As you will have seen from an email I sent out on 29th October the Society is moving to a new website and with it will be a "Members Area" with a new Forum.  As a result this Forum will close and whilst it will still be made available to view it will be a [b]read only[/b] facility only.  All new posts will be on our new forum on our new website.

It is therefore strongly suggested that you do not start any new topics until we move over to our new website - by all means respond to existing topics.  Please be aware that once we move over to our new website this forum, whilst still available to view, will be a [b]read only[/b] facility.

Thank you, Michael Dobbs (Hon Secretary)

I have received the following enquiry:

[color=maroon]I wonder if you may be able to help me. I am researching the history of a local EWT Nature Reserve that was formerly a mine depot. Did the RNAD Wrabness Mine Depot c1918-1963 at Wrabness near Harwich have its own post office. c160 staff were employed under a Naval Commander. I have obtained faded site plans but am unable to ascertain if any of the buildings were a PO.
Mail must have been sent and received from this important site

Thank you Kevin Marsden Chair EWT Tendring Group[/color]

Geoff Hanney responded to me as follows (and I have passed this on):

[color=teal]It was unlikely that the Post Office ran an Office within the Establishment and I have no record of anything for this site to date in my research.
It is likely as you said it would have had Post Room run by the Navy to sort any mail for the site and work with Post Office or their own courier (Postal) System.
I have been through the list of Navy Shore Establishments at Harwich. Not found a clear candidate for the name of Navy Ship for the establishment.
It might be it was counted as sub-area of Harwich and not separate establishment. It might be that had several names over the years it was open.
For information there was Post Office in the village of Wrabness from 1895 to 2008.
I will do bit more digging later in the week even it is just helps me straighten out in my research for that part of Essex.[/color]

Does anyone else have any information on the Wrabness Mine Depot that would be useful to both Kevin Marsden and Geoff Hanney please?  In particular as a naval depot did it carry an HMS name?

Thanks, Mike 

We had a meeting back in June where members were encouraged to bring along and show any material relating to "India".  Unfortunately member Bill Downes was unable to come to the meeting but he did have a query - some years ago he acquired some covers sent to a Surgeon Major E Dixon in Madras 1872 to 1885.  He asks if anyone can advise him how to find out more details on Surgeon Major Dixon.  Scans of the covers attached.

Thanks, Mike

I have received the enquiry below from Belgium

I suspect that the letters HD do represent Home Depot (the only other potential alternative is Home Defence but I don't think that is appropriate for the BEF in France).

I am aware that in post-WW2 days the bag seals equated to FPO datestamp numbers, but I do not know the procedure in WW1.

Does anyone have any knowledge of FPO lead seals?

Thanks, Mike

[color=maroon]I got your website from someone at The Postal Museum.

I'm an archaeologist from Flanders and I work for the company RAAP. During a research in Vlamertinge, a borough of Ypres, we found some square lead seals. I did not find much about them on the internet, other than that they're lead seals from the General Post Office (they are called GPO bag seals).

During World War I there was a British depot and camp at the find location from 1917 onwards. Also, Vlamertinge is listed on a diagram of the mail routes as an army post office (POST47/1017). I therefore wondered if the seals could possibly be linked to this camp. On 2 of the bag seals it says "HD 26". At first I thought it the letters stood for Huddersfield but somebody from the Postal Museum pointed out that HD could also stand for "Home Depot". But I can't find anything about the number 26.

I was wondering if you have more knowledge about this? What could HD26 refer to? If you like I could send you a picture of the bag seals.

I would like to thank you for your answer on beforehand.[/color]

[b]FIELD POST OFFICE 606[/b]

I have a query concerning the above FPO datestamp and I seek your help please.

I have a registered cover postmarked FPO 606 on 29 SP 49 (29 September 1949).  This has a registration label with a rubber cachet '1' stamped on it.  This would indicate the Field Post Office being BAOR 1 at Bad Oeynhausen (which used the address BAOR 1 from c.1947 to 1954).  Unfortunately there is no senders address on the reverse or any other indication as to the location of the FPO datestamp.

