSTAGE 1 TOLA = 11 GRAMS; 2 ½ TOLAS = APPRX 1 OUNCE
DOMESTIC POSTAL RATE IMPACTS INTERNATIONAL RATES NEW UPU RATE WAS 3 As. COVER HAD 2 ½ As RESULTING IN 1 A POSTAGE DUE PAID AS 12 ½ CENTS ON DELIVERY INDIA COVER TO DUTCH EAST INDIES CANCELED 24 APRIL 1922 THE DATE OF THE RATE INCREASE
END OF DE LA RUE CONTRACT BEGINNING OF NASIK PRINTERS LAST DE LA RUE PSPE 1922 FOR PATIALLA & GWALIOR CONVENTION STATES OVERPRINT ONE ANNA DE LA RUE PRINTING 1922 FIRST NASIK PSPE 1926 1 ANNA FOR 1 OUNCE
PERSIAN GULF POSTAL AGENCIES CLOSED BY 1923 VERSO: DUZDAB INDIAN PO AN INDIAN EXCHANGE PO 1919-1926 LAST INDIAN PO IN PERSIA
MACHINE ADVERTISING CANCELLATIONS
BOMBAY KARACHI AIR MAIL FIRST COMMERCIAL AIRMAIL 23 JANUARY 1920