FPHS A300 Unit Censor Earliest Known Date

[Peter Harvey]

I would welcome any comments on the attached for my own records:

FPHS Type A300 Passed By Unit Censor 21 used on a Egypt Army Post cover cancelled with the MPO MARSA MATRAH datestamp 11 SE 39.

I would like to know if anyone has recorded this cachet used earlier than this. This was noted as from John Hobbs collection and the earliest recorded date, but that was some years ago before we all started to use the internet for research and study.

Any observations welcome.

[Michael Dobbs]

Peter

I have just checked Alistair Kennedy's very large ledger on Army censor marks and find that he has recorded the very same date nd censor number, so presumably got his information from John Hobbs.

I can only see one other date for September 1939 - 27 on 26 SE 39 possibly pmk'd E608
ALK records 27 as being at Mersa Matruh - it is extremely difficult to read and understand his recordings at times, very small handwriting!

All other 1939 dates for this type of censor being October, November and December - so still looks like it is the earliest date recorded!

Mike

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for this, it sounds like Alistair's ledger needs some work but would be invaluable to the collector. I spent some time talking to a none FPHS member this week who collects WW2 censor cachets, his frustration being that no one has published known dates against WW2 British Army cachets..... I was trying to encourage him.

This is certainly early - if not rather tatty.

Peter