Cover of the Day 7 May- UNAMIR

[Michael Dobbs]

I had hoped to post this yesterday along with other posts that involved Australian FPOs - but I was busy with other tasks.

This is a philatelic item, but it is difficult to get genuine postal history items - AUSS F.P.O. 4 dated 17 AP 95

Operation Tamar was the name given to Australia's involvement in supporting the United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) during 1994.  Australia provided an Australian Medical Support Force (ASMSF later known as AUSMED) to provide medical support to both the UN force and to the Rwandan people.  'A' Company, 2nd/4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2/4 RAR) provided the Rifle Company to AUSMED (some 34 personnel).  An advance party left Townsville on Sunday 6 August 1994 and arrived Kigali Airport, Rwanda via Diago Garcia at midnight 7/8 August 1994. The main body arrived during the week 20-24 August.  The Australian Medical Company comprised 93 individuals from 29 different medical units within the three services.  At that time the AUSMED contained the only X-ray department in Rwanda.  The majority of AUSMED were located at Kigali.

A total of 638 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were involved with AUSMED in two rotations (ASC1 and ASC2) during 1994-95.  These comprised medical and surgical personnel, an infantry rifle company, Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) section (B Squadron 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment), engineers, RAEME, signals and other supporting elements.

A contingent of AUSMED was at the Kibeho massacre of 22 April 1995, in which a small Australian team witnessed the massacre of over 2,000 people by the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF).  Restricted by the UN Mandate and the Rules of Engagement, the Australian soldiers could only look on in horror as to what had unfolded in front of them.  Under fire and often under the threat of the RPF, the Australians managed to set up a Casualty Evacuation station and conducted triage and treatment for the wounded Hutus.

Mike  :)

[Marc Parren]

Hi all,
Since we have a discussion on philatelic versus commercial I thought I add a commercial incoming one of the Australians. Most collectors are only interested in outgoing mail but the incoming ones are even rarer. Philatelic covers of these peacekeeping operations are sometimes the only evidence of use of the respective FPO postmarks as the family of military throw covers straight away into the wastebin and we never get to see them. Anyhow the last 20 years snail mail is out of fashion with these military since they are making mobile phone calls and use the internet mostly. So recent operations we see zero covers!!
Regards
Marc

[Michael Dobbs]

Marc

A very nice cover - as you say we don't often see covers going to the military in recent years.  This provides good evidence as to how mail to service personnel should be addressed in such circumstances.

Thank you for sharing.

Mike  :)

[Chris Grimshaw]

Nice Cover Marc

To echo Mike . Cheers for sharing.

Chris