Late Use of Type 2 Censor in 1916

[Chris Grimshaw]

Team

I show a find from Banstead yesterday (13th August,)

A Honour Envelope cancelled with the Double Ring CDS from BASE ARMY POST OFFICE X (Salonika Base Office) 4 JY (July) 16

Signed by the sender.  Straight forward,  Meets all the requirements for dispatch

However, It has been censored by a military censor, Unit level?  unknown.  These Envelopes if correctly signed did not need the Unit Censor stamp applied, however we find examples so treated.

However the Censor is Type 2, No 3078.  what's the query you're probably all wondering.

Censor Type 2 was used by the 10th Division and other units which transferred to Salonika from Galipoli and Egypt from October 1915.  The Units transferred from France from late November 1915 brought with them the Type 3 Censor hand-stamps which they'd been issued with. This is not a number I previously record from Salonika, F.D. gives no details.

However early in 1916 the Censor users of Type 2 were issued with Type 3 Hand-stamps and the Type 2 withdrawn.  The latest usage I record is early February, 1916. 

It's possible this item originates from a Unit which had arrived from Egypt around this date and still possessed its Type 2 hand-stamp.  (I'm not sure when the changeover occurs in Egypt) 
Chris

[Alan Baker]

Nothing in AK's ledger but I have recorded from his record cards 2/3078 used with FPOGM in March 1916 (GHQ MEF - Egypt, Ismailia).

I think these cards are now with Chris St-Weddell. Not sure this helps.

Could you add a scan?

[Chris Grimshaw]

Thanks Alan

Scan was attached to original post!

Is it possible from F.D.'s card to ascertain latest use of Type 2 in Egypt?  The closest number I record to this example is 3054 in use until early Feb 1916

Chris 

[Alan Baker]

Chris

I have now been through the records I have gathered from a variety of sources relating to the use of CM2 censors in Egypt in 1916. The later ones are:
3002 15th Feb    FPO4Y
3055 4th March  FPOEY
2547 14th April  BAPOZ
2588 19th April  BAPOZ
3302 19th April  FPOMH3

Hope this helps