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Envelope addressed to prisoner of war Lieutenant Geoffrey Haggard
Envelope addressed to prisoner of war Lieutenant Geoffrey Haggard

Envelope addressed to prisoner of war Lieutenant Geoffrey Haggard

Date1915
Object number00015817
NameEnvelope
MediumPaper, ink
DimensionsDisplay dimensions: 122 × 145 mm
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Jennifer Smyth
DescriptionThis pre-printed envelope was sent to Lieutenant Geoffrey Haggard whilst he was a prisoner of war in Turkey during World War 1. He and the crew were captured on 30 April 1915 after their submarine AE2 was scuttled in the Sea of Marmara. The printed envelope reads 'Geoffrey Haggard, R.N. (Lieut.) No 483 late H.M.A. Submarine, A.E. 2, British prisoner of war at Afion-Kara-Hissar in Asia Minor, Turkey' with an inset reading 'CO / GPO'.HistoryThe crew were taken by the torpedo boat SULTAN HISSAR to Istanbul in May. The prison here was a Turkish civilian prison and in an account given by Commander Stoker, the conditions there were extremely difficult (Report prepared by Commander Stoker, 27 November 1918). The crew and were later transferred to various camps throughout Turkey, including Afion Kara Hissar, St Stefano and Belmedik. Conditions in each camp varied but some were worse than others. Camp commandants, poor quality food and extreme work conditions contributed to any deaths. Lieutenant Haggard seemed to suffer particular hardships. Targeted by Commandant Bimbashi Musloum Bey in the Afion Kara Hissar prison, Haggard was subjected to long bouts of solitary confinement and certainly suffered long term effects for the rest of his life from his years in Turkey. SignificanceLieutenant Haggard, his Commander Henry Stoker and the rest of the crew from the submarine AE2 were picked up by the Turkish boat SULTAN HISSAR after scuttling their submarine on 30 Aptril 1915 in the Sea of Marmora. The whole crew then spent the next 3 1/2 years as prisoners of war throughout Turkey and four crew members later died as a result of illness due to the harsh conditions experienced.