Location of FPO 38 in February 1942

[Chris Grimshaw]

Team

Any assistance appreciated please, 

See below,  the year is 1942

FPO 38 dated 1 Feb; Base Office 42/2 Feb; EA/APO 2 (Nairobi) &
Nairobi registered 10 Feb; Mombasa 11 Feb; Victoria, Mahe 12 March.

Where was FPO 38 located at this time....

Currently editing a submitted article.

Chris

[Ross Debenham]

Chris, I might be wrong, but I believe FPO 38 may have been in a batch issued for British forces in Eritrea and Sudan. I have FPO 35 in Asmara. When you think about it the best way to get mail from that area to the destination in the Seychelles is by the military postal system via EA APO2 in Nairobi.

[Michael Dobbs]

Whether the information I have provided below if helpful or not, I don't know but I hope in some way if may be useful.  I have two copies of unofficial FPO listings clearly obtained some three years after the end of WW2 and I feel obtained from official listings, returns, etc.  There is no indication as to who created these listings - both clearly based on the same original information but set out in two different formats and one containing sometimes more information than the other.  They are typewriter written on foolscap paper, one a photocopy (of a photocopy, which in some instances has not been copied neatly and so has had manuscript entries prior to a second photocopy which I have) and the other a carbon copy of the original.  The relevant combined information from these two lists is as follows:

FPO 37 26 Nov 1940 issued to 13 Corps D.7  India; 23 Dec 41 - 14 Mar 1944 MELF
FPO 38 26 Nov 1940 issued to 13 Corps D.6 23 Dec 41 - 14 Mar 1944 MELF
                                                                                14 Mar 44 - 18 Jun 1947 CMF
FPO 40 26 Nov 1940 issued to 13 Corps 23 Dec 41 - 14 Mar 1944 MELF
                                                                                14 Mar 44 - 18 Jun 1947 CMF

On 1 January 1941 the Western Desert Force was redesignated XIII Corps (13 Corps)
Were these datestamps issued to 13 Corps Postal Unit?

I have identified a 13 Corps Postal Unit War Diary in The National Archives - WO 169/8633 (Apr-Dec 1943).  There does not appear to have been any earlier war diaries for this unit - does this mean it was not formed until April 1943? 

However Proud lists FPO 37 as being issued to [u]XXII[/u] Corps on 26 Nov 1940 - typo error?
For FPO 37 why India is mentioned is not known. 

6th Infantry Division formed in Egypt on 3 Nov 1939 by redesignation of 7th Infantry Division (in Palestine and then Egypt at the outbreak of WW2) and on 17 Jun 1940 Div HQ became HQ Western Desert Force and Division effectively ceased to exist; on 17 Feb 1941 Division reformed in Egypt as 6th Infantry Division then on 10 Oct 1941 became 70th Infantry Division (all this information taken from Wikipedia).

It is clear that Proud had access to one or other of these listings, but clearly was confused by some of the entries as I am! 

The overriding aspect is that all three FPOs were listed as being in MELF 23 Dec 1941 to 14 Mar 1944 and that D.70 and D6 are related to "6th Infantry Division" in the Middle East.

As regards Ross' comments - FPOs 32, 33, 35 and 36 were issued to 8th Armoured Division on 26 Nov 1940.  The Division was broken up and was finally disbanded in Egypt on 1 January 1943 (again from Wikipedia).  Hence datestamps would have been "scattered" to other FPO/APOs from around this period.

To try and resolve issues it will be necessary to research war diaries at The National Archives to see what information is contained in any Postal Directorate and Postal Unit war diaries which may exist.  Also where was 6th Infantry Division/70th Infantry Division located in the Middle East during this period - again looking through the HQ war diaries for this period may provide some clues.

Mike  :)

[Chris Grimshaw]

Ross / Mike

Thank you both for your assistance.  It's an interesting period and scare unit which the article is built around. 

Will complete edits and send you both copies privately.  Want to keep some surprises for the Journal.

Chris