My Covers of th Day 2 May 2020 - APO SZ13

[Peter Harvey]

Hi,

It is such a nice day that this took a back seat, I was going to list first thing. But then I hope these two covers fit in with a theme of Salonika Forces that we have seen from Chris throughout the week and Chris/Alan and others might also correct me if I am wrong !!

I have shown two covers (same handwriting) used on the 8th and 17th October 1916 both registered paid at 2d (registration fee) and cancelled with neat ARMY POST OFFICE SZ13 date stamps. Now I purchased and later sold a large collection of SX and SZ datestamps in the 1980's also I handled some of John Hobbs SZ items, to me all these covers SX/SZ and similar from the Middle East in WW1 are rare, they have never been easy to find.

Proud records SZ13 on these dates in Egypt, no location and Kennedy & Crabb Egypt Canal Defences. The CM3 Censor marks are both 3711 and both signed G.R. Longden, assuming this was a commission Officer, I would suggest 2Lt George R Longden of the Yorks and Lancashire Regiment. The date would be about right for the Regiment arriving in Egypt and moving forward to Salonika, having served and suffered significant loses on the Somme and at Ypres.

[Nick Colley]

They'e better quality strikes than are usually seen of the SZ marks, I think.  :)

chrs
N

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hi Peter

Two nice covers, Both good strikes,  the address rings a bell from somewhere as well.

FD also lists 3/3711 as seen with SZ 13, FPO 158 & FPO 160,, Very unlikely this was a unit which went to Salonika.  They would have transferred from Gallipoli with 53rd Division.

Interesting to see two items so close together from the same person to a non commercial address.

Also raises the question how the APO system was recording registered mail at this time.  The Reg labels were I believe printed in sheets 1 to 100, earlier 1 to 50.  Very rarely one will see examples with the sheet selvage still attached.  (Few and far between)  At some stage certainly larger offices entered a manuscript No to take them up to 1000 and then starting again.  When this came in not sure yet.

Secondly a further question I've been exploring is when did these Blank labels become available to the APO SZ series and indeed Base APO Z. 

Certainly in the Dardanelles campaign period up to late Jan 1916 all examples from the SZ series of registered mail I've seen registration details are entered directly onto the cover in manuscript in crayon.

When one looks at Registered mail for the Base APO Y and FPO offices operating in the area use of the Blank labels is much more prevalent.

This I believe is the result of how the Postal System was set up at that time.  The first party which went out was designated Z and went on to establish Base APO Z in Egypt with a series of sub offices, SZ 1 to 6 & SZ 8 operating in the Dardanelles theater with APO SZ 7 at Malta,  all controlled by Base Z in Egypt.

The second party under Lt Kempe  was designated Y, it is recorded they took a stock of Postal supplies with them this probably included the Blank Labels for registration.

In effect we have two postal systems running in parallel, Z operating the stationary offices and Y operating the reminder.  Base Z probably didn't think a supply of Black Labels was needed or couldn't obtain any? It would be interesting to see the earliest date of use of these labels under Base Z.

The early build up in Salonika muddies the water slightly.  when the first units arrived from France they brought with them what ever stock they had.  As this ran out various offices resorted to manuscript details on the covers until new supplies were received.See my display on Registered Mails on the Display section for examples

Still a lot to discover on this one yet.

Chris

[Michael Dobbs]

Also note the "time" slugs - one is X and the other B - what do these indicate?  Time (I would have thought A and B) or different offices?  Just another issue to take into consideration?

Mike

[Chris Grimshaw]

At this stage I don't feel "time" was the issue.  later on in busier and semi civil offices yes.

Codes seen are usually, None, A - B - X or +

Dater was made up or certainly date changed every day,  Possibly if more than one dater was in use different Code inserted.  Larger office/ busier, possible one table just for registration.

On the Double Ring daters errors of make up are very uncommon unlike the skeleton daters where inverted of missing letters are sometimes seen.  A whole area of study really, which needs a lot of material from a short space of time ideally to draw any conclusions.

I always show in my records Code Letter and also in write up but a lot of collectors tend to overlook or ignore these details.

Food for thought

Chris