Postcard US Navy USN American Fleet Portland Roads greet President Wilson 1918

This is a postcard showing a view of “the American fleet leaving Portland Roads to meet President Wilson Dec 12 1918”.  As the President was arriving in Europe at this time with the US delegation for the Paris Peace Conference (he was in Paris by 13 December 1918), this must be Portland harbour in Dorset, UK.   The fleet must therefore be the USN vessels which had served alongside the Royal Navy in UK waters in the latter stages of WW1.

The card appears to have been sent by a British sailor, as he writes on the back :

“I am not sending this because I imagine you to be particularly interested in ‘the Yanks’ but because a dirty old collier has had the audacity to place itself in front of the convoy…at present we are lying under the [grabs ?] in the bottom right of the photo”.

He may be implying he is in fact on "the dirty collier", and that it is the small vessel seen through the cranes at the far right of the image - I am not sure !

The card is in fair condition with minor wear to the corners and edges, and some marks.

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