US APO807

[Alan Baker]

I'm attaching a scan of a cover franked American Base Forces APO807 dated Nov 11 1941. It also bears an Army Examiner stamp 401.

There are no senders details and the reverse is blank

Can anyone tell me where this originated from, or point me in the direction of where I can find out?

[Howard Weinert]

Looks like British Guiana. See attached image. I just googled apo 807.

[Alan Baker]

Thanks Howard. I rather hoped it might be, but it is good that the sender noted his location on your cover.

I have tried searching on SW Roberts website but it gives locations in France and Germany. There is a cover on ebay with this number but again no sender's address. There is a pencil note on the reverse suggesting it is from Br Guiana but no evidence.

I have searched APO857 on Roberts and it comes up as Atkinson Field, Georgetown, Br Guiana. I have a cover with this number but again the only evidence is a pencil note.

Is there any definitive listing of these numbers?

[Alan Baker]

Just answered my own question. There is a long listing on Jim Forte's website, covering the whole world.

It lists 807 in Br Guiana but also France and Germany. There is a suggestion on Roberts that some numbers may be unit specific, rather than location. This might explain the listing for 807

[Michael Dobbs]

Alan

Have you tried these publications from the Library:

Postmarks of the US Army Postal Service in the Second World War 1941-1946,
MR Bagget and CD Brenner, 1951,
12pp, p/b (US1)

Geographic Locations of U.S. APOs 1941-1984, 5th Ed,
James Shaffer, 1985,
127pp, p/b (US19)

Mike

[Alan Baker]

No. I'll contact our librarian

[Nick Colley]

There's another source as well: Rogan and McGrath, Locations and Assignments of US Army Post Offices, WW2 and Later. 3rd Edition, 1973.

It gives broadly the same story: 807 at Atkinson Field, Br.Guiana, opened 29th July 1941, closure/suspension date unknown, but it then starts again in France  - a place listed as 'Camp Pittsburgh' - from July 1945, then Epernay from February 1946, moving rapidly, apparently, to Bad Nauheim in Germany later the same month. No date is given for termination of operations.

For APO 857, the same listing gives Atkinson Field in Br.Guiana from 29th July 1941. That is the only entry they give for 857.

ok?
chrs
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