FPO 97 handstamp from BEF?

[Ingo Egerlandt]

Hello alltogether,
Please write me, a story about the FPO 97 handstamp from 11th June 1940. These envelope was send to canada with 2 1/2 p postage rate. Can this FPO handstamp use in France? The earliest date in proud's book is the 11th June 1941. I can send two pictures from my item.
Ingo Egerlandt

[Michael Dobbs]

Ingo

Datestamps FIELD POST OFFICE 95 to 99 were issued to No 3 Canadian Postal Unit (which served 1st Canadian Division) on 19 March 1940.  Five was the usual number of datestamps issued to a divisional postal unit.  FPO 95 is recorded lost or destroyed in France June 1940.

I have recorded FPO 97 as being used on JU 19 40 (A1/2231); JU 28 40 (A1/2231) and JU 29 40 (A1/2463).  The use of month then day is considered synonymous with Canadian use, rather than the British way of day then month. 

Your illustration, being month then day indicates Canadian use, reinforced by it being addressed to Canada, and therefore use by 1st Canadian Division.  I know that elements from 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade (part of the Division) were sent to France - the following are extracts from the Divisional Postal Unit War Diary:

17 June 1940 - News received of the probable French capitulation.  HQ 1 Cdn Inf Bde and 48th Highlanders had returned to Aldershot.

21 June 1940 - NCO i/c FPO C.1 reported the loss of all stores and equipment of FPO C.1

This would appear to coincide with the reported loss of FPO 95 datestamp as recorded above.  Therefore I would suggest that only one FPO datestamp number was taken to France and that FPO 97 was [u]not[/u] used in France.  However, I am open to other views by persons who may have better knowledge or recordings from that period than I have.

Regards, Mike  ;)

[Ingo Egerlandt]

Mike,

many thanks for the information. It´s a early handstamped envelope from canadian forces in england.


Until next time
Ingo

[akennedy]

Mike has provided relevant information. however I can provide a little more.
I confirm that datestamp FPO 97 was used in UK, not in BEF.
1st Canadian Brigade HQ landed in France on 14th June 1940, but re-embarked the same day to return to UK. Datestamp FPO 95 must be the one with the brigade FPO, and it is most unlikely that the FPO operated during the short period they were ashore. As it was reported as lost, it was presumably destroyed before re-embarkation. There is no record of its use.
There is also no record of use of datestamps 96, 98 and 99 (either in UK or in BEF).

A new set of datestamps was issued to 1st Canadian Division on 27th June 1940 - numbers 310 to 315. It was evidently a few days before these were taken into use, as 97 is recorded up to 29 JU 40.

All the Divisions returning from BEF were issued with new sets of datestamps. Some datestamps used in BEF were subsequently reallocated.

Sorry I am late coming in on this subject, but I have been very busy.

Alistair

[Ingo Egerlandt]

Alistair, many thanks for your details. I read again in Ellis book today. My item is send a short time before arrived to france.
No problem, if you are busy. Stamps have got time,
Ingo