Base Fleet Mail Office 20 Singapore 1968

[Peter Harvey]

I have not seen this postmark before and wonder if anyone has any records relating to its period of use.

Krag machine (sorry the picture is faint) BASE FLEET MAIL OFFICE 20 - 26 APR 1968. The reverse clearly locates this in Singapore where Fleet Mail Office 20 was - but not seen this BASE date stamp.

Any thoughts?

Regards Peter

[Chris Weddell]

Hi Peter,

          The Base Fleet Mail Office 20 machine cancellation like yours is mentioned as being seen in the ' The Maritime Mail Cancellations of Great Britain' by Mike Dovey (p139). The date seen is for the 10th of July 1967 3 PM. I have also seen this machine cancellation before for 1968.

                                                    Chris

[Michael Dobbs]

Gents

It is fully recorded in my book "British Forces Machine Postmarks 1940-1983" published by the Society way back in 1983 (two copies still available !)

This is a single ring Universal (not Krag) type machine with seven broken wavy line cancelling bars.  The machine die was replaced by ANZUK F.P.O. 5 / -1- die using the same machine.

Dates I have recorded are:

10 JLY 1967 - 26 SEP 1967 wavy lines
6 MCH 1968 & 11 MCH 1968 with I'm Backing Britain slogan
20 MCH 1968 - 9 JAN 1971 wavy lines

Th earliest recorded date I have for the ANZUK F.P.O. 5 -1- is 15 NOV 1972
In turn this die head was replaced by B.F.P.O. 28 and the earliest recorded date I have for this machine  in Singapore is 8 MCH 1974

Hope this helps.

Mike  :)

[Peter Harvey]

Thank you both.

Mike..... I have your book and checked this morning....missed it.

The ANZUK fits somehow as this came from a collector in Australia !!

Thank you both.

Peter