THE

FORCES POSTAL HISTORY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

242

WINTER 1999

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A splendid example of a pictorial Airgraph sent from the British hospital ship 'Leinster', December 1944.

She spent the winter of 1940 anchored at Akureyri, Iceland. 25 June 1943 saw her departing from Scotland for the Mediterranean, with four other carriers, and the Salerno beaches. Three months later she was attacked by enemy aircraft, having just moved from

the vicinity of Salerno beach to a position outside the 5-mile limit. In January 1944 she sm·vived another air attack whf're she was hit by bombs and set alight whilst at Anzio Bay.

During this period of service around Anzio Bay she made 35 journeys, carrying20800 casualties.

ISSN 9051-7561 Vol . XXV No .2

CONTENTS

HENRY DARLOT - FIRST ARMY POSTMASTER 1799

AN EARLY EAST AFRICAN INDIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE COVER

OPERATION DEAR ABBY

PIGEON POST

FIRST SUPPLEMENT TO BRITISH NAVAL POST AND CENSOR MARKS OF WW1 By Dr.M H Gould

BATTLE FOR THE MARETH LINE - MARCH 1943

THE ARMY POST OFFICE 1914 - 1928

FOR THE RECORD

,~-used Honour Envelopes

Slogan; ~~Feed The Guns With War Bonds"

Editorial Note .

Rescued At Dunkirk - May 1940

QUERIES

Query No.242 WW 1 Card July 1914

QUERY REPLY

Page 33

Page 37

Page 38

Page 40

Page 41

Page 55

Page 61

Page 63

Page 63

Page 63

Page 64

Page 65

Query No.240(241/27) OeRsored~ Sejchellois cover Page 65

FPHS News1etter No.242 page 33 Winter 1999

HENRY DARLOT- FIRST ARMY POSTMASTER 1799 By S. C. Fenwick

This September is the bicentenary of the First Army Postmaster to officially accompany British forces overseas and a time to reflect on his achievements. Forty-five years after the Flanders' expedition (1793-4) Wellington was asked what he had learnt from the experience, he simply replied; "Why- I learnt what one ought not to do, and that is always something."1 The same comment could apply to the Duke of York. During that expedition, a campaign during the French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802), the Duke of York's experiences of military postal services had not reached expectations. For this reason, while he was preparing to command an amphibious expedition of 30,000 British troops and 18,000 Russians to Helder, on the south shore of the Zuider Zee, northern Holland. He proposed that postal support from the Post Office should be forth coming, it was the first time such a proposition had been muted.

On 15 August 1799 he wrote to the Postmaster General recommending that the Army should be accompanied by "a good intelligent clerk" who was to "facilitate delivery and to collect letters and protect revenue." This was the beginning of a greater co-operation, over the provision of postal services for forces overseas, between the army and the Post Office. Henry Darlot, a clerk from the Post Office Foreign Section, was chosen as the Army Postmaster, reputedly the first Post Office employee to officially accompany the British Army overseas.

Matters moved quickly, just fifteen days after the duke's letter, Darlot was summoned, from the GPO at Lombard Street, to Horse Guards for a briefmg with Duke of York's Military Secretary, Colonel Robert Brownrigg.2 The meeting proved very instructive, immediately afterwards he wrote to the Postmaster General stating:

I am to provide myself with every convenience both official and personal, particularly a servant, and a strong one horse chaise, a stout draft horse, and a saddle horse, tent, bedstead and furniture, defensive weapons such as a sword and pistol. He [Colonel Brownrigg] also thinks it necessary that I should dress in some kind of uniform in order that I may be distinguished as belonging to the Army, a blue coat with red collar and cuffs, cocked hat and cockade3

. The horses and chaise must be ready for embarkation at Blackwall by Tuesday next ...

The Post Office kindly advanced Darlot 100 guineas and he purchased his equipment, which also included a boat cloak, a beaver driving coat, a cabin trunk, a camp-bedstead & biddy, two pairs of sheets and pillow cases and a crimson and gold reg. sword knot. Darlot arranged for advertisements to be published in newspapers informing the public of the forces' postal arrangements, likewise postmasters were sent circulation instructions.

