S.S "Red Cross". 1914 (Sep/Oct) Picture postcards of the U.S...

Hammer

£340

S.S "Red Cross". 1914 (Sep/Oct) Picture postcards of the U.S Hospital Ship "Red Cross" (two taken at Falmouth, Cornwall), two cards posted by crew from Falmouth (Sep 28/29) to the USA franked 1d, the third card sent by "Yates, Boat Dealer, Falmouth" (publisher of the card?) from Falmouth (Oct 5) to "Emil Kovarik, Chief Master at Arms, U.S.S Red Cross, c/o 4 Trafalgar Square, London". Also a postcard showing the ship and patients being brought on board, and various reproduction photos and research notes. In August 1914 the American Red Cross decided that the neutral USA would send a hospital ship to Europe to offer medical assistance, without favouritism to each of the belligerent countries, and the interned German HAPAG liner "Hamburg" was chartered and renamed the S.S "Red Cross". The ship made one voyage to Falmouth and Pauillac in France; during the voyage three German and Austrian stowaways were found and arrested, and several fights and mutinies occurred amongst the crew which were quelled, largely with the help of the Scandinavian Emil Kovarik. After this one eventful voyage the ship was returned to HAPAG and interned at New York until seized in 1917. An interesting and scarce group. (4+).