Postcards/Mail from Salonika front

[Solon]

apwright@ Please remember that Italian Carabinieri had a Strong-Influence in Creating the Cretangendamerie in the Beginning even in Weaponry-Uniforms -Etc.About the french gendarme sorry i dont have the knowledge too confirm or denied this ???I am a Poor Greek with more knowledge in german and britsh tactics -Uniforms Etc from both world wars instead of French.

[Revan]

and front-centre is a French gendarme.

Hello Adrian,

Are you sure? I have a doubt .

I'm not really an expert, but I think on French Gendarmerie's kepi, there were normally a white big band and an insignia of gendarmerie. I don't see here.

Here you have French gendarmes in photographs: http://pages14-18.me...jet_12480_1.htm or a kepi here: http://hcapelli.free.fr/indexgend.html

Greetings.

Edited 27 March , 2013 by Revan

[Martin Bennitt]

Thanks for replying to my query. I didn't know there were any Russians or Italians involved in the Salonica campaign.

cheers Martin B

[Charles Fair]

The officer addressed poses something of a question. Apparently his full name was Walter Merry Craddock - but, with the possible exception of an item in the London Gazette, I haven't seen him listed as a Major. In issue 31093 of the Gazette (31 December 1918), his name appears in a list of men awarded the DSO:

Capt. (A./Maj.) Walter Merry Craddock, M.C., 2/20th (C. of L.) Bn., Lond. R., attd. 2/19th Bn.

Craddock commanded the 2/19th as an Acting Major for a bit. He appears in Eames' history of the 2/19th pp. 183-4. I will take a look and see what it says.

[DCS]

I've been too busy to visit here lately, but should have a little more time now.

Thanks, sollum, for identifying the soldiers in that Xmas postcard - and thanks for posting the other photo, Adrian. And to Charles; thanks for the reply, I look forward to hearing from you.

Here's another picture postcard, this one of British soldiers at Kukush (Kilkis in Greek), north of Salonika. The card was produced in Paris by E. Le Deley, and sent to Le Havre on 7 June 1918 by a French artilleryman. His message mentions arriving at his battery (20th Artillery, Battery 21, Sector 508) two days before; whether he was actually attached to the Army of the Orient is unclear.

[Manipled Mutineer]

My first contribution to this sub-forum, and hopefully of interest, albeit a slightly different take on the subject of this topic; a picture postcard sent to a Royal Engineer based in Salonika.