Haven Heath Camp

[Michael Dobbs]

I have received an enquiry as follows:

[color=maroon]"I cannot trace a "Haven Heath Camp" in Collect British Postmarks' list, and I have never seen the boxed hand-stamp before; sadly, it is only a front"[/color]

Can anyone assist - do you known anything about a Haven Heath Camp and have you seen this Army Postal Service Unable to Trace cachet before ?

Many thanks, Mike  ;)

[Michael Dobbs]

I have since heard from the person who made the enquiry below and he has managed to obtain further information as follows:

[color=maroon]I contacted the Suffolk Record Office in Ipswich - they say it is most likely Warren Heath, an area just outside Ipswich, and they are going to see if they have any details.[/color]

a little later:

[color=maroon]I have now heard again from the Record Office in Ipswich--they have details in their records which confirm that in 1914 it was decided to build a camp at Warren Heath for two Brigades of the RFA, and it was completed in 1915. As a camp for the RFA, no wonder there was no trace of a member of the 4th. Yeomanry Cyclists !
Warren Heath is not listed in CBP as having a Post Office / cancel of its own, but the Army Post Office (HD)- M10 cancel is.
If you think it is still worth putting it on your Forum, I should like to know if the "UNABLE TO TRACE" hand-stamp is known about.
[/color]

Kennedy & Crabb show APO (HD) M 10 as AP 17 - AU 17 3 Cyc. Bde (2 Mtd Bde) Bromeswell Heath Camp, Woodbridge, Suffolk.  I hope Alistair (or anyone else) can shed further light on this.

Mike  ;)

[Graham Mark]

Another angle is that the River Deben is also called Woodbridge Haven at its mouth, as are other rivers in the district.  [eg Orford Haven and Orwell Haven]. Woodbridge is west of the river and on the opposite bank is quite a large area of heathland, including Bromeswell Heath.  Regret I cannot see any Heath called Haven Heath on contemporary or older inch to the mile maps.

[akennedy]

Not every camp had a camp post office, or an APO.
The UNDELIVERABLE mark is in Proud, type AH on page 83.

Alistair

[Michael Dobbs]

Many thanks for your comments so far - I think the person making the enquiry is suggesting that as a result of the response from the Suffolk Record Office his reading of Haven Heath Camp was incorrect and it should be Warren Heath Camp.

Why the APO (HD) M10 postmark ?

It looks as though it was re-directed to Bromeswell Heath Camp, Woodbridge, Suffolk where it was the re-directed to the Dead Letter Office - there is a partial strike of WOOD..... dated 29 AP 17 two days after the APO (HD) M10 postmark of 27 AP 17.

Mike