Forces Airmail Rates post WW2

[Colin Tabeart]

This query is posted on behalf of Society member Wilf Vevers.
Attached please find scans of two Jamaica covers.  According to the Furfie publication the basic UK inland letter rate in 1947 and 1948  was twopence halfpenny and I have always understood that all forces mail re overseas personnel was carried at the UK inland rates whether it was by surface or air mail. The sender of these covers was Captain Metcalfe of the Second Glosters and the envelopes are backstamped by the Orderly Room cachet.  I have two covers from 1947 both stamped at the penny halfpenny rate and two from 1947 at the twopence halfpenny rate. If anyone in the Forces Society can explain the penny halfpenny rate it would be much appreciated.

[Michael Dobbs]

Colin

From my understanding and research Forces postal rates (to HM Forces overseas and from HM Forces - can be different; and to wives/families of HM Forces overseas) can be a bit of a minefield.  I don't pretend to know it all.  However, I hope the following explains the one and halfpenny rate which was introduced in stages - scroll down towards the end for Jamaica.  Forces postal rates did not follow UK inland rates until many years later.

Mike  ;D

[b][u]Revised Air Mail rates / services[/u]: 4 February 1945 onwards[/b]

[b]Far East areas[/b]
The Post Office Circular (Special Edition) of 2 February 1945 advised that with effect from 4 February 1945 all letters not more than 1 ounce (1 oz) in weight prepaid 1½d and postcards prepaid at 1d (i.e. the existing Forces' surface rates) would be carried by air to the following command addresses:
Ceylon Command
India Command
South East Asia Command (SEAC)

In addition, so far as air services were available, mail for the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy in all parts of the world abroad would also be carried by air.  Royal Navy mail for HM Ships was to be addressed ℅ GPO London (or ℅ GPO Reading) whilst mail for Merchant Navy vessels was to be addressed ℅ the Owners or Owners' Agents in the UK.  [u]No[/u] air mail label or other marking which indicated air transmission was required on these letters and postcards.

It followed that there was [u]no[/u] advantage in using for these destinations the 3d airgraph, 6d air letter or the air mail letter at 1/3d a half-ounce.  Post Office counter staff were advised that any enquiries on the subject were to be answered accordingly.  However, airgraphs were still to be accepted under the existing conditions if the sender specifically wished to make use of that means of communication.

Letters and letter packets for the same destinations which weighed more than 1 oz and which required air transmission were to be prepaid at the rate of 6d up to 1½ oz and 6d for each additional ½ oz.  Such mail had to have one of the standard blue air mail labels affixed.  A summary of the air mail rates was given as follows:

Letters not exceeding 1 oz
1½d
Postcards 1d

Letters and letter packets exceeding 1 oz:
Not exceeding 1½ oz 6d
Not exceeding 2 oz 1/-
Not exceeding 2½ oz 1/6d
For each additional ½ oz 6d

For letters and letter packets to the same destinations sent surface mail which weighed more than 1 oz, the ordinary rate of 2½d for the first 2 oz and 1d for each additional ounce applied.

[b]Mediterranean and Middle East areas[/b]
The Post Office Circular of 4 April 1945, in referring to the aforementioned Special Edition Circular, stated that the revised air mail rates and service had been extended to the following Forces addresses:
Aden Command, Malta Force
British North African Force (BNAF), Middle East Force
Central Mediterranean Force (CMF), Palestine Police Force
East Africa Command, Persia and Iraq Force

The arrangements also applied to Forces in Gibraltar in so far as the rates were more favourable than those of the existing air mail service (i.e. in respect of letters up to 1½ ounces).  The services to the following addresses were not covered by the above arrangements and remained unaltered:
South West Pacific Area,
West African Force (WAF),
HM Forces in Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, South Africa, Southern Rhodesia and other countries

[b]Western and Southern Africa[/b]
However, the Post Office Circular of 25 April 1945, in referring to the above Special Edition Circular, stated that with effect from 26 April 1945 the revised air mail rates and service had been extended to HM Forces in the following locations:
West African Force (WAF)
HM Forces in Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia

As a result the Circular contained an amendment to Counter Compendium Postal Supplement No 8 ("Imperial and Foreign Air Mail Services") (issued with the Post Office Circular of 28 August 1944) to reflect the above changes.

