Colin

Sorry for the delay, been extremely busy with both family and society issues lately.  Geoff Hanney has given me the following response:

Type A2 – 2889  there is nothing recorded although the one's around that number are in Egypt.

Not manged to find the card with FPO 151 on as yet to see if that has any additional information.

Sadly nothing definite, Mike

Ross

Not able to provide very much help, sorry - Alistair Kennedy's WW2 Army censor listing shows (as sent in by Geoff Hanney):

Type A2  - 191    there is record which appears to be ROC H173 but not sure what means although has the unit as the 5th Suffolk

Mike

Gentlemen,

Many thanks for all comments and apologies for late response. It does look like a BASE ARMY POST OFFICE but too poor a strike to see further details. If Geoff can add anything from Alistair's records that would be appreciated, but it would seem that we have a treble 10d rate airmail from the Middle East (Gaza possibly).
Colin

ony

I can provide the following information:

Infantry Regiments
Battalion
Company
Platoon
Section

Engineer Regiments
Signal Regiments
Cavalry/Armoured Regiments
Squadron
Troop

Artillery Regiments
Battery
Troop


See - https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/army-organisation
As you say, not a simple answer!

Mike

Something different!

My partner is a published writer and poet.  She asked me what was the smallest army unit, which is an essential component for a poem under construction.

I fear it may not be a simple answer?

Cheers
Tony

For the record - since launching this enquiry I found that the March 1942 "Pamphlet for Information of all Units" reproduced in the History of the East African Postal Service (Rossiter, ed Proud, p 42-4) includes a table which specifies that there was "No Service" for Air Post Cards from East Africa Command to the UK.

Nick

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 

My interpretation would be if the sender didn't have/wasn't sure of a fixed location to send the correspondence to,  BAPO Karachi tracked, as well as possible, postings and unit locations in India/SEAC. It was a clearing house. I believe similar arrangements existed for other theatres - eg in Cairo, for the Middle East.

Neil W

Ross

The B-1 mark is indeed Bombay. I find it interesting this style of mark was being used in WW2. Widespread use of this style as a stamp obliterator seems to have 'ceased' by 1900. 

Neil W

I cannot answer the queries but I agree with Neil that there is an unidentified FPO cancellation on the printed REGISTRATION THREE PENCE stamp of 2 DE 41 and I suspect that the ARMY POST OFFICE cancellation is BASE ARMY POST OFFICE - number not known, but I suspect it is BASE ARMY POST OFFICE 4.

I don't hold Alistair's censorship ledger as that is now with Geoff Hanney (who is looking to see if it can be scanned so that someone does not have to hold the large and very heavy ledger)who I think also has Alistairs index cards for WW2 FPOs.  I will email him to ask if he can assist (he does not use the Forum).

Mike