Whereabouts of FPO 531.

[Chris Weddell]

Hi All.
       Does anyone know the whereabouts of FPO 531 on the 1oth of April 1944 .I know it was in Italy but would like to know where.

                                       Chris  ???

[Chris Weddell]

Hi,
  This is a scan of the front of the air mail air letter. It was sent from the hospital ship H.M.H.S. Dorsetshire.

                                  Chris.

[Michael Dobbs]

Chris

I can only go by what Proud records in his Volume III (1927-1963) who records FPO 531 as being:

APO S.572 Taranto, Italy - (3.10.43) - (2.12.48)
But then goes on to list the datestamp as being returned to the Home Postal Centre 1.7.[u]46[/u] !

Anyone else able to assist please ?

Regards, Mike  ;D

[Chris Weddell]

Mike,
     
        Thanks for the help with this. Was it common to send mail from hospital ships via air mail ? ???

                                Chris.

[Peter Harvey]

Chris,

Its common to get Air Mail Letters from Navy Ships generally - so I assume hospital ships would be the same - especially with a transient population moving ship to shore - Nice item.

Peter

[Chris Weddell]

Hi Peter,
       
            Thanks for the help.

                      Chris  ;D

[Michael Dobbs]

Chris

The censor stamp is an Army censor stamp and looks to be in the same handwriting as the address - which may indicate the air letter was from an officer as part of the staff of the hospital ship ?

What name / address does the sender give please ?

Mike  ;)

[Chris Weddell]

Mike,

        The sender gives the address of Hospital Ship Dorsetshire c/o G.P.O. London E.C. She does not give a name, as the writer is a woman. Looking at the censor stamp the name is D L Well i think. I would say that is the sender.

                                        Chris  ;D