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In war as in war!

One of the advantages of philately and not least, is to allow those who are interested to learn about the history of a country, its geography, science, celebrities, etc. ...

Some exciting or tragic episodes in history tend to sink slowly into oblivion, aided by the disappearance of our grandparents.

World War I and type Sower stamps are forever inseparable: Indeed, that has not kept carefully in a drawer a few letters or postcards (only means of communication at the time), sent by a soldier separated from his family, and became well moving testimony of the terrible harshness of this world conflict?

Who would dare to throw, even nearly a century later?

Because the letters from war remained very numerous, offering a fascinating field of research and infinite for us collectors.

The following example is not very well known, and mails in question have become rarities! It is the use of the famous brand Seen TC

Know first that TC means Chinese workers, that no one can guess, even though all mail on which it was affixed, and that I too have seen personally, include a handwritten text in Chinese.

us continue this History with a capital H but now:


It is therefore of Chinese workers who came to France following an agreement with their government, and finalized in May 1916 to support the war effort.


They will be sadly exploited for dirty work, mainly on the bases of the Battlefield: digging trenches, clearing, exhuming and burying soldiers killed in action! While
contract they were promised high wages to work in agriculture or industry! ...

They lived in abject poverty in squalid camps with terrible material and human conditions.
Any contact with local people was forbidden.

The letters are usually sent from one camp to another, and a "TC" to another "TC", where of course the text in Chinese, probably not knowing these unfortunate that their mother tongue.

were to include the numbers assigned to them. This being reminding us of the event, not less fatal, others sad camps where the prisoners are numbered, a few decades later ...

Their mission will end in 1919.


On 140000 people arrived in France between 1916 and 1918, tens of thousands are dead because of explosions during demining operations, malnutrition and disease, including the English flu epidemic.

These volunteers - or supposed - were affected mainly in the north of France (the English army 96000, 37000 to the French army, and 7000 to the U.S. Army).

groups are known Oissel, Nanterre, La Rochelle, Saint Chamas, Orleans Aubrais (see Yvert specialized page 235), Imphy Blanc Pignon, as here Salbris:

The claw is in purple ink, still affixed to the stamp. Sometimes repeated on the letter.
It is therefore known as a mark of censure obliterans.

I have seen these letters that the 15 c. Green Sower type strain, but it is not impossible that more stamps have been used ...

If you pictures, photos of the day, additional information, or such material in your collection, I would be very grateful me connect!