Cover of the Day 13th April

[Chris Grimshaw]

Afternoon Team

My item for today is a PPC showing the Lighthouse New Brighton

Addressed to a W Raynor, Third Writer H2 RNAS, EMS, Mudros C/O GPO.

Cancelled Wallasey Aug 13 1917, Circular NAVAL AIR SERVICE MAIL LONDON CACHET in Blue

Does anyone know this significance of "H 2" in the address.

Chris

[Michael Dobbs]

Chris

I think a simple explanation it could be H Q (not 2) ??
Which would appear to make more sense; I did a quick search on the web and if you look at this link:
[url=https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/256409-seaplane-attack-on-ss8-mudros-dec-24-1916/]https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/256409-seaplane-attack-on-ss8-mudros-dec-24-1916/[/url]
and scroll down to the chat by 'MerchantOldSalt' you will see a reference to a weekly operations reports by HQ RNAS Mudros

There is also this large document:
[url=https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/2935516/498772.pdf]https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/files/2935516/498772.pdf[/url]
and if you go to pdf page 207 (document page 206) and see footnote 69 it refers to RNAS Headquarters Mudros

Mike  :)

[Chris Grimshaw]

Thanks Mike

Fully concur, makes sense.  Fresh eyes always help. 

The document you have found also is  a very useful document. 

Cheers

Chris

[Chris Grimshaw]

Second for today,

Can anyone make out this chaps name please. I'm stumped.

Chris

[Nick Colley]

Looks like Sapper F.J. Hurt, Chris.

What do other folks think?

chrs
N

[Michael Dobbs]

Mine today is not so much a "cover of the day" but a request for information - I am aware that the majority of users on the Forum thus far appear to be WW1 or Royal Navy aficionados but some of you may have information which may be of help.

One of my researches involves registered labels on Forces mail, in particular the numbered cachets used and more particularly those used in BAOR prefixed with the initials 'BP'. 

The numerals applied to Registration labels (and also on Courier Service labels) after the inscription "FPO D.S." denotes the office of origin and were either handwritten or applied by a small rubber cachet.  The number usually corresponded with the steel datestamp number being used at a particular counter position.  More often than not in recent years this has been entered in manuscript rather than a cachet.

There were two exceptions to the use of a datestamp number: in the days of British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) postal indicator numbers a small rubber cachet corresponding to the BAOR indicator number was used and later, again within BAOR, a series of rubber cachets with a number prefixed by the letters 'BP' were used. 

The late Dr M W (Matthew) Carstairs FRPSL (who served in BAOR as a doctor in the Army and joined the Society in 1961, sadly died in 1985) produced a typewritten manuscript on foolscap paper on the Forces postal organisation in BAOR in c.1962 which included a listing of registration label numerals.  It is thought that the letters 'BP' stood for 'British Post' but this has not been verified.  It is not known why the 'BP' series were used, nor have they been used in any other context or outside of BAOR.  He noted the following 'BP' cachets:

BP56 - BFPO 39
BP52 (two types), BP54 (two types), BP55 and BP57 - BFPO 40 Rheindahlen

The following is a list of BP numbers I have compiled, showing locations where known:

BP29 seen on mail from Command Pay Office, Lübbecke (BAOR 29)
                (could this be an error for the BAOR cachet '29' ?)
BP38 Rheindahlen (used by Courier Office 2141)
50         BFPO 40 Mönchengladbach (manuscript '50' only)
BP51 BFPO 29 Minden
52         BFPO 40 Mönchengladbach (Command Pay Office) (manuscript '52' only)
BP54 BFPO 40 Rheindahlen
BP55 BFPO 40 Rheindahlen
BP56 BFPO 39 Bielefeld
BP57 BFPO 40 Rheindahlen
58         Münster
BP60 Düsseldorf (only on mail from British Consulate General)

See attached cover datestamped FIELD POST OFFICE 764 on 22 JU 67 with BP 54 as an example.

Thanks, Mike  :)

[Peter Harvey]

Well I missed yesterday, hope that you all had a good Easter Sunday, I was in the garden. So to make up for it I have what I think is a great cover of the day.

A Registered cover to Ealing franked 4.1/2d cancelled Field Post Office X 26 JU 29 - with the R No.124 APO S.40 registration label amended to FPO X.

On the reverse a further strike FPO X and two London Registration marks.

A little known date stamp, never used in WW1, Proud records in 1924 in Germany, but in 1929 the date stamp was used at the French Artillery camp at Birche (Saar), in Lorraine France on the Germany boarder. There is no unit allocation, however K&C notes record with the 13th Army on the Rhine at Artillery Training Camp.

If anyone knows more please do lt me know.

[Peter Harvey]

Mike,

Thank you for sharing this today I have likely skipped through these not really knowing the significance of their use and the fact that the BF cachets had a limited use, I shall look much closer in the future and let you know if I locate any.

Peter

[Peter Harvey]

Chris,

What about

Hurt, Frederick Thomas
Service Number: 5010
Unit - 14th Field Company, Australian Engineers
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Enlisted August 15
Died of wounds 26 Oct 17

See the attached - From the Australian War Memorial website

[Chris Grimshaw]

Nick / Peter

A big thank you.

Confirm he's Frederick Thomas Hurt

Part one of his service record attached.

Chris