Cover of the Day 20th April Early 1916 Egypt Townsend Correspondence

[Chris Grimshaw]

Morning Team,

Staying with Townsend but at least I can now start to introduce some cover material.

Previous post left us with Townsend on Mudros 15 Nov 15,  Unit transfered to Egypt by early December 15.  On arrival in Egypt he wrote two letters to Mother datelined 16 1 16 giving a location as Salhish Camp,  Letters 7 & 8.  Letter 9 to his Father datelined El Salhish, Near Zagazig, Lower Egypt 18 1 6.  No covers survive with these 3 letters.

Flavour of these letters suggests may be the first since arrival in Egypt.

He next wrote on 6 March 1916, no location given.  Talks about censorship has been tightened up a lot as to what they can write etc.  Again no cover.  Letter No 10

I attach the letter and cover he wrote 12 March 16 and posted through FPO 1 Y (Proud gives location as Egypt) not very helpful. He gives no clue as to whereabouts in the letter which is 2 pages but also cross written.  Cover was censored by 3/3573 Allocated by FD to 1st / 1st Warwickshire Yeomanry.  At this stage he is not self censoring but censorship carried out by another officer.  This I classify as Letter No 11

Chris