Lot 20335 – BRITISH PRISONER OF WAR MAIL: Letter and cover fr

BRITISH PRISONER OF WAR MAIL: Letter and cover from a Briton, Captain George Anderson, held at Russian POW Camp MEDVED, near St Petersburg. Capt. Anderson commanded the Japanese ship “Sado-maru” and was one of four crew members captured when his ship was torpedoed in Japanese waters by the Russian Fleet 15 June 1904. The letter is written to I.H.Davidson, brother of the then Archbishop of Canterbury, requesting help from the Archbishop to obtain their release. Cover addressed to Davidson Mains, near Edinburgh, postmarked St Petersburg 17 XI 1904. On front single line CORRESPONDANCE des PRISONNIERS de GUERRE and very faint EXAMINED BY CENSOR F.I.V.D.K.G. On reverse circular red cachet in French: BUREAU OF INFORMATION FOR PRISONERS OF WAR ST PETERSBURG and arrival Dec 3 1904. The British prisoners, including Captain Anderson, were freed 5 August 1905. Historical document described K.G.Clark “Kiku Shimbun” No. 139 (2006)