EAAPO 58 CEYLON

[Ross Debenham]

I attach a copy of an envelope from a native Tanganyikan member of the East African forces on Ceylon dated 22 February 1945. Post marked at A.P.O. 58 located at the East African No 4 Lines Of Communication Post Office at Colombo. I have no problems with the censor markers as they seem to be correct, as I have the Triangular field censor 180 on another cover from the same post office. Number one query is that the service number is AA 20780 which I would have thought should have been T or TT as the soldier was from Tanganyika Territory. Did these prefixes change later in the war. Number 2 is why has NORGE and NORVEGE been written on front and back of the cover. Number 3 query is what appears to be a Ceylonese post marker stamped on rear of the cover. Why so? There only small queries but I hope a member can assist.

[Jim Mackay]

A very tenuous suggestion but maybe someone misread "Swahili Language" as Swedish Language, which they may have then directed towards a Norwegian speaking censor in the absence of a Swedish one.

I agree that the backstamp KUNGLITAN??? looks a bit like a local Ceylonese cancel but I can't find such a place in the Sri Lanka PO list of offices.

Regards
Jim

[Peter Harvey]

Not sure amour the Norge annotations, they look a lot later to me and might not be related. I read the datestamp on the reverse as KUNGUTA which is in Tanzania.

Peter

[Nick Colley]

A couple of things: I see it's addressed to Chunya, and good old Google Maps shows me that Chunya is about 20-25kms or so from Kunguta. Secondly, I note the address is a Greek - or at least has a Greek name.

chrs
N

[Alan Baker]

I have found a Lt JE Hansford on FWR who served with Royal Fusiliers (City of London) Regiment during the war. Several battalions were in East Africa but also in Italy, notably at Monte Casino

I have not found any reference to Ceylon however and would imagine the battalions were out of East Africa by 1945

[Ross Debenham]

Thanks everybody for your assistance, I google earthed Chunya  as well but missed Kungata. I can see where the language could have been mistaken for Swedish, but is no doubt Swahili, which is one of the 2 official languages of Tanzania. With regards to the AA prefix on the Service number. I have an envelope from this command at the end of the war from a native soldier in which the censor marker has an AA prefix. I wonder if the reinforcements to the command were given the AA prefix denoting  just African reinforcements instead of the prefixes denoting the different territories, ie N for Nigerian or GC for Gold Coast.