egyptian postage prepaid 80

[Ross Debenham]

Can any member help me with the location of EPP 80 in April 1944. I recently purchased a cover which a description which says it was in Palestine at the time. I have one source that says it was used by South African Army Postal Service at the time although Proud's History of the South African Army Postal Service does not list it as so. The envelope is addressed to South Africa. Would the EPP stamp be used in Palestine.

Ross Debenham

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Ross,

Benians (old copy) mainly lists this in Egypt with a location as possible 63rd General Hospital which would have been at Alexandria. The use of SA stamps from Egypt would fit and this is noted in his book along with numerous references FPHS A5 censor cachets.

[Nick Colley]

For what it's worth, chaps, and I'm saying this in the hope it will flush out some more knowledgeable responses, I've always understood that the EPP postmarks were not used outside Egypt.

They can certainly be seen on mail originating outside Egypt: mail from Iraq (Habbaniya) during the revolt in April-May 1941 is a good example (but not the only one), when the Iraqi mail service could not be trusted. It seems that mail was flown (or otherwise transferred) to Egypt for onward transmission.

chrs
N

[Ross Debenham]

I know that mail from outside Egypt received EPP stamps as I have an cover from the 7 Australian Calvary Regt on Cyprus in 1941 post marked with EPP 5 used by Australian Base Postal Unit in Cairo.

Ross D