India FPO23 East Africa 1914

[Michael Johnston]

I have this East African WW1 cover originating at Bissel in Kenya. Alongside an Indian FPO23 cancel there is an inverted triangle mark "Welsh/4". Can anyone tell me more?

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Michael,

I replied, because no-one else has yet.

This almost looks like and 'inspectors' mark, small triangle cachet type, although I can not locate anything with this type of wording, although I only have a few reference publications that might cover this.

It certainly does not look like a military cachet, the majority of the Indian FPO cachets of the period have the I.E.F. lettering.

Whilst I would suggest this was applied in the UK, I am not sure where/why, hopefully other members might comment.

Peter

[Michael Dobbs]

Michael & Peter

I have found a reference to such a mark in Stanley Gibbons "Collect British Postmarks" 8th Edition, Edited by Bill Pipe, 2011

page 326 under "Inspectors' marks" lists this (no illustration) as 19/66 (19 representing section 19: Newspaper, Parcel, Registration, Express and Triangular Postmarks) with the comment "SCOTCH, WELSH and IRISH with numbers" - in this case WELSH / 4.

Could it be that it was accidentally routed to Wales?

Mike  :)

[Michael Johnston]

Interesting. Thank you both for your help.

Michael