BEF FPOs in France after the Dunkirk evacuation

[Nick Colley]

Hi, folks,

Our member Ingo Egerlandt has been enquiring of me about the locations of the FPOs that remained in France after the Dunkirk evacuation, servicing the troops who were retreating westwards. My knowledge of this period is poor, so I can't help much. As an example of what we mean, attached (I hope) is a scan of an item to the UK posted through FPO 68 on 14th June 1940. It's a nice item, with the two censors and the ACL20 label. Anyway, we are both guessing that this particular FPO was at a port on the Biscay coast, but, if so, which one?

Any thoughts?

rgds
Nick

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Nick (and Ingo),

I had a further look at this today after you emailed me. My history books tell me that the final remnant's of the BEF evacuation through the port at La Rochelle on the 16 - 17 June, the British continued to remove other civilians and allied troops from other ports in the Gironde up until about the 25th of June.

I do not know about the FPO, Ingo has the latest date that I have noted on his cover. There is little to say that the REPS - FPO were not spread further south when the German armoured brigades spill the BEF at Abberville.

Peter

[Ingo Egerlandt]

Hi Peter and Nick,
Operation Aerial started from Cherbourg and some other ports. La Rochelle not note by Wikipedia and the FPHS Newsletter note AFPU?!?!  Some from my FPO 68 are with RAF R1 censor handstamp. 14 from 29. 137 145 148 149 151 154 155 157 158 159 161 164
Ingo

[Michael Dobbs]

Ingo

AFPU = Air Formation Postal Unit
This was an Army unit which supported RAF formations, that is why you have seen so many with RAF censor markings.

Mike

[Jim Etherington]

I have a number of post-Dunkirk dated FPOs - 35 (11 JU), 38 (5 JU), 45 (8 JU), 66 (6 JU), 80 (4, 5 + 12 JU), 81 (6 JU) and BAPO1 (13 JU), the last possibly still in use at Cherbourg. Presumably each of these was attached to units retreating towards the western ports, but I suspect it would be very difficult to determine their precise location on the date used. Troops were evacuated through Le Havre between 10-13 June (Operation Cycle) and then from Brest, St Nazaire, Quiberon Bay, Nantes and Le Verdon from 15 June as part of Operation Aerial. The last RAF squadron flew out of Nantes on 17 June.

The only certainty is that these particular FPOs were being used by the retreating units, but without corroborating evidence(e.g enclosed letter) it is probably not possible to determine which FPO was being used by which unit.

Jim Etherington