H.M.S Fleur De Lys (Corvette K122) was formally the French "La Dieppoise" which was taken over by the Royal Navy after the fall of France in 1940, she was employed as a convoy escort until her loss on 14th October 1941. The attached cover from the ship tells the story.
Dear Frank,
A very interesting cover. They were torpedoed when they were westbound from Gibraltar on the Atlantic Ocean. What I also find intrigueing is the stamp applied in the tombstone censor mark below PASSED BY CENSOR. Normally there is something handwritten but here it looks like a text was applied by a handstamp. Can you decipher this for us?
Regards
Marc
Marc
I did spend a bit of time trying to sort that out, but it beat me in the end, sorry
Frank
Marc
Spent a lot more time on the rough cut handstamp, blew it up to 400% can make out two initials K & M,
A Lieut T.K. Metcalfe RNR was serving on board in 1941, on 18th July 1941 he was appointed to HMS Cormorant (Shore Base, Gibraltar) therefore survived her sinking in October
Not sure the first mark showing is a 'T'
Frank
I think it might be part of a "T" with a stop after. The other letters look like they have stops too
I think that there are only two letters there - K and M as identified by Frank.
It looks like a very crudely made cachet with blotches at each end.
Don't know where Alan gets his T from!
Mike
Tempted as I am to say Yorkshire, I can see your argument if the marks to the left and right are considered part of the border of the stamp
The simple answer might be, he did not use his first name.!!
Frank
And I believe this situation has been identified before on this Forum.
I also have an example of this closer to home - my late father was V.G. Dobbs (Valentine George) but never used the V word - always referred to as George. He was, of course, born on Valentine's day!
Mike :D