HMCS Cayuga, Korea, 1951

[Nick Colley]

Folks, the attached shows a cover from the RCN Tribal class destroyer HMCS Cayuga (return address on the reverse). If I'm reading the Canadian Base PO postmark correctly, it is dated 1st March 1951. This is during her first tour of duty in Korean waters. The book I have on Canadian military and naval postmarks covers only WW2. Therefore my question is: where was Canadian Base PO located? I have (flimsy) grounds for suspecting it was at Sasebo, but I may quite easily be mistaken. Many thanks.

rgds
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[Alan Baker]

According to the Major ER Toop Collection of Canadian Military Postal History, Vol 2, this was in Vancouver, BC.

I seem to think I have something similar, but cannot lay my hands on it at the moment

[Michael Dobbs]

"The BNAPS Catalogue of Canadian Military Mail Markings - Volume 3: From Victory in 1945 to Afghanistan", compiled and edited by C D Sayles (August 2006) confirms Alan's response that the Canadian Base P.O. was located in Vancouver, Canada.

Incidently, I.O.D.E. in the address relates to: the General Brock Chapter of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE).

Mike

[Nick Colley]

Ah, OK, great, thanks, chaps. By the way, my 'flimsy evidence' was that Cayuga went into dry dock twice at Sasebo during her first tour - I thought the Base PO might be located there.

Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire? Wow, I'm impressed. Thanks, Mike.

chrs
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