Cover of the day, 5th April.

[Ross Debenham]

My cover for today is a cover sent by the 1st Battalion, Northern Rhodesian Regiment, post marked Johore, Malaya on 30 November, 1954. It is addressed to Department of Defence for Central Africa, in Causeway, Southern Rhodesia. Dr Google informs me that the battalion was fighting in the Malayan Emergency from 1953 to 1954. The question I have did mails from these forces pass through the civilian postal facilities, or did they normally pass through the military postal system.

[Michael Dobbs]

Hi Ross

You are a bit early for 5th April - it is only 9.31am on Saturday 4th April over here in the UK or are you trying to get in an 'early' first !!

Best wishes, Mike ;D ;D

[Peter Harvey]

Best we all join you tomorrow on the 5th........ hope all is well in Australia

[Nick Guy]

Hello Ross

Keith Harrop wrote a three page article in the Rhodesia Study Circle Journal on the postal history of both Northern and Southern Rhodesian forces in the Malayan Emergency (RSC J, 174, June 1995, p 70).  He states:

[i]Being "On Active Service", they were allowed a concessional airmail rate of 10 cents. All items of mail seen have had a 10c Malayan stamp affixed and appear to have been processed through the normal civilian maiL service, and can only be identified by the application of a unit cachet or by the sender's name and unit being written on the reverse.[/i]

Nick Guy

[Ross Debenham]

Thanks for the info. Sorry about the date. Came off an all night shift up the base so the old brain mustn't have been working too well.

[Peter Harvey]

Here is my cover of the day - 5th April 2020

A pretty ordinary looking WW2 Italian POW card used to Darlington by a Signalman George Carr, whilst a POW in November 1941. Card is cancelled with the boxed Italian Censor cachet. Ordinary 'But' George Carr who had originally joined the Royal Signals on the outbreak of war had volunteered to train as a Commando, after training he was attached to 7 Commando and went to the Middle East in 1940 as part of Layforce. He was one of the 70 or so men captured following the raid at Bardia, Italian Libya in April 1941, a mission which although misinformed, with poor intelligence was successful in diverting significant German resources to the region, as well as destroying some Italian assets. George was held by the Italians until Italy surrendered and rather than waiting for liberation tried to make his own way to Allied lines, only to be captured by German Para's whilst in the Alps.

If you look at the history of 7 Commando, they were decimated is North Africa, where poor decisions saw them used as under equipped and poorly reinforced infantry. The Bardia raid resulted in one casualty (to friendly fire) and 70 men taken as POW's.

[Michael Dobbs]

What better way to have a cover of the day then to have a cover postmarked on the day!

Here is my cover for 5th April - another Forces commemorative cover I'm afraid - British Forces Postal Service 5493 for the Formation of The Royal Logistic Corps on 5th April 1993.  The new Corps took over the Postal and Courier element of the Royal Engineers.
Enjoy !

Mike  :)

[Michael Dobbs]

Peter - not such an ordinary card after all then!  Its a card with a very interesting story behind it - one you probably didn't know about when you bought it?

Mike  :)

[Nick Colley]

G'day, folks, apologies for missing yesterday. I had other taskings to hand.  I see we have two threads going for 5th April, so I'll make up for yesterday and try and put one item in each thread  :).

Anyway, this one relates to my interest in the woeful Greek expedition of 1940-41 and our retreat in April 1941. It is sent from the Isle of Wight at the 1 ½ d rate (not sure what that rate was supposed to cover?) to a Major R.F.Pemberton, MC, with the Royal Corps of Signals in the Middle East. Annoyingly, I can find out nothing about this chap.

The last line of the address is c/o Army Post Office 725. This was (according to Proud) the army address for forces in Greece. It was posted on 7th January 1941. We can see he was taken prisoner, so presumably the item arrived in theatre in April or possibly as early as March, at any rate after it was possible to send it onward to the addressee.  Annoyingly, there is no other datestamp by which we can track its movements - only the pencil m/s endorsement 17/7/41 – which may be the date of receipt on return? If that is so, we have a round-trip time of just over six months, presumably by surface round the Cape. Not bad, I suppose, all things considered.

chrs
N

[Alan Baker]

There are entries relating to him on FWR. I'll go through them later and post any info

[Nick Colley]

That would be very kind of you, Alan, VMT.

chrs
N

[Alan Baker]

Roger Frankland Pemberton, served as an officer in the Royal Engineers (No 4 Signal Squadron) in WWI. His record card shows he was awarded the MC during the war (not found any details) and MD in 1916 and 1918. He served in Gallipoli

Between the wars he remained in the Signals, reaching the rank of Major

He was reported missing in Greece in May 1941, but later reported as a POW. He was held prisoner at Oflag 9a/H, Spagenburg Bei Kassel and released by April 1945. The list of notable prisoners held at the camp includes Camilla's father!

It appears he was born on 26th October 1892 and died on 20th August 1985 in Cheltenham (NB I am coming across another Roger Frankland Pemberton who was in the RAFVR and retired as a Wing Commander. There is some crossover of records - I can't believe it is the same man)

[Nick Colley]

Formidable, mon brave, merci beaucoup  :D

chrs
N

[Alan Baker]

Hopefully someone will be able to answer the question as to whether it is the same person