East African Censorship Department

[PaulC78]

I've found this pension card for Paul M Barrand of the East African Censorship Department who died on 8/5/1921 at Lausanne, Switzerland. I can't find any further information on either the man or his unit, so hoping someone might be able to shed a little light.

[jonbem]

Anything to do with this?

Propaganda in the Colonies (Africa) | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1) (1914-1918-online.net)

[SteveE]

19 hours ago, PaulC78 said:

I've found this pension card for Paul M Barrand of the East African Censorship Department who died on 8/5/1921 at Lausanne, Switzerland. I can't find any further information on either the man or his unit, so hoping someone might be able to shed a little light.

Paul

There are a couple of passenger lists on Ancestry which show that Paul M. Barrand was a Swiss citizen born circa 1885.  The first shows an arrival in Plymouth aboard the "Elmina" on 9 November 1913 from Sierra Leone where he is described as 28 and a bookkeeper.  The second, an arrival from Dar-es-Salaam on 6 January 1920, aboard the "Dunluce Castle" shows him as 35 and an Interpreter.

The "Interpreter" status on the second list ties in very nicely with the award of a BWM & Victory Medal to W.O.1 P. M. Barraud (sic.) an Interpreter with the East African Censorship Department.

[Image from BWM & Victory Medal Roll, NA ref. WO 329/2343 via Ancestry.co.uk]

It would be my assumption that the Censors Department was responsible, amongst other things, for the censorship of all outgoing mail to redact any potentially sensitive material.  One of 'my' 25th RF men was commissioned as a Lieutenant to take up a position of Postal Censor at Mombasa.  As the forces in East Africa were of many varied languages then I'm sure interpreters would be a very useful addition to that department.

Regards

Steve

[PaulC78]

Thanks for that. I did manage to find a few more pension cards under the name "Barraud", which I'm now inclined to think is the correct spelling.

[corisande]

FWIW this chap looks to have a similar history

[corisande]

And  another, but there do not seem to be many in the department

[aconnolly]

Paul

Thirty Eight personnel are listed as receiving Victory and War Medals for service in this Department.  I agree with Steve above - given the volume of shipping through East Africa the number represented the need to ensure mail was not being used to transmit messages of assistance to the enemy.  

Andrew