It was planned that General Abercomby should land on the Helder peninsula with the force's vanguard, in the hope of capturing the Dutch fleet stationed there. Despite unfavourable sea

1 Longford E: Wellington - The years of the Sword (Literary Guild, London, 1968) page 3 7. 2 General Sir Robert Brownrigg (1759-1833). Ensign in 14th Foot 1775 in America. Served with Marines 1780-81. Capt in lOOth Foot stationed in Jamaica 1784, but transferred in October to 35th Foot. Served with 52nd Foot in 1756. Commanded the 88th Foot in 1793 in Flanders where he got to know the Duke of York. Col and Military Secretary to Duke of York in 1798. Maj Gen in 1802 and Quartermaster General in 1893. C-in-C Ceylon 1811-19, Conqueror ofthe Kingdom ofKandy 1814-15. Created a baronet in 1816. 3 Terence Cuneo (1907-96), the military artist, painted a spoof of Henry Darlot in the character of his famous mouse dressed as described. The painting is called First Postmouse to the Rodent Forces, about to embark from Cheddar Docks in support of the Duke of Wensleydale's Lowland Campaign 1799. It was presented to the RE (PCS) Officer's Mess, by a 20th century successor of Henry Darlot, Brigadier RNRP James CBE. -Director Postal & Courier Services (1983-6)

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 34 Winter 1999

conditions and a stiff hostile resistance, the force landed safely. The French soon evacuated the peninsula and withdrew to a position covering Alkmaar. The Dutch fleet surrendered to the British. The Duke of York arrived to reinforce Abercomby, bring the force up to close on 50,000 men. He established a base at Helder.

Three weeks later Henry Darlot and his servant embarked for the seat of war from Brunswick Dock, Blackwall. On his arrival at Helder, he found that two despatches of mails had already arrived, the result was chaos. His report of the 27 September 1799, reflects his rude awaking to the difficulties of handling mails in a,n unfamiliar environment with inadequate equipment, he wrote:

The mails are both delivered which I assure you is not so easy or businesslike as I imagined it would be, for although the letters are partly sorted in London to the different regiments, there are still a great number for persons not attached to any regiment who are so impatient to be supplied that immediately a mail arrives I am beset by at least a hundred of them. 4 Great confusion is occasioned also by officers detached from the regiment to which their letters were addressed insisting on looking for them before the Drum Majors [who were appointed Post Orderlies for each regiment a tradition which bad its origins in Cromwell's New Model Army] get them. Added to all this the

place I am in being entirely without furniture of any kind or of any convenience. 5

He then goes on to say

I fmd it impossible to conduct the business with that regularity and precision which it certainly requires. Was there not revenue to be collected, which appears to me to be very considerable all these difficulties would be of very little consequence. I am obliged to receive money of five or six different countries and have orders on the money order office (which the troops did not receive until they embarked for this country) presented to me everyday. I have take a few of them at my own risk but shall desist from taking them generally until I receive directions to that purpose. 6

The reference to 'the money order office' is significant. The money orders amounted to 20.7 per cent of the total sales of Darlot's Army Post Office. It implies that there was an international money-order service, of sorts, as early as 1799, further more it was operating in support of the army. This was fifty years before the official introduction of a money order service for troops, a service which was set up during the Crimean war.

The London money-order office, which processed 'money orders'7 had began in October 1792. It facilitated the conveyance of money, whereby members of the general public could "chuse [sic] to avail themselves ofthis Mode of Conveyance instead of transmitting Money in Letters

4 Nearly two hundred years later, similar eager anticipation was displayed on the arrival of mails as recorded by Major Win field in his Falklands war diary entry of 3 June 1982. "All the off-duty lads in the ship stand armmd us all the time there is mail being sorted, saying the inevitable 'any mail for me' SSgt Butler snarls at them in his best 'scouse' and they fall back; but they don't actually go away!"- see Winfield Maj. I: The Pasties went to War (Square One, Worcester, 1990) page 28 5 Contrast this with Winfield's experience in the Falklands. His diary entry of 3 June 1982 on HMS Fearless "Mail is coming in from various ships as they come into helicopter range. I've set up a 'sorting office' on the Tank Deck -its's about the only space I can get, but it's far from ideal. With no sorting frames or drop-bag frames we're having to improvise". Later they set up the Field Post Office in the existing Port Stanley Post Office in the Town Hall. Diary entry 17 Jun 1982 "the whole building had been occupied in the latter stages of the war, by hundreds of Argentinian soldiers. They had relieved themselves, in both solid and liquid form all over the interior of the building, into draws, cupboards, filing cabinets, the floor and on the walls." - see Winfield Maj. I: The Pasties went to War (Square One, Worcester, 1990) page 27 and 39. 6 Stitt Dibden WG: Postage Rates ofHM Forces 1795-1899 (PHS, London 1963) page 46-51. 7 The 'postal order' succeeded the 'money order' in 1883 .

