Hi Alan,

Thank you for this, I have had another look at the censor cachet and this could be either 2580 or 2680, but the point on Waynes records clearly I would suggest makes this 2580.

Additionally I located my copy of Proud SA APS which does have this listed with the 1st South African Infantry recorded used for 19 days only between May and June 1916 with the cover being in the period he lists as Ploegsteert in Belgium, before a final few days in France.

I can read the Passed by Censor J.W. Bryant, however I can only find a Private with the South African Infantry, killed in July 1916 in the Somme region. I can not make out what is written above 'passed by censor'.

Thanks for your help.

Just trying to do the logic on this one and the fact that so many countries are thrown into the discussion confuses the basics for me.

It was posted in Canada (On Service datestamp) and held for censorship in Canada (security cachet - see attached examples) and went to Australia. So the question is how the cover came to be in Canada and receive the RAF Censor. If it was mailed in a convoy, why routed to Canada and not back through the UK like the majority of convoy covers, even with the Australia address this would have been normally unloaded at a port and then routed back through the UK.

This falls into the period of RAF reinforcements to West Africa and the date fits in with other records on the Gold Coast. At the same time the RAF and BOAC crew were flying the West African reinforcement route.

I am inclined to say the censor was used in the Gold Coast?

Alan,

I think this reads 2680.

Peter

Hi Ross,

The B-1 is Bombay, I see this often on the back of covers and typically there is a Bombay connection. Sorry I can not help with the censor cachet.

Peter

I know that there are not many WW1 Western Front collectors on the forum, but I would still welcome any comments on the attached.

Cover cancelled FIELD POST OFFICE S.A 18 MY 16, this is not recorded by Proud however K&C have this recorded as MY 16 - JU 16 South African Brigade.

I have seen a mountain of WW1 material over the years but never this, the standard South African brigades on the Western Front used SA1.

Has anyone else seen or recorded this?

Thank you

Hi John,

These are as Peter Burrows Type 1.29 he lists a couple of varieties, however his book is very old now, you might want to email him for more details. He also produced a list of Printers (which I cannot locate) but this is a UK type and W & S ltd were in the UK with an initial print run in 4/41.

I do not think these cards went out with the parcels, they have just been used to acknowledge receipt. I have seen lots of these, they are more common the later into WW2 you go, most used as intended to send the 'I am well' message. To see them to Canada or the USA is a little more unusual, but they do turn up.

The parcel schemes in both wars are also complex. Some went direct from around the commonwealth other parcels were ordered by making a direct payment to a scheme or a retailer, some appear to be funded by public donation and others appear free of charge (although someone paid).

I hope this help you.

Regards

Hi Neil,

As you have had no replies from others, I thought I would comment.

I have not seen one of these before and I would certainly agree this is very unusual. There was period in 1941 - 42 when due to paper shortage areas of North Africa has significant improvised stationery use, but I have not seen anything like this or this late as improvisation goes.

Nice cover.

Peter 

Thanks Nick,

Sorry R11.... I also looked at Wiki and was not a great deal of help for the period. The more I look at the censor it is 95.... but that does not help with the location for the FPO, with a wealth of experience, it looks like a West Africa cover !

Pete

I have the attached cover which was described as West Africa, but I have not confirmed that is the case.

Field Post Office 463 is recorded N/S this date by Proud, however allocated to the 52 Div to the October 1943, it does not appear to have been used after that until October 44, with the BLA.

RAF Censor R10 95 (the break in the 5 is small and I thought initially this was 6), is recorded by Nick Colley in the Gold Coast with US APO 806 at Accra.

Does anyone have any further records or information on this please?

Peter

Hi Brian,

Thank you for this, you are almost certainly correct. I was searching for Hank Munden or Camp Munden from my reading, but thankfully, you came to to the rescue.

Many thanks for the help. Peter

Hello Andrew,

Yes, this cachet is known and does turn up, however correctly used it is not common. I have seen it on some philatelic items. I have attached an image of another commercial use.

Regards Peter

Hi Jim,

Thank you for this, it is much appreciated. I always forget to check Whitney, so your help has pointed me in the right direction.

Regards Peter

Hi Mike,

The green envelopes as described would not have a censoring officers signature, so long as a honour statement was signed by the sender, there was no need in such cases to open the items and the censor cachet was applied by the Unit as routine.

The plain covers sound correct.

Items would have been forwarded too the Base Censor for a number of reasons, but commonly it appears later in the war as the Unit censor cachet was not applied, or indeed if the item had been posted overseas (assuming UK service personnel) or was not in English language.

Unless you can read the censor signature, there would be no way of tracking the censor down, this would be an appointed officer or NCO.

Regards

Any assistance with this would be appreciated:

I have attached copy of a cover (actually a front) sent to London cancelled with the ARMY POST OFFICE TPO EAST NO.1 datestamp used in October 1901.

This is recorded by Proud (British APO's Vol 1) recorded used in the Transvaal between Pretoria and Waterval Order between Aug 01 and May 02.

I  struggle with the senders details and can not make out the location, any help? I can read the following: From Pt J Muncey Guard _____ _____ Station Transvaal South Africa.

Thank you in advance.

Strictly note Forces Postal history, but WW2 permit mail using a wrapper to Stockholm. I spotted this for sale and I have not seem the cancellation mark before, I wonder could anyone help identify this for me?

I assume pre D-Day censorship, but I don't really see the point in obscuring the location, if you then enclose a newspaper, but then again, were newspapers allowed to be sent overseas (maybe not), so this could have been something else.

Any thoughts on the datestamp would be welcomed.

Peter