Army Post Office A.G.N.2 1916

[Peter Harvey]

Hi,

Can anyone help me out with this postmark ARMY POST OFFICE A.G.N.2

Would be one of the Australian APO's but I could not locate in Bob Emery's book (or my search was poor), dated 7 NO 16 - used on the WF with CM29 2971.

Any help appreciated.

Regards Peter

[Michael Dobbs]

Peter

I think you will find that it is AGH 2 - this is another one for Alistair !

His book:
[color=maroon]The Postal History of the British Army in World War I 1903-1929, by Alistair Kennedy and George Crabb, published FPHS 1977, 300pp, p/b [/color]

lists it in the index (p.57) as being issued 30 OC 16, but does not have a period of use recorded.  It shows theatre as F for France (including Belgium) but I could not find any reference to it under that section of his book.

Censor mark K&C Type CM4 2971 unfortunately does not show an allocation in Frank Daniel's book:
[color=maroon]Field Censor Systems of the Armies of the British Empire 1914-1918 – Unit Allocations, by F W Daniel, published FPHS 1984, approx 300+pp, p/b
(This deals with FPHS Types 1, 2, 3, 4 & 7 censor marks only)[/color]

Regards, Mike  :D

[Frank Schofield]

Gents

Proud lists a Skeleton AGH 2 allocated to 2nd Australian General Hospital at one date only (18.10.16) at Wimereux, France previously at Marselles, No listing of this d/r
AGH = AUSTRALIAN GENERAL HOSPITAL??

Frank Schofield

[akennedy]

Office is APO AGH2 = 2nd Australian General Hospital.
As Mike says, issued on 30th October 1916.
Listed in Bob Emery's book, but hitherto not seen used.
Another member very recently showed me a skeleton datestamp AGH 2, evidently used pending arrival of the double ring datestamp.
Emery said the Australians had applied to open an office, but the request was turned down because of  a British S APO being located at Wimereux and therefore able to serve this Australian hospital.
Two previously unrecorded datestamps now reported within a few weeks!!!
Thanks members.
Alistair

[Peter Harvey]

Amazing four responses in one day all with great information. Thanks Mike, pointed in the right direction and for H rather than N, I looked again and noted what I had missed, thank you Frank for confirming the details and thank you Alistair for the back ground information, which I am sure only you would know.

To tie this all together, the letter is addressed to the Rainsford family at Wahroonga Sydney.

Walter Bruce Rainsford joined the Australian Army in October 1914 aged 18 years 1 month, from Wahrooga Sydney. He went on to serve throughout WW1 with No2  Australian General Hospital.