In 1945 after the war, King George VI Straits Settlements stamps were overprinted BMA MALAYA (British Military Administration) for use throughout the Malay Peninsula.  The stamps were first issued in October, and remained in use until 1948, even though the administration was dissolved in April 1946.

I have been sent a scan of an 8 cent Straits Settlements stamp overprinted BMA MALAYA on a cover addressed to Australia.  The cover does not have a postmark but the stamp has a cachet CONCESSION RATE / R.N. PERSONNEL applied over it.  The person who sent it to me has asked for any information about it

Does anyone recognise the cachet?  Where was it applied?  Can anyone provide a time period in which it was used?  Is the postage rate of 8c the correct concession rate?  Does anyone have any information on the concession rate?

A lot of questions, but I hope at least some can be answered!

The following is an interesting article on the overprinted stamps:
[url=https://www.linyangchen.com/BMA-Malaya]https://www.linyangchen.com/BMA-Malaya[/url]

Thanks, Mike

I have been sent the following request - a very long shot I know but I am showing it just in case!

The Editor of the Royal Mail Philatelic Bulletin is intending to publish an article by Dane Garrod about 100 years of Poppy Day and states that:

[color=maroon]On 24 November 2018, I was at Veronafil when stands were being dismantled. I saw the attached cover on a remaining display which wasn't attributed to an owner. I would like to show the cover in Dane's article but would like to establish ownership. If you have any idea who may own this, please let me know.  I know it's a long shot, but any help would be much appreciated.[/color]

23-25 November 2018 at Verona, Italy

The write up of the cover is in English and so likely to be a person of British origin.
Does anyone recognise the style of write up ???

Thanks, Mike

I have received the following query from a member of Irish Philatelic Circle

[color=maroon]I'd appreciate help with information on the cover below of 1825

As it is addressed to Dublin, I shared it with the Irish Philatelic Circle on Skype last evening.

They said it was a soldier's letter but were unsure of the postal rate. I think the MS 1 is for delivery in the Dublin Penny Post.

Any clarification of the handwriting top and bottom left will also be appreciated.

I've duly attached the main image as well as some cropped enlargements / filtered copy.[/color]

Can anyone assist or advise who I might be able to contact for help please?

Thanks, Mike

I received this request a couple of months ago and it slipped my mind:

[color=maroon]I am doing a research about Sikh soldiers in ww1 and ww2.

Have you got any examples articles or covers of WW1 or WW2 Sikh postal history covers or name of Sikh soldiers (e.g. "Singh")?[/color]

Is anyone able to assist please?

Thanks, Mike

Nick

I refer you to my article inJournal 274 (Winter 2007) on Numbered APO addresses in WW2.  This explains the background.  As far as I am aware no one (except possibly myself) has compiled a listing of APO numbers used as an address.  My listing has largely relied upon entries in various Post Office Circulars relating to telegraph services to HM Forces overseas.  These contain no locations.

The only reference to APO 4860 I have is from the Post Office Circular of 3 March 1943: EFM telegraph service authorised

As regards the letters RTFGG these are draft index letters given to groups of individuals being sent overseas.  I do not know how they were generated or if they has any meaning in terms of generic location or where generated, etc.  I have not come across any listing or reference to their generation in any files I have seen at The National Archives.

Sorry I cannot be more helpful.

Mike  :)

Bob

This seems to be an unusual cachet, possibly not seen before.  I don't know what the two datestamps are, where applied, etc. 

As you may not get any further here, might I suggest you submit this to our Journal Editor (Chris Grimshaw) as a query in a future FPHS Journal.  We do publish queries in our Journal although in recent times we don't appear to have received as many as we have had in the past.

Mike  :)

FIELD POST OFFICE 752

My listings (sources: unknown) shows the following:

4.8.43 5 BAPO BNAF
14.4.44 FPO 10 10 Corps BANF/CMF
1.2.45 FPO HTB10 CMF
12.4.46 B179 MEF
2.6.47 19 BAPO Moascar
(there is also an additional note "in '49" alongside this entry)

Proud has used the above entries in his Volume III book.

