Thanks for the comment 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

Hi, Pete,

It's type R11, so if the number is 95, then we have that recorded with FPO 46 (Lagos) August 1943-February 1945, and US APO 606 (Gold Coast) on 8/10/43. If it's no.96, then that was in use at RAF Shaibah at this time.

Now, Proud's assertion that FPO 463 was allocated to 52nd Division: the internet is annoyingly unhelpful, here: I'm unable get any deeper into 52 Div history than this for the time in question:

'From May 1942 until June 1944, the 52nd was trained in a mountain warfare capacity, originally for a proposed invasion of Norway. However, the division was never employed in this role. Following June 1944, the 52nd Division was reorganised and trained in airlanding operations.'

That's from the fount of all knowledge (??), Wikipedia, and other sources say the same (I wonder why?). I would have thought if the Division had seen oversees service, it would have merited an explicit mention. I wonder how reliable Proud's attribution is of FPO 463 to 52 Div?

Pensively yrs
N

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

Many thanks Mike - sorry for late reply - only just found your latest in SPAM for some obscure reason!
Colin

Thanks Mike.