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Envelope addressed to Lieutenant Geoffrey Haggard
Envelope addressed to Lieutenant Geoffrey Haggard

Envelope addressed to Lieutenant Geoffrey Haggard

Author
Date6 June 1915
Object number00015822
NameEnvelope
MediumPaper, ink
DimensionsOverall: 90 × 138 mm
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Jennifer Smyth
DescriptionHandwritten envelope addressed to Lieutenant Geoffrey Haggard whilst he was imprisoned in Turkey after his capture in April 1915 in the Sea of Marmara. Envelope has the handwritten address "Please forward Lieut. G.A.G. Haggard R.N. Late H.M.A. Submarine AE2 prisoner of war in Constantinople c/o British Red Cross & Order of St John. 20 Carlington Street London S.W". The envelope features a British One Penny stamp at upper right corner postmarked "South Kensington S.Q. 1.30 PM 7 Jun 15". Red ink Turkish stamp appears at lower left corner. Contained inside was a letter from Laurie Haggard to Geoffrey Haggard dated 6 June 1915 and registered as 00015821.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.