FPO752

[Alan Baker]

I found this cover while we were clearing the house of a friend who died recently. It is outside my normal range and I should appreciate any information about it, location etc

[Jim Mackay]

Proud lists it as M.E.F. 179 Bde (FPO 179) from April - June 1946, then held by BAPO in 1947. So it looks like a new Latest Known Date.
It was later used in Germany during the 1950s.
Jim

[Alan Baker]

The lady it is addressed to (the mother of our friend) originated from Austria and had family there. Is this relevant?

[Michael Dobbs]

FIELD POST OFFICE 752

My listings (sources: unknown) shows the following:

4.8.43 5 BAPO BNAF
14.4.44 FPO 10 10 Corps BANF/CMF
1.2.45 FPO HTB10 CMF
12.4.46 B179 MEF
2.6.47 19 BAPO Moascar
(there is also an additional note "in '49" alongside this entry)

Proud has used the above entries in his Volume III book.

A search of The National Archives for 179 Infantry Brigade shows the following:

Under War Diaries for Central Mediterranean Force (CMF) - WO170 class there is the following sub-series for Italy and under it is shown:

WO 170/7781- 179 Infantry Brigade: H.Q - 1946 Jan - Mar

There are only three War Diaries shown for 179 Brigade in 1946 (HQ, Signals and REME Workshop)

These appear to be the only War Diaries held - they appear to end in March 1946 indicating that the Brigade had been disbanded by then.  It would require a search of this War Diary to determine that. 

Alan mentions Austria - that is close to Italy.  Could the datestamp have gone to Austria before it moved to Germany (BAOR)?

This looks to be a new discovery - one that should go into our Journal as a query along with the illustration to try and find more information.  Sadly Austrian specialists I knew are now deceased.

Mike

[Neil Williams]

A number of Divisions from the CMF became the British occupation forces in Austria (Klagenfurt/Styria region). This was not universally popular at the time as it delayed demob! My father-in-law's division, the 46th, departed Austria complete in late 1946 and travelled overland, through Germany, to Calais and then the UK for disbandment.

Potentially 179 Brigade had a similar experience?

Neil W

[Marc Parren]

Indeed Proud lists it as M.E.F. 179 Bde (FPO 179) from April - June 1946. However, I hold a copy of the book I bought years back second hand and the previous owner in pencil changed M.E.F. into Greece and put as a location Patras. So it looks like they were involved in events concerning the Greek Civil War that started in March 1946. I am in the process of writing an article/update on the British FPOs used between 1944 - 1952. Any scans are most welcome