AIF FIELD PO No 22 - whereabouts

[Colin Tabeart]

The date stamp on this cover seems to read AIF FIELD POST OFFICE 22. The date is certainly 21 Sep, but year ??? It may be 1943. No backstamps to help. Can anyone polease tell me:
Where FPO 22 was and on what dates. Also where was the AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCES PASSED BY CENSOR 722 applied? I rather suspect Nothern Territories, but over to the experts! The clipper airmail service ceased after Pearl Harbor Dec 1941, so why the "US Clipper Mail" endorsement? The clipper mail rate to UK before Pearl was 5/10d. Is this a rate by sea to USA thence by air, or is it a Forces concession rate?

[Frank Schofield]

Colin

According to Proud, AIF FPO 22 was in Windola (11 Bde) Queensland,  March 1943 to October 1944
suggest contact Albert Cole, it is his area of expertise

Frank Schofield

[akennedy]

The book for Australia WW2 is P Collas, The Postal History of the Australian Army during World War II.
This shows AIF FPO 22 as being at 6th Division Railhead at Wondella, Qld, 12/8/43, then Tolga (date not stated) until April 1944. A slightly different version compared with Proud!
Member Albert Coles should be able to help with the airmail postage rate. (probably not a forum user - I can pass the query to him at next meeting).
The censor stamp 722 would be a unit censor stamp of the sender's unit, presumably within 6th Australian Division.

Alistair

[Colin Tabeart]

Many thanks to both Frank and Alistair. Have discussed separately with Albert, who confirms that the 2/1d rate was for sea postage to USA + onward by air. This was the civilian rate at the time. Somewhere I have seen it said that, whilst members of the Australian armed forces got free surface mail there was no reduction for airmail at this time. They also had to pay registration fees. Can anyone cofirm, with chapter & verse?
Colin