FPO 66 New ERD

[Chris Grimshaw]

Morning Team

Once in a while we come across an item which allows us to bring forward a Earliest recorded Date.

Scan shows such a cover,  Honour Envelope cancelled FPO 66 14 November 1915,

Units of 66th Brigade left France in late October 1915 transferring to Salonika.  Proud records 26 Nov 1915 as the earliest date of any 22 Division cancel in Salonika.  This cover substantially brings this date forward.  Unfortunately without a censor hand-stamp not much chance of tying down the Battalion concerned.

Any mail pre 1916 is scarce form Salonika.


Chris

[Frank Schofield]

Chris

What do you make the signature bottom left??
hard to read, even blown up 100%

Frank

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hi Frank

I make it as L Elliott  Original address was somewhere in Crewe

Chris

[Alan Baker]

Definitely L Elliott, as per the addressee "Mrs L Elliott" - presumably his wife. There are two Leonard Elliotts on FWR as serving with the Cheshire Regiment, but haven't pinned him down exactly yet

[Chris Grimshaw]

Thanks Alan

12th Battn Cheshire Regiment served in 66th Brigade.

Chris

[Frank Schofield]

Chris

Found a 18952 Corporal Leonard Elliott, 12th Cheshires, demobbed  12th April 1919

Hope of some use

Frank

[Chris Grimshaw]

Thanks Frank

Looks like that's him.

Chris

[Peter Harvey]

Chris, et all,

Can I ask a question - why could this not be a late date in France, rather than an early date in Salonika. Having looked at the 22nd and the 66th Brigade, they were Artillery I think and I found Wiki states: On 27 October 1915, the Division, having been moved by train to Marseilles, began to embark for Salonika. It completed concentration there in November, although the final artillery units were still coming in as late as 13 December 1915.

You would need more service details for L/Cpl Elliott to confirm?

Regards. Peter

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hello Peter

22nd represents the Division as a whole unit,  66 Brigade was an Infantry Brigade predominately, 4 Battalions comprised a Brigade, 12th Battalion Hampshire's were on of the Battalions.

The card was received at Crewe and re-directed 24 November, 10 days after cancellation at Salonika,  just time I feel to make the trip home.  Alternately was the FPO open on board ship, this would be a first.

Artillery units at this time were mainly served for the Divisional Train FPO which in this case would have been FPO T 22 which is recorded as 17 12 15 ERD,

WE'll probably never know without recourse to the War Diary held at Kew.

Chris

[Alan Baker]

Looking at AK's records and ledger, he noted FPO66 with CM3/2066 and 2090 on 11th and 17th November respectively. Daniel has 2066 noted for 8th King's Shropshire Light Infantry (although AK's ledger says 9th S Lancs - his records disagree with Daniel for Nos 2065 - 2067).

Daniel has 2090 as 66 Field Ambulance (see article by Kosmas Zografopoulos in NL 238 Winter 1998 regarding mail from Canadian soldier with this unit, written on board transport SS Megantic - the date written was 4th November, and KZ states the date franked as 11th November, although the date is not clear from the image in the NL).