WW1 Registered envelope routed in Belgium & France

[Michael Dobbs]

I received the following query back in April and it became 'lost' amongst my emails:

[color=maroon]I have a Registered envelope from Nov 1918, sent from the 55th Div. in Belgium and ending up with the 3rd Cav. HQ in Leige, Belgium the following month. The Postal Museum kindly let me know what the various Army Post Office franks were, but what I am after is why it took such a curious route.  The Postal Museum identified the postmarks for me, as:

Army Post Office R.55, 28 Nov 18: (p.129) R55=55 (West Lancs) Division Railhead, Nov 1918-15.12.18 at Leuze (Belgium)

Field Post Office D.46 28 Nov 18: (p.252) D46=46 (North Midland) Division HQ, 15.11.18-Dec.1918 at Landrecies (France)

Army Post Office S.40, 28 Nov 18: (p.145) 30.5.18-Sep.1918 at Wizernes (France); from 19.12.18 opened at Cologne (Germany) so a bit unclear for that date

Field Post Office G, 30 Nov 18: (p.264) G=GHQ BEF, 4.12.17-(24.4.19) Montreuil (France)

Army Post Office R.C.3, Dec 2 18: (p.132) RC3=3rd Cav. Div. Railhead, Dec.1918-(19.2.19) Liege Area (Belgium) 

Field Post Office D.K. 6 Dec 18: (p.261) Spare datestamp used by different units at different times although last use according to this book is in the phase ending 31.7.18 when it was used by FPO D38=38th (Welsh) Div HQ

(These were all taken from E B Proud's History of British Army Postal Services Vol II 1903-1927)

I understand that in late 1918, interpreters and units were being moved daily and this cover may have followed this chap as he was sent from A to B, but why this route? And had anyone come across this chap Demesmaker before?

Also the manuscript M T Coy (or is that M J Coy) - Motor Transport Company?[/color]

Thanks, Mike

[Alan Baker]

I imagine the first stamp was FPO D46 as in the registration box. This date was still in the VIth stage of the Security period and Proud and K&C allocate this to 55 Division at Leuze in Belgium. This would fit in with the APO R55 stamp applied the same day - 55 Div Railhead at the same location. APO S40's location is vague from September 1918 until it opened in Cologne in December(?). Leuze is some distance from the German border, suggesting perhaps that S40 was located in that area at the time (same date).

FPO G would presumably have been applied because the letter was originally addressed to him c/o GHQ. Alistair's index cards suggest that DK was in use by 3rd Cavalry Division at Liege in early 1919, so perhaps his assumption was correct, in view of the RC3 stamp and written address on the envelope.

The suggestion that he was acting as interpreter with the 3rd Cavalry Division sounds plausible

[Michael Dobbs]

Alan

Many thanks for your thoughtful answer.

Mike