Admiralty Whitehall

[Alan Baker]

I have received an enquiry from a fellow member of another society regarding this cover, which was posted in January 1942 to the British Admiralty Delegation in Washington, to be passed to the British Advisory Repair Mission. The questions arising are:

1. What was the British Advisory Repair Mission?
2. Can anyone give information about the Admiralty Whitehall stamp, which I have not seen before?
3. Why are there two distinctly different London postmarks?

[Michael Dobbs]

Alan

I think the simple answer to the two postal markings is that the first (machine) hardly touched the stamps and so a steel handstamp was applied to ensure that the stamps were cancelled (long before todays 'pen' cancellations !).  You will see that both are from London SW1.

As regards the address to which sent:

In 1941 the British Advisory Repair Mission (BARM) arrived in Washington to supervise the repair and refitting of British warships in United States dockyards - this statement taken from "Confidential Dispatches: Analyses of America by the British Ambassador, 1939-1945" edited by Thomas E. Hachey, which looks as though it was published in 1974.

Can be found here at:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OjGe4N3mOGMC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=british+advisory+repair+mission&source=bl&ots=SXcuhrO156&sig=ubW2Dq1WLTi3sxwTZL2vphLn0fU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7os7dtPbZAhXqDsAKHZ0jDOMQ6AEIMjAB#v=onepage&q=british%20advisory%20repair%20mission&f=false

Mike  ;)

[Alan Baker]

Thanks

Anyone fill me in about the Admiralty Whitehall stamp?

[Peter Harvey]

Admiralty Whitehall cachet, not that unusual, but I can not say I have ever seen a published reference to this. Normally applied to indicate official admiralty mail, so normally seen on un-franked covers. Could have been applied and cancelled with the machine, then as overseas mail someone realised and applied the stamps, then cancelled same day as Mike mentions?

Pete