FPHS News l etter No.242 Page 35 l.;inter 1999

by the Posts, any sum of Money not exceeding Five Guineas and will give an Order payable at Sight on the Deputy Post-Master ofthe town Where Remittance is required to be paid."8 The alternative method of sending money was to cut the bank note in half and send each half by a different post. The inland Post Office sorters, called the Clerks of the Road ran the service as a way of earning extra money. It only became an official service of the Post Office in 1838.

After Darlot had established his Army Post Office at Helder he requested that two clerks be sent out, but he was ·Careful to point out it "is not dictated by any hopes of any personal ease but merely to secure a regular despatch of business and safety in collecting revenue." The Secretary to the Post Office, Francis Freeling reported to the Postmaster General that "application might be made by Mr Darlot to Col Brownrigg for Directions from the Commander-in-Chief . .. to furnish proper persons, under Mr D's directions, to take care of the Letters at Headquarters and Helder."

It can be assumed that Darlot was successful with his application as he was able to accompanied the force as it pushed south and took Alkmaar. The French retreated towards Harleem, but due to a misunderstanding of orders, which brought confusion among the allies, the situation was not exploited. The Duke of York decided that he no alternative and retired. There began a retreat from Alkmaar, the army scrabbled north to Helder. Later Darlot reported that his post-chaise ''was in such a shattered state when the Army retreated from Alkmaar that it was left behind," this was probably because the army was short of transport and that Darlot had over burdened his conveyance by carrying additional equipment on behalf of the army. Of his two horses he reported that they were ''worn down by bad roads and weather and scarity of provender" and ''were left with magistrates at Helder" from where the force was evacuated to England.

On his return to London, Darlot was commended for having carried out his task "with ability and profriety to the entire satisfaction of the Postmaster-General." He submitted his final balance for the campaign (see table 2):

Table 1- Darlot's Final Balance

Income £ s d %of sales Postage collected on letters from Holland 451. 3. 6 41.8%

Postage collected on letters to Holland 404. 4. 6 37.5%

Paid letters (Money orders) 224. 1. 0 20.7% Sub total 1079. 9. 0

Expenditure £ s d %of costs Less expenses (including Darlot's expenses in England and Holland) 306. 2. 6 70.2%

Advertisements in newspapers 50. 0. 0 11.5%

Darlot's remuneration at 20s a day 80. 0. 0 18.3% Sub total 436. 2. 6

Final balance (Profit) 643. 6. 6 Source: Postage Rates ofHM Forces 1795-1899: WG Stitt Dibden (1963)

8 Robinson H: Britain's Post Office- A History of development from the Beginnings to the present day (OUP, London, 1953) page 99 9 Darlot's accounts are held in the British Post Office Archives.

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 36 Winter 1999

It showed that in the 80 days he was in Holland his Army Post Office made an overall profit of £ 643 6s 6d. (The postage rates were ld for soldiers and 6d for officers). The Army's prepaid postage originating in Holland was 41.8 per cent of total sales of£ 1079. 9s Od.

Mail for the Army originating in Britain was circulated the Post Office's Foreign Section, sealed in bags and passed to ships sailing to Helder from London direct or via naval transports from Yarmouth. The mail was postmarked 'Army Bag' in black or 'Post Paid Army Bag' in red on prepaid letters. Letters from this campaign are rarely found.

Darlot's career in the Post Office continued after he returned. He was again associated with military mails in December 1806, when he was responsible for forwarding 1,445 letters for the British Army on the Continent to the care of G Hart Esq. Cuxhaven, near Hamburg. In 1809 he was appointed Comptroller and after forty-six years of service with the Post Office ill health forced him to retire in 1842(?). He died in Paris on 4 February 1844.

Darlot's date of birth is unknown (it is assumed to be 1768), as is the date he was actually employed by the Post Office. But between 1790-94 his name appears in the Post Office Establishment Books where he is listed as a Deputy Comptroller at a salary of£ 80 per year. In 1797, he was marked out for promotion after he and a colleague had put up a plan to minimise fraud among the letter carriers employed to deliver foreign letters in the City of London, this was presumably why he was considered "a good intelligent clerk".

