CANADA
1918 WWI 10TH RESERVE BATTALION CEF SHIELD CACHET WITLEY TO MONTREAL
1918 (Mar. 6), First World War Stampless
Active Service Picture Postcard from Witley Camp, Surrey to Montreal, Quebec,
Written in French by a Recruit of the 10th Canadian Reserve Battalion (Feeder
to the 22nd "Van Doos"), Bearing Scarce Shield-Shaped Orderly Room
Cachet and Godalming Machine Cancel. Valentine & Sons color tinted picture postcard
depicting a historic Canadian street scene captioned "Main Street, looking West, Moncton, N.B."
(No. 104,552). Sent stampless under Canadian Expeditionary Force
military free-franking concessions, endorsed in manuscript ink at upper right "Canadian soldier". Addressed in manuscript ink to "Oscar Morin / 568 Cartier /
Montreal / Canada." The upper right stamp area is struck with a
distinctive purple shield-shaped
regimental cachet reading ORDERLY ROOM / [10th Res. Batt.] / MAR 6 1918 / CANADIAN
EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. Origin machine cancellation applied by the regional
postal head at Godalming, displaying wavy machine cancel lines and circular
date stamp tying across the address layout. Left message area features an authentic contemporary
message in French penned by Private
Joseph Morin (service #3155775) announcing his safe overseas arrival at
camp: "6 Mars 1918.
Tous vas bien nous somme tous rendus au point du voyage. Si vous vouley
m'écrire addressey à l'addresse suivante: Pte. J. Morin 3155775, 10eme réserve,
Witley Camp, armé post office, London, England." ("All is well, we have all
reached our journey's end. If you want to write to me, address to the following
address..."). Diagonal bend across lower left corner of the view
side, minor edge rubbing, and light corner wear; see scans for condition details.
Highlighting the overseas mobilization
of French-speaking recruits during the critical final year of the Great War,
this stampless active service postcard illustrates both the bilingual human
dimensions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and the distinct administrative
markings of the Quebec reinforcement depots. Based at Witley Camp in Surrey, the 10th Canadian Reserve Battalion served as the
designated English staging and reinforcement pipeline for Francophone units
from Military District No. 5 (Quebec), absorbing drafts from the 41st, 57th,
69th, 150th, 163rd, 178th, and 258th Battalions to supply replacement drafts
directly to the celebrated 22nd
Battalion (French Canadian / "The Van Doos") on the Western Front. Written on March 6, 1918—just two weeks before the massive
German Spring Offensive—Private Morin utilized a Canadian view card of Moncton,
New Brunswick to send his overseas military address to family on Cartier Street
in Montreal. Prior to dispatch via the civilian postal depot at
nearby Godalming, the card
received the unit's scarce
purple shield-shaped Orderly Room cachet, which served to authenticate the
sender's active service status and permit free transit across the Atlantic. A
scarce and historically significant First World War French-Canadian active
service item, combining the rare 10th Reserve Battalion shield-shaped Orderly
Room handstamp, Witley Camp French message, and Godalming machine cancel.
Technical
& Social Commentary
· Technical
Analysis: Demonstrates
stampless military free-franking endorsed "Canadian soldier", authenticated by a
crisp strike of the scarce purple shield-shaped Orderly Room / MAR 6 1918 / Canadian Expeditionary Force
cachet of the 10th Reserve Battalion, tied by wavy lines from the Godalming
machine cancellation.
· Geopolitical
Context: Captures
Canadian reinforcement movements in Surrey in early March 1918 under the
Military Service Act, highlighting the critical role of the 10th Reserve
Battalion in funneling reinforcements to the 22nd Battalion (French Canadian)
of the 2nd Canadian Division.
· Logistical
Narrative: Penned upon
arrival at Witley Camp, certified at the 10th Reserve Battalion orderly room on
March 6, transferred to the Godalming head post office for machine cancelling,
and bagged into closed transatlantic military mail streams bound for Montreal.
Social/Mercantile
Insights: Preserves an affectionate message in colloquial French from Private
Joseph Morin, illustrating how Canadian recruits carried domestic Canadian
postcards overseas to maintain intimate contact with home while navigating
their initial days in an English training camp Please examine lot scan carefully and please send any questions at least 48 hours before the auction closes. Please note that cover condition usually includes normal wear and tear to cover edges, opening tears and some creases and wrinkles. Only exceptional or extreme condition issues will be mentioned.
