Cover of the day, Friday 10th April 2020

[Michael Dobbs]

My "cover of the day" is in fact a postcard showing the BRITFORLEB base in Beirut in April 1983 - the sign on the gate to the left reads "BRITISH FORCE LEBANON".  It has been sent by the Post NCO i/c FPO S.699 to a sailor aboard HMS Fife in the Falklands (BFPO 666) - the sailors rank being Leading Weapons Engineering Mechanic (Ordnance).  The card is postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE 1055 on 19 OC 83 and has both the HQ BRITFORLEB cachet and OP HYPERION cachet.

[b]British involvement in the MNF: February 1983 - February 1984[/b]

In December 1982 the British government announced that following a request from the Lebanese government it had agreed to contribute to the Multinational Force (MNF) by providing a small detachment of around 80 military personnel for an initial period of three months.  The British contingent, known as British Force in Lebanon (BRITFORLEB), deployed on 8 February 1983 where it joined the US French and Italian contingents as part of the MNF in Beirut; successive deployments brought the total number deployed to around 120 personnel.  British Forces in Cyprus were involved in the deployment from the very beginning - Cyprus being less than 150 miles from Beirut.  The RAF base at Akrotiri was used as the centre of BRITFORLEB support activity and once the future headquarters building had been identified a team from 62 Cyprus Support Squadron RE was despatched to Beirut to make it habitable and install adequate defences.  The Squadron returned on several occasions to provide ongoing support.  The initial deployment in February 1983 involved sending a Ferret scout car squadron - 'C' Squadron, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (QDG) - from Cyprus.  They were replaced in August 1983 by 'A' Squadron from the same regiment.  In December 1983 'A' Sqn, QDG was replaced by 'A' Squadron, 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers.

In addition a headquarters element was also formed and communications were provided by a detachment from 30th Signal Regiment based at Blandford in Dorset.  613 and 614 Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) also served in BRITFORLEB as part of 5 Infantry Brigade Signal Squadron (205).

In September 1983 it was decided to deploy elements of the RAF to Cyprus to provide tactical support to BRITFORLEB and as a result six Buccaneers from Nos 12 and 208 Squadrons RAF and three Chinook helicopters from Odiham-based Nos 7 and 18 Squadrons RAF arrived on the island a week later.  In addition two aircraft from the resident squadron at the Armament Practice Camp (APC) were effectively withdrawn from practice flying and assigned on permanent standby to provide 'top cover' Combat Air Patrols (CAPs) during any operation that could endanger the Buccaneers or Chinooks.

The situation in Lebanon rapidly deteriorated in early February 1984 with fighting in and around the capital of Beirut culminating in all-out civil war which undermined the role of the MNF.  This ultimately resulted in the decision to withdraw the main elements of the Force.  On 7 February 1984 President Ronald Reagan announced the phased withdrawal of the 1,400-strong US Marine Corps contingent.  Next day, 8 February 1984, saw the withdrawal of the 115-strong BRITFORLEB from its base at Al Hadath, a suburb of Beirut, to the northern Lebanese port of Jouneih.  From here the troops were airlifted by Sea King HC4 and Chinook helicopters to the helicopter support ship RFA Reliant (A131) lying off-shore.  About half the force remained onboard the Reliant, in case of any need to carry out a short-notice return to Lebanon, while the remainder of the contingent was flown to Cyprus.

Enjoy, Mike  8)

[Ross Debenham]

My cover is a cover from a Rhodesian soldier serving at 136 Ind. Base General Hospital in India. I know he was Rhodesian as he had earlier worked at the Rhodesian section of the army hospital in Nairobi. All searches for 136 Hospital on Google have proved fruitless. I have surmised that this hospital may have been attached to the clandestine Force 136 which trained and planted forces behind Japanese lines in most occupied territory. Can anybody confirm my thoughts or office me an alternative view. The author of the letter was a member of a Society I used to attend who unfortunately passed away before I got the cover. Happy Easter to all.

[Chris Weddell]

My cover of the day. A tatty cover which was posted to Driver Robert Poulton of the Royal Army Service corps who went missing on the 20th June 1942 and was reported as a POW on the 8th September 1942. His duty location when he was captured was Cyrenaica.
The 20th of June 1942 was a day before the capture of the Port of Tobruk by the Axis forces.

The cover was posted from England on the 9th of June 1942. The cover was addressed to the wrong unit and this was redirected to his right unit which is endorsed in pencil on the cover and dated 28th July. On the back of the cover is an FPO 136 cancel dated for the same date which was allotted to 3 A.F.P.U. in Egypt from 19th May 1942 until 22nd January 1943. The cover is then reposted from Egypt on the 4th August 1942 and again cancelled with the FPO 136 cancel. I would say the "Regretted" boxed cachet was applied on the cover at the same time as the "GHQ" 2 line cachet was applied and this would have been in Cairo as this was where the GHQ was based at this time. 

[Tony Walker]

A bit foolhardy perhaps, venturing into the realms of WWII with so much expertise on show recently, however here's a cover from 1940 I'd say

The cover is addressed to Essex Street in London and censored by CH Rollinson, who incidentally also signed on the back with the addition of 'Commander RN'.  I would say he has self-censored the letter.  I could not see this censor in Gould?  It is obviously naval and was used at any Egyptian port (or shore base) where the Royal Navy was present.  There are several different numbers known, Daynes records this mark under Type N451.

There is no date on the cover, however the 10m British Forces stamp was issued in December 1939 and withdrawn in April 1941.  This suggests the letter was probably written in 1940.  The cancellations are Egyptian Rhetta cancels and were normally used on British Forces stamps, and should have been placed on the reverse of the envelope as agreed with the Egyptian Government

Charles Henry Rollinson retired from the navy with the rank of Commander in 1928 but was recalled in 1939 and appointed to HMS Resource (Repair Ship) on 22 August that year.  The June Navy List shows no appointment against his name but the acting rank of captain, also shown in the 1944 lists.