There had been Army Postmasters before Henry Darlot, namely Mr Sutton in 1747, see Barry Jay's book Early Forces Mail, but until further evidence is found, it must be assumed that Henry Darlot was the first Post Office official, trained to handle mails, to be specifically att.ached to the army for postal purposes. Therefore Darlot can be seen as the forbearer of the men who were to serve in Army Post Office Corps (raised in 1882) and its modern day successors now serving in the Balkans.

Darlot's experiences were both remarkable and ground breaking for several reasons; firstly, because he was the first known Post Office official to attend to the army's postal needs in the field. Secondly, the way in which he conducted his affairs whilst on secondment. It can not have been easy for him, to be removed from the security of a long and well-established sorting office, to be confronted with having to start a mail operation from scratch. He would have had no experiences to draw upon and little understanding of the make up and operating procedures of the formation he was supporting. His source of advice was in London a week away at best. He would have had to create his own sorting plans, organised his office, make arrangements to secure his money, establish contact with the packet agent, fodder suppliers, various regimental representatives and military authorities. All these points require initiative, drive, patience, confidence and a complete understand of his profession. It is little wonder that Free ling wrote of him (in November 1799): "Mr Darlot seems to have discharged his temporary service with alacrity, steadiness, propriety and ability." 10

10 StittDibden WG: Postage Rates ofHM Forces 1795-1899 (PHS, London 1963) page 50.

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 37 Winter 1999

An Early East African Indian Expeditionary Force Cover

By Regis Hoffman

During the initial campaigns in the East African theater of World War I, the Indian Expeditionary Force (I.E. F.) played a dominant role. Being the only source of significant numbers of trained troops in the general area, Indian forces were transported by sea to East Africa in the fall of 1914. Two forces were sent to East Africa- one to reinforce British East Africa (designated I.E.F. "C") and another for operations against German East Africa (designated I.E. F. "B").

The postal staff for I.E.F. "B" was mobilized in late September 1914, and sailed for East Africa on October 16, 1914. After the military disaster at Tanga, German East Africa, I.E. F. "B" landed at Kilindini, Kenya on November 7, 1914. The Base Post Office opened there on November 14, 1914, and received its first mail on the 161

h of November (1 ).

In the brief time window between the troops disembarking on November 7, and the establishment of the Base Post Office on November 14, the members of the I.E.F used the Kenya civil post office. The cover shown in Figure I is evidence of this usage.

Figure J. Cover f1·om member of Indian Expeditionary Force posted through Nairohi civil post offke before the establishment of the Base Post Office.

FPHS Ne¥slet.te.l!:· No. 242 P age 3 8 Wi nter 1 999

The cover to Bangalore, India is franked with a 1 anna I.E. F. definitive (these stamps were overprinted by late August of 1914, and were available to sail with the I.E. F. to East Africa), canceled by a civil November 11, 1914 Nairobi COS. lt was censored in Bombay, and is backstamped Bangalore, December 3, 1914.

The manuscript "2" in the upper right corner, and the cover's destination provide some clues to its origin. On November 8, 1914, the 2 Loyal North Lancashire . Regiment (part of the Bangalore Brigade) and the 281

h Mountain Battery were dispatched by rail to Nairobi (2). So, the "2" may indicate that the sender belonged to the 2 Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, and the Bangalore address adds credence to this.

References (1) /\ppleby, Lt. Col. K.A. East Africa I.E .F. "B" . Privately published . (2) Hordern, Lt. Col. Charles. Volume 1 History of the Great War: Military

Operations East Africa August 1914- September 1916. Battery Press, 1990. Reprint of 1941 edition.

OPERATION DEAR ABBY

By Hichael Dobbs During Inte r net research into NATO involvement in Kossovo I found the following extracted from US Navy News Service News bulletins dated 12 November 1998 (I ssue 48/98,Item.NNS4808) It appears tc be a scheme for sending Christmas greetings or small gifts to US service personnel overseas on an"Any Service Member" basis.It 'vould not appear to be the first year the scl1eme was run.

