Hi Thomas,
I may be wrong, but it looks to me as though the handwriting on both sides of the cover is the same. What do you think? Without the name of the sender I fear we may not find more info on where it was sent from as we don't know how long before March 3 1918 the letter was written.
Cheers,
Phil

Peter,
As a result of information kindly provided to me last month by Colin Tabeart, I can confirm he was a long service rating. The "J" indicates he was from the Seamen and Communications branch (as opposed to Engineers etc.). The "LT" indicates his Home Port Division was Lowestoft.
Cheers,
Phil

thanks, Ross. You could well be right. If 544 was only used as a backstamp. that could account for the fact no example has previously been recorded.
Phil

Thanks, Peter, but I do not think the cachet could possibly have been applied in the UK. It would not make sense for it to have received Airmail treatment only after it had arrived in the UK.
I had some vague recollection of seeing this cachet or something similar on Mail from Kenya many years ago but I am not sure of that.
Phil

The scans attached show a cover mailed from Hastings on 10 AUG 43 to "IMP CON. DEPOT Howick" with, on the reverse, a postmark of FPO 544 dated    24 SP 43. There was a Convalescence Depot at Howick in 1900. It would be reasonable to assume that this was also the case in 1943. Proud records no use of this postmark before 11.4.44 but notes "This was held also at Durban but apparently not used". Proud does record FPO 543 at Durban from 3.7.42 to 1.1.44. It is astonishing that no use of FPO 544 at Durban has been recorded for more than 87 years.
A little mystery remains about the reason why "Return to Mum" was endorsed on the reverse. I suggest this can be deduced from the "L 31/11/43" in red crayon on the front of the cover which might be interpreted as "Left on 31/11/43" when, presumably the addressee also "Returned to Mum".
I shall be grateful for any other interpretation or confirmation from Members.
Phil 

Thanks, Mike.
Phil

I sent this scan to Nick asking if he might have any information about what Ship this might be from or its possible location. His answer was no but he most helpfully told me that the cachet was listed in an article by the late Alan Brown in FPHS Newsletter 164 in November/ December 1980 which he catalogued as PP33 but Alan had no idea of the Ship or its location.
The machine postmark where it was redirected is of Hastings/Sussex on 16 AUG 1943.
In the hope that someone, somewhere, in the last 42 years has come across another example which does provide any clues, I thought it might be worthwhile to post this, my first New Topic.
Phil

Looks like WORGRET CAMP to me, Peter.
Cheers,
Phil