WW II FPO 31

[Michael Dobbs]

I have received the following enquiry:

[color=maroon]I am a local (to you) teacher, who was given your name by Maurice Buxton. He suggested I should contact you about an envelope I found in our school archives, which he thought was "unexpected and unusual".....

The sender is a British army doctor, who died in Paris in 1939. The receiver, his sibling, is a De La Salle (Catholic) lay preacher, and former teacher at my school, who was executed by the Japanese in 1945.

I wonder if there is more to be found out about this envelope...?[/color]

Information that I have indicates that FIELD POST OFFICE 31 datestamp was with 1 Lines of Communication Postal Unit, British Expeditionary Force as at 10 July 1939.  An article by the late John Daynes which appeared in Newsletter No 201 (Autumn 1989) on "Fifty Years Ago – The British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium 1939-1940" lists the datestamp as being allocated to Field Post Office S.4 at Dieppe (recorded dates 22.09.39 to 24.05.40).

Any additional information, in particular concerning the allocation of the censor stamp would be much appreciated.  I have asked for further details on the sender.

Thanks, Mike  :)

[Michael Dobbs]

I have now been given additional information:

[color=maroon]The sender was Major Thomas Francis Todd, RAMC, who was killed in a road traffic accident in Paris in 1939 - see http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689022/

The receiver was his sibling, George Richard Todd, who was also known as Brother Thomas Moore (a religious name, given by De La Salle Catholic organisation). Brother Thomas worked as a missionary in Taberd. He was executed by the Japanese, in 1945, having escaped from the My Tho Internment Camp, Saigon.[/color]

Any further information, such as unit and location, more information on the censor mark, etc gratefully received.

Thanks, Mike  ;)

[Michael Dobbs]

Based on the information below I have carried out an internet search and also looked at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry.  This confirms something I have found in other web entries - that he served at 6 General Hospital RAMC.

There is the following entry in the King's College London War Memorial page:
http://www.kingscollections.org/warmemorials/guys-hospital/memorials/todd-thomas-francis

and the following entry on the Fallen Heroes of Normandy website:
http://www.fallenheroesphotos.org/Servicemen/Detail/15381

Details on 6 General Hospital can be found on the Scarletfinders website at:
http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/112.html
which states that locations of British General Hospitals during the Second World War are held at the National Archives [file reference: WO222/1568]

This shows:
6 British General Hospital
Dieppe 12/10/39 to 11/39 then to Mesnil-Val; Mesnil-Val 11/39 to 3/40

The location of the Hospital at which Major Todd served fits in with the location for the Army Post Office which used the FIELD POST OFFICE 31 datestamp.

There is also a War Diary for 6 General Hospital for the period September to December 1939 (file reference WO177/1126) and this may well contain references to Major Todd such as date of arrival, duties and possibly a reference to his accident and death.  So, I have nearly answered my own question !!

However, what I would like to know is whose are the initials of the censoring officer in the censor cachet on the cover and was the censor stamp allocated to 6 General Hospital - I wonder if one of you out there can provide an answer ?

Thanks, Mike  8)