Australian postal stationery card (C. B. & Co., LTD.) ms endorsed ‘On active service’, addressed to West Leederville, Australia. Message dated ‘3/1/16’, written at Mudros by an Australian soldier after the evacuation from Gallipoli (20/12/15) for Sarpi Camp Lemnos. Text includes: ‘You will address my letters to Nº2 Bases Camp, Heliopolis, Egypt’.
The card was postmarked ‘2ND AUST. INF. DIV. HQ. FIELD P.O. 3.JA.16’ on same day; as the division returned to Egypt at Tel el-Kebir area on 29 December, one may conclude that sender’s unit was among the last Australian troops that left Lemnos.
Passed by censor and stamped with boxed ‘PASSED BY No. 2030 CENSOR’ British numbered marking in red, allocated to 2nd Australian Division, Service Corps on Lemnos Island Greece.
These British numbered censor marks were first issued to Australian units in the MEF shortly before the landings on Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 as still under command of British troops in Egypt, in use till February 1916.
Backstamped LEEDERVILLE / WESTERN AUSTRALIA on arrival at destination.
Condition: Very fine; see scans.