Lot 20343 – 1905 Japanese postcard to Madison USA from Japanes

1905 Japanese postcard to Madison USA from Japanese survivor of the “KINSHU MARU”, posted from St Petersburg 20 VIII 1905. Straight-line violet CORRESPONDANCE DES PRISONNIERS DE GUERRE and Red Cross circular cachet in French: P.O.W. INFORMATION BUREAU IN ST PETERSBURG, overstruck with violet two-line Russian EXAMINED CENSOR/F.I.V.D.K.G. (meaning of abbreviations unknown). The transport “KINSHU MARU”, carrying troops of the Japanese 37th Infantry Regiment, was torpedoed by the Russians in the Sea of Japan on 26 Apr 1904. Some soldiers and labourers were picked up by the Russian cruiser “Rossiya”, the soldiers choosing to go down with the ship rather than face the disgrace of capture. Additional postcard included depicting a group of Japanese P.O.W.s held at the village of MEDVED, near St Petersburg and postally used from that city 27 12 06.