Hello Chris,

In respect of the camps built in Cyprus after the war between 1946 - 1949, I have loads of information (eg: long & short articles, books etc) concerning the mail of these camps. I will have to bring some of it along with me to a FPHS meeting for you to look at.

Kindest Regards Robin

Hello Chris,

Sorry that I am late in responding about your two covers but I have been tied up on other things recently.

Briefly your two covers were NOT posted from one of the Jewish Refugee Camps set up in Cyprus after the war in 1946 - 1949. Your two covers were posted in the early 1940's (looks like 1943?).

They were in fact posted by Jewish Refugees (who were mainly Polish) who came to Cyprus after escaping the Nazi's around 1940/1 and who were housed in hotels, with some of them in private houses, in the hill resorts in the Platres / Pedhoulas area. They had to pay their hotel costs themselves and were not allowed to be employed. They often write their name and location (eg: Pedhoulas) on the back flap and if you are really lucky they also include the name of the hotel (eg: Hotel Marangos) or private residence where they are staying.

The covers addressed to The Secretary, Red Cross, Nicosia with a manuscript "M" on the front indicates that it contained a message form for forwarding on to a relative or whoever.

I do have an 8 or 9 page display on this subject. When we restart holding FPHS meetings let me know when you will be attending and I'll bring it along for you and others to look at.

Kindest Regards, Robin

Hello.

It may be of interest but J.B. Wodehouse, in the Edwardian period at least, was the Clerk in Council to the Cyprus Government. I have two local covers sent from Nicosia to him at Government House Nicosia and they are both written in the same hand writing as your cover.

I don't know his full period of Office in Cyprus but will try and find out if you are interested.

Kindest Regards

                      Robin

Hello Alan,

The FPO is definitely 165.

Robin

Hello Nick & Peter,

Thank you for your replies and apologies for my late coming back to you.

Attached is a scan of the PC sent by a Polish refugee being housed at Platres, Cyprus to Jerusalem. It was posted Platres 30 DE 40 and civil censored in Cyprus type C-2 No: 23. In Palestine or Egypt presumably FPO 165 8 JA 41 and military censor type A102 No: 1545.

Proud gives the first usage date for FPO 165 as Egypt 24.4.41 followed by Palestine 26.4.41.

Any help or suggestions would be welcomed.

Robin

Can any member help me please, where was FPO 165 located on 8.1.41? The earliest date that Proud quotes for this FPO is Egypt 25.4.41 for only one day.

Robin Davis

Hello Tony,

I do not know if this information is of any help but on the Imperial War Museum web site they have around 130 photographs of the Locker Lampson RNACEF in Russia. One of the photos was taken on board the SS Clan Macdonald sailing from Liverpool to Archangel but it say 1916. However when looking through the photos quite a number of them have ? etc against the information or the information is vague, so possibly it might be 1917. Anyway it might be worth you checking out the photos on the site and checking out the ship etc. The web site is:-

    www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205352479

When the page comes up scroll down the page to the Royal Navy Russian ACS and click on it and all the photos then come up spread over a number of pages (ten photos per page). The one with the SS Clan Macdonald is on page 13.

Hope this is of some help or at least of some interest?

Kindest Regards

                    Robin

Hello Chris,

I have just had a quick look at my copy of "Malta in World War 1 Postal History" and the censor number is almost certainly 4178.

On page 209, the Rev. G. Cauchi is mentioned in respect of being with the Maltese Labour Battalion, Maltese Camp, Salonika and illustrates a postcard to him from Malta dated NO.22.16. It also says that he volunteered as a civilian to serve with the Labour Battalion.

There may well be more in the book but it's now almost 0100hrs and I'm off to bed.

Hope the above is of help.

Kindest Regards

                    Robin

Hello Chris,

Can you send me your e-mail address because I've sent two e-mails to you at two different e-mail addresses but neither appears to have reached you. My e-mail address is unchanged.

Kindest Regards

                      Robin

Hello Chris,

The OPAL Journal whole vol. 223 pages 29 - 34 has an article "A British Correspondence from Sophia November 1918" by Earl H. Galitz which includes the air mail service.

More interestingly the OPAL Journal whole vol. 224 pages 39 - 41 has two reply articles to the above concerning the air mail service, the first by myself  (pages 39 - 40) and the second from John Slingsby (page 41). In respect of FPO GX and APO SX5, John Slingsby states that mail for Salonika was censored at Sofia but not postmarked until received by FPO GX or APO SX5 in Salonika.

Firebrace also contains information concerning the air mail service.

Hope this helps.

Kindest Regards

    Robin

Hello Mike,

CSOS is probably "Combined Services Orthopaedic Society" which was formed in 1974 to promote orthopaedic specialty in the Armed Services as a civilian organisation. Their web site is csos.co.uk

Kindest Regards

                    Robin

Hello Frank,

I can see how you have arrived "Horial" but I think it reads "Aerial Employment Coy". Hope this helps?

Kindest Regards

                      Robin

Hello Michael,

Castle Cyprus III book agree's with your allocation of 946 - Episkopi and 998 Dhekelia. For 113 yes Troodos but also Akrotiri, Polemedhia & Dhekelia.

It does not record 172 as having been used in Cyprus, so are you sure that it is 172 and not say 192?

I would add that virtually no work has been done for many, many years now on the FPO's used in Cyprus.

Kindest Regards

                        Robin

Hello Chris,

Many thanks for the scan of the letter this is most helpful and is most appreciated.

Kindest Regards

                  Robin

Hello Chris,

Re-the Cyprus convalescent camp - the main convalescent camp was at Troodos. The exact date that it opened is not yet know but from a Red Cross notice in the Cyprus Gazette we know that it was already in being at the end June 1915. So your letter ties in with this.

Would it be possible to see a scan of the letter or at least the section where the Cyprus convalescent camp is mention please Chris.

Kindest Regards

            Robin