I just acquired this from Ebay. As you all can see from one of the pictures, the previous owner did some research on this marking, and I think he made a logical assumption that TAN 3 belonged to the 3rd Australian DIV Trains.
I followed his line of reasoning through Kennedy-Crabb, but as I am only just getting into this area and have only a very superficial understanding of these FPOs, I'm hesitant to accept this conclusion without further inquiry and confirmation.
Is anyone able to comment on this?
Thanks!
Al Bump
Al
This is certainly one for Alistair Kennedy himself to answer - he is a regular on this forum and so I am sure he will respond within a few days.
Regards, Mike :)
Greetings,
Not an area that I'm familiar with, but the datestamp inscription looks to me to be T.W.3, not TAN3.
Hope this helps,
Alan
Alan,
Good eyes! I just looked in Kennedy-Crabb and it's listed in parenthesis with a question mark. (p.232) So do you all think I can infer that this postmark is from the 3d AUS DIV train?
Al
Gents
I agree that this is TW3 during Security period III this was used by the British 48th Div Train
Proud only illustrates two TAN marks, TAN4 and TAN5, BUT in each case they are shown as T.A.N.4 and T.A.N.5, you will notice that there is no gap for a stop between the A and N on the one queried
Late addition just found a Lieut J.F. Bailey of the British Royal Field Artillery might be the censor
Frank Schofield
Frank,
After looking at the chapter on allocation of datestamps, I see that you're correct. I also appreciate the additional info on the censor.
Al
Sorry to be a party pooper, but the signature of the censor looks like Brady to me
This is definitely TW3 - 3rd Australian Divisional Train,
3rd Aust Div did not receive AN coded datestamps which were only issued in Egypt to Australian formations which did not have their own Australian datestamps.
3rd Aust Div did not go to Egypt - it arrived on the Western Front via England. The Australian formations on the Western Front received datestamps with W codes.As with all British formations on the Western Front, the datestamps were periodically exchanged between June 1916 and February 1919.
I read the signature as J. F. Brady - commissioned on 30/1/17 as 2nd Lieut in Royal Field Artillery. Alan has just said the same while I was typing my reply!
I will need to look again at p 232 - if I had a ? it would mean I had not seen an example to confirm use in the relevant period; that can now be rectified!
Alistair
Gents
Sorry my daft mistake it is J.F. Brady, of the RFA
Frank Schofield