Folks, the item shown in the attachments seems more or less straightforward, if somewhat esoteric in terms of postal history. However, the meaning of M.E.I. at the War Office is not known.  Does anyone have any ideas? I surmise the addressee was working in the Embassy in Moscow.

Many thanks!

Nick

the sender's initials??

Yeah, I'd thought of that, but then I realised I've never seen an envelope with the sender endorsing themselves with (only) their initials, but also their full address, too. If the contents are such that the sender endorses the envelope with their initials, then that may suggest the contents are more of a personal nature? Therefore why use an office address?

Also, would it not be conventional for the sender to write their surname in full?

Nick

I've been trying without success to see what the letters M.E.I. stand for - it could, of course, be M.E.1 and I was thinking of the War Office Directorate of Mechanical Engineering.  However, thats only a guess at the moment.  I need to try and identify Wat Office directorate designations when I next visit The National Archives, there does not appear to be anything online except for M.I. (Military Intelligence) designations (M.I.1 to M.I.19).  I cannot find any reference to the War Office at Duncannon Street, thats another mystery!

Mike  :)

Thanks, Mike. It doesn't help that the writer forms the numeral 1 the same as his/her capital I, does it. My thinking is that the Duncannon Street office was presumably an overflow from the main War Office in Whitehall? If that is so, then M.E.I. (or M.E.1.) may have been the designation of a particular office or function?

Concur with your observation re paucity of information in the public domain. I've drawn a blank on the internet (so far). Not even the merest hint of a War Office branch in Duncannon St. in WW2.

I'm not dismissing Howard's suggestion from my mind, but I do hope it's not correct, though!  :D

chrs
N

Nick,

I seem to remember that Richard has a collection of War Office items, so might be worth a shout out?

I would also suggest maybe a 1 rather than the I, as many War Office departments seem to have departmental 'Desk' numbers in the cachets that they use, I have attached examples of three such items.

There is a publication 'The Records of the War Office  and Related Departments 1660 - 1964' by a Michael Roper - superb read ;-) which might suggest Mechanical Education 1.

PS You can download free from Google books.

Peter