African Pioneers in Egypt and Beyond post WW2

[Michael Johnston]

Is there a member who can help me, at least in part, regarding the following?

Post ww2, MELF is numbered 1 through to 27. Are these groupings of units or postal addresses?
At what dates were the various East African and Indian Ocean pioneer companies formed?
African and Indian Ocean pioneer companies were organised into groups. Which companies went into which groups?
The groups were attached to British Army divisions. Which ones and where? I believe most companies were posted to Egypt but some may have been in Palestine or elsewhere.

The Society published a fine article about African pioneers post ww2 in 2002 but it doesn't contain this detail.

Michael Johnston

[Michael Dobbs]

Michael

MELF/MEAF numbers were addresses in the main, some numbers after 25 were for formations or in one case MELF 30 was for the East Africa Pioneer Corps in the Middle East - see my article in Journal No 211 (Spring 1992).  The details I have on MELF 30 are as follows:

[b]MELF 30[/b] East African Pioneer Corps in the opened 1952 closed 1956
                                                Middle East
[u]Notes[/u]:

(i) John Smith in "Stamp Collecting" for 23rd October 1953 shows the following localities covered: "Not known"

(ii) Post Office Circular of 13 February 1952 [inserted]
[as an amendment to July 1951 Edition, Post Office Guide]
[acceptance of telegrams]
[Ordinary telegram rate identical to civil rate for Lower Egypt]

Post Office Circular of 23 July 1952 [inserted]
[as an amendment to Counter Compendium Postal Supplement No 6]
[air parcel rate 2/9d per ½ lb]

(iii) As at 1 January 1953 the above address applied to 211, 321 and 322 Groups, Royal Pioneer Corps (RPC) (East African Pioneer Corps).
[The National Archives document WO276/51 (GHQ East Africa ORBAT)]

(iv) Listed in July 1954 Edition, Post Office Guide (air parcel rate 2/9d per ½ lb)
Listed in July 1955 Edition, Post Office Guide (air parcel rate 2/9d per ½ lb)

(v) Post Office Circular of 21 March 1956 [withdrawn]
[and as an amendment to July 1955 Edition, Post Office Guide]
[acceptance of telegrams]

Mike  :)

[Michael Dobbs]

Michael

The article you refer to is FPHS Newsletter 251 (Spring 2002)  - "Indian Ocean and East African Pioneers" - available for viewing on our Journal archive section of our website.

It refers to two Pioneer Groups - Nos 84 and 214.  A quick check of The National Archives has found these files on quarterly historical reports which may or may not be of use in determining formation of relevant pioneer companies:

WO261/423 - 84 Group - 1946
to
WO261/426 - 84 Group - 1949

WO261/430 - 214 Group - 1949-50

Mike  :)

[Michael Johnston]

Many thanks Mike