Pte William Willis

[Alan Baker]

Another AK. This one bears the franking APO S70 (Faenza Rest Camp, Italy) and CM8/254. I have seen several with this censor mark, all S70.

The question arises in respect of the signature of Pte W Willis (203035). FWR lists him as serving with the Somerset Light Infantry, but I cannot trace a unit from this regiment as being in Italy. Any ideas?

[Michael Dobbs]

Surprisingly I have two postcards with APO S.70 - dated 23 SP 18 and 1 AU 19 and both with censor CM8/254. 

Doesn't help with your query, but I thought I would post the information on the censor numbers and APO S.70 dates.

Mike ;D

[Alan Baker]

Are they from Pte Willis?

[Michael Dobbs]

As I said, doesn't help with your query so the answer is No.

I have found another three in my WW1 collection - all APO S.70 with censor CM8/254: 17 MY 18, 18 MR 19 & 21 MY 19; again with no relevance to Pte Willis.

Mike  :)

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Alan,

I think S70 along with S100 can be misleading as they were both used significantly as transit bases for troops moving from Europe to Egypt and the Middle East, also on return.

Given you initial enquiry, elements of the Somerset Regiments (Yeomanry and Light Infantry) returned to the Western Front and then back to the UK in 1918 & 1919 and the S70 could just be passing through the Faenza transit camp?

...........well that is my take on S70 use on several items I have seen.

Peter 

[Frank Schofield]

Alan

APO S70 Faenza Rest Camp was on the Railway Overland Route from Cherbourg (France) to Taranto (Italy), the journey took 6 days, I understand the other ranks travelled in the infamous 40 men / 8 horses wagons, there were 14 Halte Repos (Feeding etc Stations) on the route, travelling South they were taken off the train at St. Germain (France) for 24 hours and the same again at Faenza (Italy)
From July 1917 until November 1919,  597443 officers and other ranks (including 31071 Indian Troops) passed through this camp. Northbound to France there were 37185 Special Trains used.
My database shows 203035 Private William Willis served in the 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry, according to Gould (not Michael) they never left the Western Front, so he must have been sent to another battalion serving in Egypt or Palestine to end up in Faenza. On the first day of the Somme only 57 other ranks of the 1st Battalion survived the horror, was he one of those?
I have recorded 185 of the 254 censor mark in various colours
Frank Schofield

[Michael Dobbs]

Frank's detailed comments reminded me that the late Frank Daniel wrote a detailed 8 page article on "The Overland Routes to Egypy and Salonica World War I" in Newsletter No 179 (Spring 1984).

Mike

[Alan Baker]

Frank

Bearing in mind how many you have recorded and the variety of units I can trace to CM8/254, is it reasonable to assume it was held at the Faenza transit camp?

[Frank Schofield]

Alan

Yes

Frank