British Fleet Mail 121 - location?

[Neil Williams]

Folks

attached an official-looking goodies parcel acknowledgement. Sender is at HMS Sheba, Aden, and first datestamp is Aden's BFM 23 dated 8 JU 45.

Where was BFM 121 ? (dated 21 JU 45). It would be fitting if it was actually at Nelson.....


regards
Neil W

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Neil,

Are you sure that is not British Fleet Mail 2 - the illustration that I have is very tight on the blanked box with the 2 central, and if the case this would be BFM 2, but earlier than previous recorded dates?

Peter

[Michael Dobbs]

Neil

I feel that I can state quite confidently that there was no datestamp BRITISH FLEET MAIL 121 - as Peter has said below, it is in my view BRITISH FLEET MAIL 2.

BRITISH FLEET MAIL datestamps were only numbered 1 to 40 - these are illustrated in Proud (The Postal History of the Naval and R.A.F. Postal Services) (published 1992).

I also attach copies of proof strikes extracted from a register initialled and dated in manuscript 15/1/45 - although all proof strikes were dated 15 SP 44 (one copy of each).

Mike  :)

[Neil Williams]

Dear Peter, Mike

Thanks for the feedback.

looks like it's BFM 2 then!  At least the date is clear..

As I don't have access to the Proud book, where was #2 ?

regards
Neil

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Neil,

The majority of the 1st use dates for the FMO datestamps are later than June 1945 in fact Proud does not record FMO 2 used until 10.11.45 at Cochin. Clearly, you have a much earlier date so location at this point I am not sure.

I typically think the proof strike came before first use? Looking at your example close up, it could be 12 - which would place it in Sydney Australia. By the way Proud also states 23 Steamer Point (HMS Sheba) from Nov 1945.

Peter

[Michael Dobbs]

Peter & Neil

OK - looking at it again and enlarging it as well as altering the brightness/contrast I now see that it could well be '12' - the 1 & 2 are clearly under the year digits 4 & 5 whereas if it was simply '2' it would be in the middle of 45.  I can also see a gap between the end of the thick bar on the left and the straight line '1'.  Also the intended address of New Zealand would make sense in that it would be delivered to a Fleet Mail Office in Australia before going onto NZ.  The difference in date between 8 JU in Aden and 21 JU in Sydney also makes it plausable.

FLEET MAIL OFFICE 12 it is!

Mike  :)

[Neil Williams]

Dear Peter, Mike

thanks again. Having compared with the proof strikes, indeed it looks as if it is 12, and therefore Sydney. Logical!

For the record, the other BFM 23s is have are 8 JY 45, 8 AU 45 and 14 JA 46.

regards
Neil

[Michael Dobbs]

Neil

Many thanks for your listing of BFM 23 dates.

Your postcard of 8 JU 45 is earlier than Proud (13.11.45). 

Mike  :)