WWII East Africa APO 52 used Lusaka N Rhodesia

[jsoriano]

Would like to know which Brigade it was attached to (HQ?). Besides being a L of C office, were there any other specific reasons for being situated in Lusaka?

[Ross Debenham]

I am pretty sure that APO 52 was a Lines of Communications post office at all times in its lifetime. If the Headquarters are mentioned it would most probably be one of the Northern Rhodesian Rifle regiments. Can you post a scan of the cover so we can take a closer look at the cover.

[jsoriano]

Thanks for that, appreciated.
I think you're right about its being a L of C for most of its life, although Rossiter mentions it as being a Unit office with 12 Div at one time. It was also a L of C office at Thika prior moving to Lusaka. He also mentions that it might have been used by 12 (A) Div HQ in the Garissa area ( 7.2.41)-(13.2.41).
I have read through "The Story of The Northern Rhodesia Regiment", but no mention there.

Rossiter does give on reason for its location in Lusaka was for raising troops in the area.Also the Regimental depot of 1

[jsoriano]

[quote author=Ross Debenham link=topic=1016.msg4568#msg4568 date=1498452793]
I am pretty sure that APO 52 was a Lines of Communications post office at all times in its lifetime. If the Headquarters are mentioned it would most probably be one of the Northern Rhodesian Rifle regiments. Can you post a scan of the cover so we can take a closer look at the cover.
[/quote]


Ross, apologies. My reply was sent unfinished - by accident! Am still learning my way around Forum.

Joan

[Ross Debenham]

Hi Joan
Another place this post office could have been servicing is the recruitment/training camps in Northern Rhodesia. I think there was a lot a small units in NR with not enough capacity to sustain an Army Post Office at this time in the war, so that is why a L of C post office. I would be handy if you could find which unit the censor marker was attached to. I note with interest that Rossiter nots that East African forces were stationed on the Great North Road, the main overland route. I believe that there is still large scope for investigation of the East African APS movements during the war. If I ever get a spare year some day I might attempt it.

Ross D

[jsoriano]

Hi Ross,
Thanks for that. Think you're right about a lot of small units being in that area - it would be very interesting to know which, and who they were attached to. They were obviously all catered for by APO 52.

Really, the answer would be to find out who was using that censor mark at the time. Would you know if any records of the Crown over Shield marks with their locations have been compiled?

Otherwise the alternative is reading - an account of the war years in NR would be useful, if there is such a book!

Regards, Joan

[Ross Debenham]

Hi again Joan
I have just checked my collection and I have an Air Mail letter post marked APO 80 dated 8 III 1945 and censored using Type A.600 censor marker number 4718. This was a Lines of Communication PO located at Kampala, Uganda from 1 November, 1943 to 1September, 1945. The cover actually originated from the Infantry Training Camp at Jinja, Uganda. It looks like these are two in a series of censor markers issued to forces in Uganda.

Ross D

[jsoriano]

Hi Ross,
This is very interesting, and rather odd. Both censor marks must have been issued to Ugandan forces, so how did 4717 end up in Lusaka? This is a long shot, but I'm wondering if there could have been a connection between the Infantry Training Camp at Jinja and the camps for recruitment/training in Lusaka. It is just possible that the Lusaka camp/camps were staffed by Jinja instructors who would be well equipped to take on raw recruits. If that was the case, it could explain the use of the Uganda censor mark. It's rather a wild theory, but if that was the case, records from the ITC  at Jinja would confirm that. As nothing seems to be known as to which unit was manning EA APO 52, it is possible albeit somewhat unlikely.

Joan