Final for today 2nd October

[Chris Grimshaw]

For a change I show an example of Paid mail from Malta in 1915

Patients in Hospital received free Postage but all stationed there had to pay postage at relevant rates.

See attached.

Enjoy

Chris

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Chris,

Surely you only got 'free' mail through the Army/Navy postal services. This would have required payment as marked 'Via Marseille' and was posted in the civilian mail. This was often a chosen rout from Malta as fast than going by ship back to the UK.

Pete

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hi Pete

My understanding is Malta was classed as a Home Depot,  All troops stationed there plus Hospital Staff had to pay postage.  The Free Postage Concession only applied to the sick and wounded in Hospital there.

Chris

[Marc Parren]

Here an example of a RAMC officer at Malta that was able to send his correspondence to the UK postage free. Surely he was based over there

[Graham Mark]

Hello Chris
I think Peter's point is the essential one.  If posted in an Army Post Office and marked OAS is would go free.  The APO staff would have no way of knowing whether a military person was a patient or hospital staff or garrison.  When the Londoners went to Malta in the Autumn of 1914 they certainly did have to pay postage because there was no Army PO and they were classed as Garrison, not Active Service.  But by the late Spring of 1915 with the influx of hospital staff and casualties it was rather difficult to differentiate between Garrison troops and the others.  So I believe a blind eye was the order of the day.  Similarly in Egypt there were good numbers of Garrison Troops but they posted their letters in APOs and marked their cover OAS and had thereby the privilege of free post even if it was not officially sanctioned.
Best regards
Graham