OPERATION DEAR ABBY

The f·1ilitary Postal Service Agc:riL:y identified five addresses for use in Operation DEAR ABBY for the 1998 holiday season.They were:

AMERICAN R~IDERS,OPERATION DEAR ABBY APO AE 09135 (serving Europe' and South West Asia) AMERICAN REMEMBERS,OPERATION DEAR ABBY APO AE 09646 (serving the Mediterranean Basin ) l\MERICAN RB-tFMBERS,OPF.RA1'ION DEAR ABBY APO AA 34085 (.servin~J South l\med.ca ,Central America and the Caribbean)

l\MEHICAN RE'HEMBEHS,OPERA'riON DEAR ABBY APO AP 96285 (serving the Far East) AMERICAN REME}1BERS,OPERATION DEAR ABBY APO AP 96385 (serving the Pacific Basin)

Postal officials do not target specific US military countries, instead they target major US military Aerial Mail Terminals and Fleet Mail Centres overseas. These mail hubs receive the mail and distribute it on a fair share basis to all services across the board. To send mail to a specific area address it to the closest geographic

h1Jh wld.ch .~ti1 J Cli.~::trHmt.e the mail t0 aU :services i.n the area that it supports. In order for the system .t'o cover the widest possible area the address must remaln generic. These addresses were only npen for the holiday period 15 Nove.mber 1998 to 15 ,January 1999. Mail v.ras limited to fi rRt cl~s~ 1 ~tt:<;:>r m:d.l lloz or .less onJ y.

FPHS Newaretter No.242 Page 39 Winter 1999

US Navy News Service: Navy Wire Service 'A' announcement NWSA 1378 dated 22 December 1995 advised that the American public could send cards and letters to Navy service members and their families who were supporting Operation DETERMINED EFFORT and Operation JOINT END EA VOR (American spelling). This mail was to be addressed to:

Any Service Member FPO AE 09398

Such mail was fonvarded to the Fleet Mail Centre in Rota, Spain; there it was sorted for ships supporting the operations. These included:

USS La Salle

USS South Carolina USS Normandy USS Mounterey USS Scott USS Booue USS De Wert USS Oklahoma City USS Hampton USS Butte USS Monongahela

USS Wasp USS Sbreveport USS Whidbey Island

(AGF-3) Command Ship

(CGN-37) Nuclear-powered Guided Missile Cruiser (CG-60) Guided Missile Cruiser (CG-61) Guided Missile Cruiser (DDG-995) Guided Missile Destroyer (FFG-28) Guided Missile Frigate (FFG-45) Guided Missile Frigate (SSN-723) Nuclear-powered Attack Submarine (SSN-767) Nuclear-powered Attack Submarine (AE-27) Ammunition Ship (A0-178) Oiler

(LHD-1) (LPD-12) (LSD-41)

Amphibious Assault Ship Amphibious Transport Dock Landing Ship Dock

Navy Wire Service 'A' announcement NWSA 1449 dated 22 January 1996 expanded the 'Any Service Member' scheme for service members deployed in support of the Bosnian peacekeeping operation to include Air Force and Army personnel, as well as their families in Germany. Address details were as follows:

Any Service Member addresses

Any Service Member Operation Joint Endeavor FPO AE09397

Any Service Member Operation Joint Endeavor FPO AE 09398

Any Family Member Operation Joint Endeavor FPO AE 09399

) For Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force ) and Army land forces. )

) For Sailors and Marines ) aboard ship. )

) ) For families in Germany. )

The same announcement also included details of a programme sponsored by "No Greater Love" whereby special addresses were created to send Valentine greetings to deployed service members during the month of February 1996. The postal authoritieis stated that such mail was to be sent through local post offices, not weigh more than 70 pounds and

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 40 Wint e r 1999

be no larger than a shoe box. Address details were as follows:

Valentine addresses

No Greater Love ) % Operation Joint Endeavor) FPO AE 09391 )

For Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Army land forces.

No Greater Love ) %Operation Joint Endeavor) FPO AE 09392 )

For Navy and Marine Corps personnel aboard ship.

PIGEON POST

By Oded Eliashar As a collector of Pigeon Mail I was informed by Dr.Hal Vogel about a request for wartime pigeon post material from Mr.Bofarull.I am in contact with him but members who deal with submarines may find interest in this related item.

16 Apr. \904.

British naval printed fonn with handwritten message from SS "Belos" tlow11 by pigeon from its deck and reads:

"Received bird from destroyer and forms are all correct. One bird has got its eyes pecked out No. 1200 blue. Diver went d0\\11 at 10 a. m. this morning. I believe they are going to test her again this afternoon. Capt. Bacon is out here. (signefl "Cap. Burke").

