WW2 Army Post Office 95

[Ingo Egerlandt]

Dear members,

H. M. T. Java it is a ship for troops carried to France or other?

Ingo

[Nick Colley]

Hi, Ingo,

HMT Java was a tug, I think.

APO 95, I expect, would be the designation of the military post office which was its designated mailing address. I don't know where that was, but someone might (Mike?). Presumably at one of the French ports.

chrs
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[Michael Dobbs]

I don't think I can help that much.

If you look at the cover, below the ships name (HMT Java) there is the in the second line of the address "Tugs c/o D.S.T.O".  I have been trying to find out what DSTO could stand for and after a great deal of research believe it to be Divisional Sea Transport Officer - see https://books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=1135281610
(The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: Vol.I: September 1939 - October 1940)

It took me a great deal of searching to arrive at this - but once you know an answer then search on the phrase "Divisional Sea Transport Officer" loads come up showing the abbreviation DSTO but not the other way round!

As for the address "Army Post Office 95", I haven't a clue!  My APO address number listing starts at APO 400.  Could this be a reference to the datestamp number 95? (shown as "Not seen" and "Reported lost" in Proud) ?

Mike

[Nick Colley]

Mike, et al,

I draw your attention to Proud, volume 3, page 26, para 2.

Scan attached.

chrs
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