WW2 British military censorship in British Guiana

[Michael Dobbs]

I have received the following enquiry:

[color=maroon]I am interested in WW2 British military censorship in British Guiana.
In my modest collection I have four covers from British Guiana with the British army handstamp
Crown/Circle/PASSED BY CENSOR/No/XXXX
and with a signature diagonally written at lower left typically indicating censorship at the unit level. Given the statement in Townsend and Howe that no British troops were stationed in British Guiana during the war, I am trying to find out about the origin of these handstamps and what units used them. The covers are dated 1943-44. Regrettably there are no sender's names and addresses on the back of the envelopes.

The numbers shown on the handstamps are 8799, 8896 and 8897. I not been able to locate any lists of the numbers giving the units to which they were assigned and their locations. I would be very grateful for any help the Society can give me in this and would be pleased to provide scans of these covers and be in contact with any member who wishes to follow-up with me.
Thank you.[/color]

I responded to say that I held the records of a deceased member (Alistair Kennedy) who did record examples of Army censor handstamps.  Of the three numbers he had quoted Alistair did record 8896 as being at Georgetown on 7 JA 44 - this indicates that the item of mail was cancelled using a Georgetown datestamp on that day.  There is no other information.

If any member can help with additional censorship numbers or indeed information on British Army personnel in British Guiana during WW2 I would be grateful.

Thanks, Mike

[Alan Baker]

According to BNAPS Catalogue of Canadian Military Mail Markings, ed by CD Sayles, there was a small unit (3 officers and 40 NCOs) of Canadian troops in British Guiana from June 42 - Jan 45. These were 34 Coy, Veterans Guard of Canada.

The unit used the civil PO after military censoring. The censor used a small Crown-over-Circle handstamp No 301 in 1944.

It would be good to see a scan of these covers, if the enquirer could provide.

[John Cranmer]

There is an article about the VGoC in British Guiana in BNAPS TOPICS Vol 71 No. 1 page 25 which may be of interest.

John

[Alan Baker]

I should be pleased to see a copy of this article

[John Cranmer]

Download it from here

https://bnaps.org/hhl/TopicsCovers1994-Current.php

John

[Michael Dobbs]

John

Thank you for the link - the person who made the original enquiry I posted is in fact the author of the said article!
I see from the "Endnotes" that it originally appeared in "This article first appeared in GEOSIX, Whole Number 249, September 2013, the journal of the King George VI Collectors Society"

He has clearly gone round all the philatelic options to try and find out additional information (KG6 CS, BNAPS and now FPHS!).

Mike

[Michael Dobbs]

Hi all

During my visit to The National Archives in May this year I was able to look at two War Diaries associated with British Guiana:

WO 176/20 - War Diary: Caribbean - Headquarters British Guiana (Sep 1939 - Dec 1941)
WO 176/21 - War Diary: Caribbean - British Guiana Militia (Jan-Sep 1942)

File WO 176/20:
1 Jan 1939 Active Militia mobilised
4 Sep 1940 USA obtained a lease for an airbase
9 Sep 1940 Volunteer Defence Corps formed
14 Oct 1940 US Mission arrived; Admiral Greenslade in charge
3 Feb 1941 Militia Coast Artillery formed
18 Dec 1941 Command of troops and responsibility for defence of Colony taken over by OC US Base Command

No mention of British units

File WO 176/21:
There is mention of a small detachment (2 Officers, 32 NCOs) of the Veteran Guard of Canada who reported for duty with the Ships' Guard Unit towards the end of June 1942.  This was responsible for guards on vessels anchored in the Port of Georgetown; also sent a detachment to Mackenzie.

No mention of British units

There was no mention of any British troops in either file (September 1939 to September 1942) - I do wonder if the censor stamps were issued to British Guiana units?

I have now responded to the person making the enquiry and asked if he can identify where the various covers were addressed to - British Guiana or the UK?

I hope to visit The National Archives again soon and look at further War Diaries to see if there was any mention of British soldiers seconded to British Guiana later in the war.  If anyone else has anything to add please do respond.

Thanks, Mike