"Belos" was a recovery vessel which tried to raise the A 1 submarine that sank offthe "Nab-Light Vessel" on 18 March 1904 with all hands after colliding with SS "Berswick Castle". The A 1 was raised on Apr. 18 1904 and was later used for training as well as mine sweeping. Petrol fumes caused an explosion on 6 Aug. 1910 and a year later the A 1 vanished at a trial \vith no crew aboard.

FPHS Newsletter Noo242 Page 41

FIRST SUPPLEMENT TO BRITISH NAVAL POST AND CENSOR MARKS OF WW1 By Dr M H Gould

Winter 1999

I should like to thank all of those collectors of naval material who have written to inform me of new finds and information, including Robert Hunt. This has now been complied inio the First Supplement. The Supplement is in four sections, Section 1, New Finds, Confirmations and Correction; Section 2, Royal Marine Mail and Section 3, straight line PASSED BY CENSOR and Section 4, identification from Franks.

Section 1. New Finds, Confirmations <llnd Corrections.

Page 5: Nos. 166* and FS 19* are reported .

Page 14. J Frost records military mail from Blandford as early as 3.1.16. He suggests that PB3 is an error in the book on camp postmarks and that it does not exist.

PC4. lt is reported that Bantry exists.

RD1 reported 26.3.19 and RD2 4.5.17 RD3 I have been shown an incomplete censor mark, apparently 489, card reading "very hot out here and times are very quiet just a spasm or two". Written 31/9 arrived London 16/10 (RD3 so presumably is 1916). The postmark appears to have regular white lines across it but I suspect that this is a problem with inking rather than any attempt at mutilation. PC is to the USA.

DC31. I have recently seen this described at the port censor.

DC42. New illustration.

DC91, a new mark, reads "we are at this place for a while" and is on a vc of Sunderland where it was presumably used. This may be naval or mercantile.

DE1 (or something very similar) has been seen on US Naval Mail so this may not be a GB mark

DE13, new illustration. Vc Liverpool and censor 5C13 of Alsatian (AMC, not ACM as in ihe index) . Liverpool was the base for the 1Oth cruiser squadron.

DE25, taken from a double strike. This card reads "sailing tomorrow" although that would more likely refer to a merchantman.

RA15 may be Southampton.

RA25. A heavy strike, with no stops, seen with letters closer to 4mm high, this was the one used in London.

RA45. Much heavier strike seen on a cover with what appears to be a US navy censor.

Graham Mark has sent me a copy of part of the Report on Postal Censorship During the Great War. lt appears that in January, 1916, instructions were issued to masters of transports and mercantile auxiliaries under naval control that mail should be censored, while any commissioned officer on board was to be responsible for their own personnel (which explains some obvious army franks on naval mail). However, ships un short voyages were excluded. The PO assumed that all mail was censored and this came to light in April 1917. Thereafter all transports were brought under censorship. The navy wanted to censor all mail addressed to ships in port but did not have the facilities.

Naval privilege envelopes were first issued during April 1918 and censorship ceased at the end of November.

lt also appears that a!l mails from neutral ships cou ld be taken for censorship , although I assume this means civil censorship.

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 42 Wi nter 1999

181 is claimed to be Ben my Chree but I cannot confirm.

1 B 16 is 1 A 110 (T opaze) with the name cut out.

1817 is 1A50 (Hardinge) with the name cut out. The illustration is correct, that for 1A50 is too fine.

2A27. This exists with ON ACTIVE SERVICE in a box above but it is not clear whether the illustration is incomplete or whether th is is a separate cachet. Card is headed Malta.

3A9 may be two marks, see 8A60 below.

3A29 New find. I read this as GB but have not tried to identify. Vc of Weymouth, London V p/m 19 SEP 16?

3A36 is confirmed as Nottingham so WGW is Waiter G Watson (see page 61).

3A57. New find . Card headed Stephen Furness (ABS, sunk 13.12.17). KMD is then of Surg. KM Dyott.

3A79. New find . Reading CENSORED F.W.H unframed. Is suggested this is Francis W Hicks Chaplin in Princess Margaret.

3818 New find. The name W.H.Gray is struck at at angle in the space. This was William H Gray, Ass. Paymaster in Carmania, AMC.