A search of The National Archives for 179 Infantry Brigade shows the following:

Under War Diaries for Central Mediterranean Force (CMF) - WO170 class there is the following sub-series for Italy and under it is shown:

WO 170/7781- 179 Infantry Brigade: H.Q - 1946 Jan - Mar

There are only three War Diaries shown for 179 Brigade in 1946 (HQ, Signals and REME Workshop)

These appear to be the only War Diaries held - they appear to end in March 1946 indicating that the Brigade had been disbanded by then.  It would require a search of this War Diary to determine that. 

Alan mentions Austria - that is close to Italy.  Could the datestamp have gone to Austria before it moved to Germany (BAOR)?

This looks to be a new discovery - one that should go into our Journal as a query along with the illustration to try and find more information.  Sadly Austrian specialists I knew are now deceased.

Mike

Thanks for that Nick - I would agree that it is No 8.

Mike

John

I've looked through the late Alistair Kennedy's censorship ledger and there is no reference to censor 5422 - he has only recorded 5423 in 1945.  There is a very large gap in the 54xx series.

As regards the postal marking - according to Virk's "Indian Army Post Offices - Locations and Movements 1939-47" it looks to be his Type 221 (INDIAN SECTION BASE POST OFFICE No ??).  However, he does not list type numbers individually for each unit and so it could be any number used between 6 and 32.  It could be No 8 which he lists as Shaibah, Iraq 22.3.43 - 5.4.45 (unit location, not the postal marking as he doesn't list each one indiviually).

To be certain can you please scan just the postmark so that I can get a larger and clearer view which I can then play around with.

Mike

Ha, ha - both on and off and also looked sideways - it still seems sideways to me.
I guess I had better make contact with them to confirm or otherwise !!!

;D

I visited The Postal Museum today - [url=https://www.postalmuseum.org]https://www.postalmuseum.org[/url] - did a little bit of research to clarify some queries, and then visited the postcard exhibition.  A good exhibition - well recommended to see.

The main part of the Museum has a number of displays which reflect the Army Postal Service, again good to see.  They also show two "FPO" datestamps in a case.  One of then (I went back a couple of time to look) appears to be ARMY POST OFFICE 4, but the 4 is wideways!  It would appear to be a K&C Type D1.  Has anyone seen such a datestamp - is it mentioned in Proud's latest edition?

I'm sure I'm not seeing this.  If necessary I will make a written request to see if I can get an impression, or at least verification.

Over to you.

Mike  :)

Thank you all - the person who made the enquiry is well pleased with the responses and has asked me to pass on his grateful thanks.  He can now write up the cover in some detail.

Mike

Neil

Many thanks for your listing of BFM 23 dates.

Your postcard of 8 JU 45 is earlier than Proud (13.11.45). 

Mike  :)

Alan & Chris

Many thanks for your responses - after enlarging and using RetroReveal I can see that it is a '3' but cannot make out the second number.

Thanks Alan for the info on the censor and the censor cachet.

Howard - regarding your suggestion I don't think I can agree as I believe that APOs in Greece were designated SX and I feel that this is clearly an 'S' office, but I am open to correction.

Mike  :)

Peter & Neil

OK - looking at it again and enlarging it as well as altering the brightness/contrast I now see that it could well be '12' - the 1 & 2 are clearly under the year digits 4 & 5 whereas if it was simply '2' it would be in the middle of 45.  I can also see a gap between the end of the thick bar on the left and the straight line '1'.  Also the intended address of New Zealand would make sense in that it would be delivered to a Fleet Mail Office in Australia before going onto NZ.  The difference in date between 8 JU in Aden and 21 JU in Sydney also makes it plausable.

FLEET MAIL OFFICE 12 it is!

Mike  :)