Late use of Type 3 Censor Western Front

[Chris Grimshaw]

Afternoon Team

Still working my way through the Island Bridge material

Have come on a couple of puzzling items in March 1916 with use of the type 3 censor

On the Western Front Type 3 was replaced in January 1916 by Type 4  (FD gives about 4th Jan 16 as the date)
For units which left the Western Front in late 1915 for Salonika and Egypt they took their allocated Type 3 with them.

FD records that units using Type 2 in Egypt etc had these replaced by Type 3 in April 1916, Certainly for Salonika this happened by mid February.

Now to the covers in question.

Scan shows a cover into Island Bridge.  Cancelled Field Post Office 37 – Dated 24 March 1916 Censor 3 / 3437 (Not recorded by FD) Used by 37th Brigade 12th Division 

Back-stamped APO R 31 - 24 March 1916. This APO Railhead office served 31st Division and had arrived from a short spell in Egypt by 1 March 1916

37th Brigade, 12th Division spent all its time on the Western Front and 'should' have received a Type 4 censor in Jan 1916

Alternately we're looking at a poorly inked FPO 87 cancel which served 87th Brigade 29th Division.  This Div after leaving Gallipoli spent time in Egypt. Embarking in March it arrived at Marseilles and moved to concentrate in the area east of Pont Remy between 15 and 29 March.
If as I suspect this is a poor strike of FPO 87 it shows an issue of the Type 3 censor earlier than recorded.

I also record a second cover Cancelled Army Post Office S 7 – Dated 12 March 1916 Censor 3 / 3502 which FD allocates to 94th Brigade 31st Division. History shown below

The Division took over the No 3 Sector of the Suez Canal defenses and Divisional HQ moved to Kantara on 23 January. The stay in Egypt was short, and between 1-6 March the Division sailed to Marseilles for service on the Western Front.

These covers show that units returning from Egypt in March 1916 brought with them and used for a short time on arrival the Type 3 censors prior to issue of new Type 4 censors.

Comments welcomed

Chris

[Alan Baker]

Looking at the illustrations in Proud, this cannot be FPO37, as the top of the "3" is pointed. This suggests your suggestion of FPO87 is probably correct.

According to The Long, Long Trail, the 29th Division left Egypt in March and was concentrated at Pont Remy in Northern France between 15th and 29th March. This would fit with your date of the 24th. Also the 31st Division sailed for Marseilles between 1st and 6th March.

Similarly, the 31st Divisional Railhead was established in France by 16th March (Proud)

Have you found any examples of mail sent in this way from Egypt?

[Michael Dobbs]

I agree with Alan - this loooks like 87 not 37.

Mike

[Chris Grimshaw]

Thanks Both

I'm going with FPO 87

Alan, little confused 'Have you found any examples of mail sent in this way from Egypt?'  Not sure what you mean here.
I have the example shown below from Egypt in March 1916, possibly others.

Censor No 3573
Allocated to 1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry
Egypt
Cancelled FPO 1 Y – Dated 13 March 1916

Chris

[Alan Baker]

I meant to the same destination

[Peter Harvey]

It's strange really, but of all the longer OHMS envelopes you see from WW1 the majority are used in the Dardanelles/Gallipoli or in Egypt.... its is like the Units requisitioned them all at the start of the war....

Peter 

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hi Peter

Interesting thought, Certainly don't see a lot from Salonika.

One explanation for their 'scarcity' ex Western Front may be no one collected them.  A lot of collectors don't seem to like the larger envelopes plus one well known deceased ex 'Dealer / Member' once said to me 'Western Front' that all went in the waste bin, no one wanted it at the time.

Chris