Proud Volume III shows:
APO E.612 (Dusseldorf) (30.10.45) - (5.9.46)
Held at Zone Postal Depot (16.3.48) - (27.11.48)
Berlin (BAOR 2) (31.7.50) - (15.5.52)

Alan Brown records show:
BAOR           1948-50
BAOR 2 Berlin   22/10/50, 30/9/51, 14/11/51

Alistair Kennedy record cards only show:
BAOR 2 Berlin   1950-51, 17 AU 50, 22 AU 50, 11 MR 51

As you can see there is no location shown for 1949.  Do any members have any covers with FPO 606 used in 1949 and if so do they provide any senders details please?

Thanks, Mike

[b]6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion[/b]

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was a unique U.S. Army unit and it had the distinction of being the only all-African American, all-female unit sent overseas during World War II. The women kept mail flowing to nearly seven million soldiers in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO).

For those of you interested in US military postal history during WW2 you may be interested in hearing the BBC Radio 4 programme aired yesterday (7th June 2023) - a 29 minute programme about Major Charity Adams and her unit, the first African American woman to be commissioned in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, who arrived in Birmingham, England, to sort out an enormous problem with US mail for troops in the UK and Europe - up to two years build up of mail, including Christmas parcels, stored in six rat-infested aircraft-hangers.  This is a most fascinating story on US postal history as well as the leadership role of a young junior female officer - well worth a listen (download the programme and you won't have to sign on or register with the BBC):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001mljz

For more historical information, including their time in France, click on these links:
https://armyhistory.org/6888th-central-postal-directory-battalion/
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6888th_Central_Postal_Directory_Battalion
and
https://www.womenofthe6888th.org/

I have received the following query:

[color=maroon]I've been chasing information on a cover I have with a cachet on it -
"Commanding Officer, 11th August 1969 H.M.S. Stratton "
This is a bit of a mystery as I've been in contact with Peter Down ( TCA 2000) and he has confirmed HMS Stratton was on the reserve list before being sold to the South African Navy in 1959, some years before the cachet. I've also had a look at the list of Shore Stations ( https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_ship_names_of_the_Royal_Navy_(R–T)#S ) and there is no mention of HMS Stratton. Darrel Drury suggested I contact a Michael Dobson who has pointed me in the direction of this Web site. I'll send on a copy if required.[/color]

Are any of our Naval specialists out there able to help please?

Thanks, Mike

I have received the following enquiry a few days ago:

[color=maroon]I wonder if anyone can help me please. I am writing a non-fiction book based around a collection of letters written by a REME soldier to my aunt during WW2. In August 1944 his Unit moved to France, then Belgium, Holland, and finally Germany. The letters were stamped by the censor in different ways. Plain envelopes had the 'Passed by Censor' stamp and the signature of the censor; Army Privilege Envelopes (aka 'Green envelopes') had ''Passed by Censor [number]', without a signature; some plain envelopes just had 'Released by Base Censor' [un-numbered]. I am trying to understand the different levels of those censors - where were they based? Is there any record of which officers were assigned the role of censor?

Your help would be much appreciated and acknowledged.[/color]

Due to the amount of work I'm involved in with other philatelic and non-philatelic societies at the moment I'm struggleing to come up with a suitable worded response and I'm looking for some help in this respect please.

I know that censorship was carried out at unit level (or company, battery, etc for larger units) and so the censoring officer would either sign or initial the envelope and apply the censor cachet.  I also know that from time to time the base censor would nominate mail from specific units to be further censored at base level just to check that local censors are doing the job correctly.  I also know that green envelopes were exempt from unit censorship and were sent to the base censor for censorship before being put in the post for delivery to the addressee.

I don't know that reason why some envelopes are not signed but have the censor cachet applied - unless that it just an oversight by the censoring officer.

Help please.

Thanks, Mike

I received the following enquiry via the website (from the USA):

[color=maroon]Hi, I am trying to determine where an RAF censor stamp number 471 was used in 1944? I believe it was used at one of the RAF training schools located in the US. I can send a scan of the cover. Thank you for any assistance you can provide, or if you can direct me to a resource that might answer this question.[/color]

I responded as follows:

Thank you for your enquiry and the scan of your cover.  The RAF censor 471 marking used on the cover is classified as FPHS Type R14.  According to the publication "World War Two Censor Marks" (2nd Edition, edited by Dr Nick Colley, published by the Forces Postal History Society 2016 notes that this type of censor marking has been recorded used in Algeria, Corsica, Italy, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia.  The numerical range recorded is 1 to 497.  Dates recorded used are February 1943 to November 1944.

