Censor labels on mail from the BEF, 1939-40.

[Nick Colley]

All, I have a quest ion from our member Ingo Egerlandt in Germany. I draw your attention the attached scans of an item from the BEF in November 1939, postmarked FPO 10. Ingo is concerned about the use of a plain un-coded (ie no printing details) re-sealing label, and how its use came about. My own thoughts are that the item was sealed (in error) before being handed to the censor.  He had to open it to allow him to perform the censoring. The small ACL1 label is clearly inadequate to reseal the envelope securely, so I expect he used the blank label to do that, then applied the ACL1 label across it to show it was opened and re-sealed officially. Ingo was pondering whether the blank label we see here should have been a Base Censor label, but none were available, so the blank label was used with the ACL1 label to make it 'official'. Alternatively, perhaps the wrong label was sent from the stationery stores? All rather imponderable, really, from this distance in time?

Ingo has developed his thoughts further, but onto a new line of thought: can we rule out civil censorship of mail from the BEF? This seems unlikely to me, so I suspect we probably can. It would show itself by the use of civil censor labels. I have to say that I can't remember seeing a civilian censor label on mail from the BEF which shows all the evidence of having gone through the correct military censorship.

Any thoughts, folks?
chrs
N.

[Michael Dobbs]

My observations and comments on this are as follows:

- It is not civil censorship: there is nothing to indicate that it has anything to do with civil censorship.  The OHMS label is a generic government wide label for use on envelopes that can be opened and re-used by using other similar labels.  They were used by HM Forces as the illustration on p.50 of your "World War Two Censor Marks (2nd Edition)" clearly shows.  Unfortunately Ingo's example does not show an imprint (unless it is hidden by the Opened by Censor AF.W. 3424 label) only the wording "Lablest".

- The Opened by Censor label (FPHS Type ACL1) and the Passed by Censor No 666 cachet (FPHS Type A100) are military.

- The 666 cachet is tied to both the OHMS label and envelope; the Opened by Censor label is likewise tied to both OHMS label and cover.  This (to me) indicates that it has been opened and re-sealed only once and then immediately passed to the APO for datestamping.

- I would suggest that this indicates it was censored by the Base Censor and not at unit level: there is no censor signature, as required for items censor at unit level.  I would suggest that censor 666 was used by the Base Censor who also used label ACL1 to show that it had been opened.  After Base Censorship items would be passed immediately to the APO for transmission.

- There can be any number of reasons why the OHMS label was used rather than a formal base censor label.  You have mentioned one such reason.  The other is that they may not have been thought of at that time - the ACL1 label is clearly using up old WW1 stock, again as your book at p.61 indicates.

Mike  :)

[Peter Harvey]

Hi both,

I always think these items are amazing when you stop for a second, forget the philately and think about the situation the soldiers Unit and for that the Base Censor would have been in at the time. The position of the BEF was rapidly changing, with significant reinforcement and troop movements. At a Unit level even having stationary (let alone a censor hand stamp) would likely be challenging and surely it would have been a case of using what was at hand.

The ACL1 labels I have seen are often unusual and supported with additional tape, or gummed paper when they have closed a cover, other than a couple I have, which neatly close the back of the cover.

I would assume the Unit opened the item, resealed with the OHMS label and forwarded to the base censor, where the ACL1 was applied, then handed to the FPO for mailing, who only tied the ACL1 due to its location on the cover.

I think...........

Peter

[Ingo Egerlandt]

Hi Nick, Mike and Peter,
I think about, the ACL used by BEF is a provisorium about the BCL label are out or not in offices.

Look at this, please. It is not normal what we can see.

Thank you for your help together

Ingo