HMS Resource was in the reserve in the med in 1937 but then re-commissioned at Portsmouth in 1938.  She was back in the Med from 1939 - 1940 which ties in with the stamp issue. 

Cheers
Tony

[Chris Weddell]

Tony,

        Your censor mark is a Type N451 (World War Two Censor Marks 2nd Edition Edited by Nick Colley). This was used in Egypt and Sudan. My covers with this censor mark are dated from 1939-41?.

As to the Rhetta marks you are right but I do have a number like yours which has the Rhetta to the front. If you count the number of the dates in the Rhetta you can sometimes tell where it was applied to.

                                                            Chris

[Alan Baker]

Actually, my cover of yesterday, which is when it arrived from Portugal. Very few covers from the Portuguese Army in WWI turn up, but like London buses, two came together! I'll post the other when it arrives

The card was written on 31st May 1917, addressed to Porto. It bears the frank CEP-SPC 12, dated 1st June and another dated 3rd June, which I cannot read, probably SPC 8.

SPC 12 was used by the 6th Brigade and SPC 8 was at Boulogne. It also bears the semi-circular censor "Censurado No 1" which I have seen on other cards with these SPC Nos.

It arrived in Porto on 7th June

[Peter Harvey]

Here is my cover of the day with a question.

14 FEB 40 Field Post Office cover - would I think be a BEF item which fits nicely with the type R1 RAF Censor cachet. However the item is sent to the U.S so has been subject to additional censorship with the R1 censor number and the FPO number blanked out by the censor, the reverse tell me it arrived at its destination March 1 1940.

Additionally the cover has the British Army cachet (FPHS A100) PASSED BY CENSOR No 212. I have an old note I made in John Daynes WW2 Censor book that A100 No 212 was allocated to Special Censorship with the Base Censor in London, can anyone help to confirm that?

Regards

[Nick Colley]

While searching for something interesting for today, I (re-)discovered the attached. It prompted the recollection of Howard's interest in Russian material. Not actually a cover this, (will try harder next time), but it has a certain charm: it's an invitation to the May Day celebration at the Archangel Seamen's Club on April 30th 1944. I note 'Dance and games until 4a.m.' Sounds like a hell of a party ....

I'm assuming the venue is the [i]British[/i] Seamen's Club, but I have no justification for that, and the Cyrillic script on the left is there because the visiting navies are  inviting their Russian hosts.... It could, of course, be the other way round. Not that it matters much from my point of view.

chrs
N

[Howard Weinert]

Nick, the Russians operated seamen's clubs in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk for American and British convoy crews. According to the memoirs of an American merchant marine who was on the Murmansk run, "The Russians had a seamen's club for us in Murmansk, but to be able to see a movie or dance with the lady hostesses, we had to sit through an hour-long indoctrination in communism each night. This was very difficult to take, but we just sat there and gritted our teeth." For today's contribution, here is a postcard sent by Chief Engineer George James Heindel in Murmansk to his cousin in Santa Monica, California. Postmarked on 23 January 1945 and censored by the Russians and Americans. Heindel was born in Kansas on 3 February 1897. He enlisted in the US Navy in 1917 or 1918 and retired in 1940 with the rank of Chief Machinist's Mate. After a brief recall to service in 1942, he joined the Merchant Marine. On 6 December 1944, he left the USA on the Liberty ship Benjamin H. Hill as Chief Engineer. This ship was part of Convoy JW 63 which left Scotland on 30 December and arrived at Murmansk on 8 January 1945. On 1 February, Heindel was struck by a train in the port of Murmansk and killed. He was buried in the American-English Cemetery in Murmansk. His ship left Murmansk on 17 February and reached Scotland on 28 February. On 12 March it sailed to the port of Manchester where Heindel's death was reported to the American Consul. In 1948 the US State Department requested the return of the remains of 23 Americans buried in Soviet territory. The Soviets said they would exhume the remains and turn them over to the Americans in Berlin. Over three years later, Heindel's remains were returned to the USA and he was buried on 29 January 1952 in San Diego, where his father resided.

[Chris Grimshaw]

Evening Team

Boss Lady said "You will garden today" hence no post. However looking at today's posts once again some brilliant material. 

Alan.  Your latest posting just reinforces my view that hopefully you can contribute an article on Portugal in WW1.

Mike

Your 1983 piece would certainly stand alone as short article for the journal.  would like to use this in the Autumn edition please.  I'll edit as required if OK.

Howard.  Think I could sit through an hour of "Commie blather" if the Vodka was cold and came with Cavier and pickles.  Plus of course the local ladies / stevedores. :)

At least it would have blotted the voyage there, out.  Many years ago sailed with a few veterans of these convoys.

If room will highlight some of these topics in the Summer journal to try and encourage a wider participation of the membership.

Chris. Ed

[Michael Dobbs]

Chris

Re FPO 1055 in Beirut

Thats fine by me.

Thanks, Mike

[Nick Colley]

Chris, the evolution of your thoughts from vodka with caviar and pickles to female stevedores (stephanydores??) is of some concern. For how long have you been locked down??

;D
N

[Alan Baker]

Chris

I would do, but have so little time on my hands...as they say in Kernow, "drecktly"

[Nick Colley]

Howard, that's great - a nice little insight, many thanks. It makes more sense, doesn't it, being an invite FROM the Russians, TO their guests.

A sad story about your George Heindel, though.

Thanks again.

N