An illustration in the above book shows a similar cover to yours with the US POSTAGE 6c printed stamp addressed to Canada.  In this case it has RAF Type R14 censor 360 postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 579 on 28 JU 44; the FPO is thought to have been in Algeria at this time.

Another (electronic) publication "Censorship in the Royal Air Force 1918 to 1956" (by Dr N Colley and W Garrard), 2nd Edition edited by N Colley and I Muchall, 2015 which states that "Type R14 seems to have been the type used by air force units serving with the North African Forces (which later became the Central Mediterranean Forces) for much of 1943 and 1944."  Unfortunately it does not list censor 471 in the list of censor numbers noted.  However it does illustrate another US POSTAGE 6c printed envelope with R14 censor 200 addressed to Canada from an RCAF member and postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 165 on 26 JU 44; the FPO was used in Sardinia.

Your cover is postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 701 on 25 MR 44 and is addressed to the USA.  This FPO number has been recorded used in Algeria 1943-45.

I regret that there is no indication that it was used at one of the RAF schools located in the USA.  I will, however, pass on your query to Dr Nick Colley to see if he has any additional information which may assist.

He then came back with:

[color=maroon]Thank you for your comprehensive reply, much more than I expected, and greatly appreciated by me.
The cover is clearly not what I thought, but leaves open the question why a US stamped envelope (with the domestic postage amount) was used by the RAF from a non-US location for mailing a letter to the US. Another mystery that will require further research by me.
I again thank you very much for taking time from your day to address my question. [/color]

This raises a couple of questions:
- Do any of you have any record of R14 / 471?
- Do any of you have any idea / reason / how / why US POSTAGE 6c envelopes were used (for Canada and USA)?

Thanks, Mike

I have received a query regarding the location of APO 4340.  The only reference to the query is a letter (undated and no envelope) which bears this APO in its address (see illustration).  The person making the enquiry states:

[color=maroon]I am currently researching a British soldier from WW2 who was an Army Catering Corps cook in Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment (PLKR). His overseas postal address was APO (Army Post Office) 4340.
Do you know where this APO was located? I believe it could have been either North Africa or Italy as this is where the PLKR served in WW2.

Cpl G.A. TURNER ACC had a fiancée on the Faroes Islands where he had been previously stationed as a RA Bdr before transferring into the ACC.[/color]

I do not list APO 4340 in my APO number listing, meaning that it has not been reported in the Post Office Circulars as being an address which was able to receive Concession (CSN) or Expeditionary Force Message (EFM) telegrams.

Does anyone have any covers / airgraphs, etc addressed to or from this particular APO number please?

Thanks, Mike

Via our Editor I recently received the following query:

[color=maroon]Can you help me with the rates for telegrams used by British Field Post Offices in 1981-82 please?
I attach a typical telegram. I had initially thought it would depend on the number of words but it is clear it is more complicated than that.[/color]

[b]Telegram tariff revision: 1 April 1981[/b]

The Post Office Gazette of 18 March 1981 contained a Supplement on revised telegram tariffs effective from 1 April 1981.  It went on to state that the new international charges also applied to BFPOs and CFPOs, except for telegrams to BFPOs in BAOR and to Concession (CSN) telegrams where the new inland telegram charges of £1.50 (fixed fee) plus 15p for each word applied.  Other changes included the withdrawal of the EFM service and the application normal word counting to any military, naval or air force address.  A summary of the changes which affected Forces telegrams is set out in the following table:

(see attached WORD document)

The telegram has been sent from BAOR.  The PO Gazette lists charges to HM Forces overseas, but the same charges applied from HM Forces to UK.  The £4.40 charge appears to have been made up as follows:

£1.50 (fixed fee)
£2.40 (16 words at 15p each word)
50p (Forces greetings facility – as indicated on the PO Telegram form above the addressee)
TOTAL: £4.40

Our Australian member, Gary Diffen, has a couple of covers from POW camps in Egypt in 1915. One has a "PRISONER OF WAR / CONCENTRATION CAMP / MEADI" cachet.  He does not require then and indeed they have been sitting around for a long time and so he would like to offer them to a good home to a member who may be interested in them.