[b]North America and the Caribbean[/b]
The Post Office Circular of 16 May 1945, in referring to the above Special Edition Circular, stated that with effect from 17 May 1945 the revised air mail rates and service had been extended to the HM Forces in the following locations:
Canada and the United States of America,
Bahamas, Bermuda, Jamaica, Trinidad and other destinations in the western hemisphere

As a result the Circular contained an amendment to Counter Compendium Postal Supplement No 8 ("Imperial and Foreign Air Mail Services") (issued with the Post Office Circular of 28 August 1944) to reflect the above changes.

[Colin Tabeart]

Many thanks Mike - very helpful as ever. I will pass it on to Wilf.
Colin

[Michael Dobbs]

As I said in my first response below - Forces postal rates are a minefield!  Take a close look at the wording - my previous entry applied to mail [u]to[/u] HM Forces overseas.  The following statement refers to HM Forces mail [u]from[/u] HM Forces overseas:

[b][u]Revised arrangements for conveyance of mails by air[/u]: 1 May 1947[/b]

[b]from HM Forces[/b]
The Post Office Circular of 14 May 1947 advised that up until then it had been general practice that letters from members of HM Forces serving overseas up to one ounce (1 oz) in weight had been accorded air conveyance from most areas overseas to the UK free of postage.  However, this concession was withdrawn as from 1 May 1947 and from that date such letters intended for air conveyance were, in general, to be prepaid 1½d or the equivalent in local currency.

However, the Circular went on to state that "for the time being" offices which received mails by air from overseas in which Forces correspondence was included were to not to raise a surcharge on any such letters which were found to be either unpaid or not sufficiently prepaid.

[Michael Dobbs]

Further to the comment "I have always understood that all forces mail re overseas personnel was carried at the UK inland rates whether it was by surface or air mail" the following shows that this allignment did not take place until metrication in 1975:

The Supplement to the Post Office Gazette of 17 September 1975 set out the revised postage rates with effect from 29 September 1975 in full on the same date as the change over to metric weights with weight steps expressed in grams (g) and kilograms (kg).  The following is an abridged version of the revised postage rates from UK to HM Forces overseas (both Europe and outside Europe).  A revised green Forces postal rates leaflet PL(B)3155 (to replace the existing leaflet PL(B)3116 3/75) was made available at the same time.  Effective from this increase, and in an agreement with the Ministry of Defence, the concessionary postage rates for letters and parcels to HM Forces overseas were mostly aligned to the inland postage rates as follows:

• Surface letters and parcels world-wide were chargeable at inland second-class letter and inland parcel rates respectively. 

• Air mail letters to Europe were chargeable at inland first-class letter rate, but this concession could not be applied world-wide and air mail letters to places outside Europe were chargeable at 8½p for the first 40kg (1.4 oz) and 5p for each 10g (0.35 ozs) thereafter. 

• The air mail rates for Printed Papers and small packets to HM Forces outside Europe were not increased on this occasion and the existing rates were simply converted to metric.

• The Forces Air Letter form was chargeable at the inland second-class rate of 6½p.

• There were no concessionary rates for air mail parcel to HM Forces overseas and these continued to be priced according to destination, but in ½ kg weight steps as for civilian air parcels.

• A surface Printed Paper service, world-wide, continued to be available priced at the rate applicable to civilian surface printed papers.  These rates were more advantageous than inland second-class rates, with an upper weight limit of 750g.

Mike  :)

[akennedy]

Mike has indicated that the rate for mail from British Forces overseas (posted through FPOs) was 1 1/2d from 1947.
There was a further change to 2 1/2d in 1948.I have the relevant dates, but sorry I don't have time at present to search for my records.

The rates for forces mail posted through civil post offices where there was no FPO available followed similar changes, in the local currency - but not necessarily from exactly the same dates - negotiations were conducted with the relevant colonial or other post office.

For Jamaica, I have records of forces air mail covers at the following rates and periods:
1 1/2d 8 Sep 47 -29 Apr 48
2 1/2d  21 Jun 53 - 12 Dec 56
3d 24 Nov 61 - Sep 66

Alistair

[Colin Tabeart]

Many thank for further info from Mike and Alistair,
Colin