Page 77 - Russo-Persian Postal Relations

11/111. 1914-1921 East Persia Cordon/ South Persia Rifles SPR served the
Cla mp down on Persian Gvmnt
Germa n agents etc. Russian-British Mission to stop German agents and & India
later to install law & order
By the end of 1915 Wassmuss and his colla bora tors had been quite successful in sta lli ng both Russian and British activities.
The Gendarmerie was falling apart. German agents under von der Goltz were trying to cross Persia into Afghanistan to reach
an agreement with the Emir to stir up a nti-British fee li ngs among the India n Muslims and a n uprisi ng. So Russia were to
increase the Cossack Brigade in the north. The British set up fo rces to the south. Later rena med to South Persia Rifles,
Persian Cossack Brigade. Turbet-i-Heidari. Khorasan in NE Persia
Khorasan headquarters units of the Turkestan Military District, g.T1.1 rbeu-Ha1dari, Persia 1st and 2nd Semirechensk
Cossack regiment in 1916 + 2n<1 for 1917. Cossack seals or any type are ve1y elusive. A few recorded in all only
W ma6 XopacaHcKux ompR006
TypKecmaHcKou"J'o- eoeHHOW oKpyza.
l .Typ6en111-Xa1/i!apu.1. nepcuR
There a re no Persian postmarks
which indicate that the card has
used only Russian postal
a rrangem ents like closed bag to
Ashgabad in Turkestan where
the card was pu t into the
internal Russian postal system
or courier service.
The large military Cossack seal
gives a soldier's "free of charge"
ra te. So no postage due mark.
The Russian revolution in March
1917 led to collapse of the
Russian army. Indian troops
took over. It's commander was
Major-General W Mallson. It also
led to the creation of the South
Persia Rifles.

Rates: Sch foreign rate
Routes: Khorasan 26 .2.16 in m/s, Ashgabacl 9.3.16 Losinoostrovskaya of Moscow province 23-3-16
then redirected to Crimea: Noviy Simeiz of Tavrida province 7-4-16
There are two different Ashgabad censors on the back. An oval and a strait two-line( Speeckaert 114 & 115)
South Persia Rifles

Indian Field
Post Office SOUTH PERSIA RIFLES, -
Registered KERMAN.
cover
From Indian
Field PO
FPO 358/
20 FEB 1919
in Kerman
to Bombay
26 MAR 19
Rate: Y2as
Reg. fee: 2as
Disbanded in
1921 and its
forces formed
the body of
Persia's new
regular army ~17.2;3~~~
under
Reza Khan
-. r·,,_. -------------~,_ _ _
.~ ), .... ;:
,.
~
87