Illustrations are attached.

If you are interested please contact Gary via email: garydiffen@gmail.com

Thanks, Mike

I have received the following enquiry:

[color=maroon]I am interested in WW2 British military censorship in British Guiana.
In my modest collection I have four covers from British Guiana with the British army handstamp
Crown/Circle/PASSED BY CENSOR/No/XXXX
and with a signature diagonally written at lower left typically indicating censorship at the unit level. Given the statement in Townsend and Howe that no British troops were stationed in British Guiana during the war, I am trying to find out about the origin of these handstamps and what units used them. The covers are dated 1943-44. Regrettably there are no sender's names and addresses on the back of the envelopes.

The numbers shown on the handstamps are 8799, 8896 and 8897. I not been able to locate any lists of the numbers giving the units to which they were assigned and their locations. I would be very grateful for any help the Society can give me in this and would be pleased to provide scans of these covers and be in contact with any member who wishes to follow-up with me.
Thank you.[/color]

I responded to say that I held the records of a deceased member (Alistair Kennedy) who did record examples of Army censor handstamps.  Of the three numbers he had quoted Alistair did record 8896 as being at Georgetown on 7 JA 44 - this indicates that the item of mail was cancelled using a Georgetown datestamp on that day.  There is no other information.

If any member can help with additional censorship numbers or indeed information on British Army personnel in British Guiana during WW2 I would be grateful.

Thanks, Mike

Member Albert Coles sent the attached article regarding a cover addressed to No 2 Aircraft Construction Squadron RAAF in the Cocos Island in 1952.
It came from the Cinderella Philatelist magazine for January 2023 (a bit ahead of its time!).

I hope it will be of interest to some of you.

Mike

I have received the following enquiry:

[color=maroon]I am a set decorator working on a movie - mainly about the postal problem in the WW2 for US troops.
Is there any one i can talk to about reference and historical facts?[/color]

I will suggest that he contacts the Military Postal History Society (MPHS) and I understand that there was an article in the October 2022 edition of Stamp magazine on the 6888th Postal Battalion:

This is from Wikipedia:
[color=black]The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the "Six Triple Eight", was an all-black battalion of the Women's Army Corps (WAC). The 6888th had 855 black women, both enlisted and officers, and was led by Major Charity Adams. It was the only all-black, all-female battalion sent overseas during World War II. The group motto was "No mail, low morale".[/color]

Does anyone have a copy of the magazine that can send me a scan of the article please?
Does anyone have any other suggestions?

I have received the following enquiry:

[color=maroon]I would like to check if I could get some detailed information regarding British India FPO NO 53
Thank you[/color]

I have assumed that this relates to WW2 - I have asked for confirmation.

I have attached a scan from Virk's book on Indian FPOs in WW2 relating to FPO No 53.

Thanks, Mike

I have received the following enquiry from the British Postmark Society - a bit of a long shot I know, but I may just strike lucky!

[color=maroon]I've attached an image of an envelope with a Postage Paid undated postmark. It was later used with the V Bells slogan and we didn't know where it was used. My V Bells copy was addressed to Bridgwater and other items in the same correspondence were postmarked Halifax in September 1945. The damage on the rim makes me think it could be the same die. The question is would there be any record of where Censor 3825 would have been based?[/color]

Thanks, Mike

This is not a query - simply posting something which I feel may be of interest to some of you.

Looking through my emails and trying to reduce the number in my 'in' box I came across this from early 2021!  It is a one-pager compiled by a non-member but a member of several Kent clubs and was circulated amonst his wide Kent contacts during our lockdown period.  I thought it worth publishing on our Forum - why I didn't do it back then I don't know!

Mike

I have received the following enquiry from an individual in New Zealand:

[color=purple]Hi, can you put me in touch with anyone who can help around POW mail off Crete in the second half of 1941. I'm using mail as a proxy for camp designations and people movements.[/color]

Can anyone assist - if so please let me know and I'll pass on your details.

Thanks, Mike

This is definately one for our East African collectors / experts!

I have received the attached queries from an individual - they are detailed and complex, can anyone out there able to provide any answers or suggestions please?

Thanks, Mike