3819. New find . Initials WWK written in the gap. This is William W Keir GMG M8, but this is one of the ships I could not look up.

3828, new illustration.

3847. New find. Strictly, this is a 3A mark but it is the same as 3843,44 & 45. CF is, I believe, Chaplin to the Fleet. Used with DC30 of Malta.

3850, new find. Another of the artillery censors from France.

Note 3.3. I have now been shown a colour Xerox and the A is not part of the censor mark:

Perhaps not surprisingly new sizes of the unframed censors keep being found, especially the straight line Passed by censor, the sizes for which are legion. I tried to add further dimensions in the Second Edition working, where possible, from clean strikes. Unfortunately, some marks apparently spayed with use so a slight variation in length does not always mean a new find. This problem will not be re~olved until all marks can be illustrated.

4A 1 0 is reported as Raider.

4A24. J Frost confirm 39x5mm.

4A29. I have now seen a red \.Iced copy of what is presumably this. The S is badly formed and short at the base with a noticable gap to 0. Has stop.

4A56 was origiannly taken from b/w xerox. I have now seen a colour copy (blue on blue ink), correct to q 30x4 Narrower spaces than 4A55.

4A71 should read 26x3. I am now able to illustrate this. The Minotaur refers to an auction list entry 25x4, does anyone have a copy?

Unframed CENSOR, new sizes. 4A147. New size 33 x c6, hand cut. Vc of Jarrow the postmark being apparently D865 worn. 4A148 115 X 4/3.

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 43 Winter 1999

Page 122. Illustration 4A213 is actually 4A65 and 4A78 is actually 4A80.

4A220 q 66x8 Lynn. Seen recorded in auction_ list. 4A221 q 58.5 x 5.5, rough cut. This is the mark referred to in note 3.3, the A being put on by the sender (on back, Read A first). ·

Straight Line PASSED CENSOR. 487. The mark illustrated is apparently this, the stop being faint. The loops of the S carry round further than is shown by Carter.

489A New find 60x5 p-c 31.5 sr.

4812. I now illustrate what is apparently the same mark but heavier with the C appearing to be more closed. Can anyone confirm is Emperor of India? ·

4813. (Page 124 as 48 only). Should have a stop.

4819. I can now illustrate. Carter again incorrectly illustrates the ends of the S.

4824. I have now got an example suitable to illustrate.

4827. I now give a not quite complete illustration.

4840 I now illustrate.

4848 I now illustrate if not too dark. Stop is square. This is Erin and entry 4850 should be removed .

4865. Another better example shows that the stop is to the right of D.

Page 124. Illustration 4878 should read 4877 and I now illustrate the correct 4878.

4895. lt appears that there is a long hyphen or a flatS between the words (I have only seen Xerox copies of this).

4C95. I can now provide a better illustration the first being sent as a tracing . I have seen what appears to be 4C94 with almost no quotes left and this can be easily confused with a 4C300 type.

4C221 & 224 I am now able to illustrate. 4C227 new size, the letters are narrower and taller than 4C223.

4D8 New find, apparently made up of loose type.

Note that illustrations 4D60 & 65 are reversed. 4061, new size (from faint mark) s 32 x 10. Ship not Ship's.

4E43. A straight line "Not to be posted" is reported .

5A91. New find, HMS 81ake.

5A100 New find , HMS Venus.

5A 138 New size. This is an noted War Signal Station, lnchotine, Leith.

5825, new illustration.

Page 146. Note illustration 5C10 (beside 5C23) should read 5C20 and 5C12 below should read 5C42. 4C47 on the next line should read 5C47. I am now able to illustrate a complete 5C42 which has no stop. I think the

FPHS Newsletter No . 242 Page 44 Winter 1999

Amethyst designation may have come from Carter and the difficulty over illustration may mean that it actually refers to a different mark. Can anyone confirm?

5D2 has a square not round stop

5E35. Frank Schofield in his recent auction suggest this may be the Hospital Ship Araquaya, which is a definite possibility.

6A 10 is reported as Ophelia.

683 seen franked LWW (Rev LW Wade)

6833 I have been shown a mark which is clear at the base and with CENSOR more central to the rings. This is presumably a second mark, but the ship is not confirmed as the same.

6884/86. I regret that the S is dropped one line - 6884 has serifs, 6886 does not. 6887 is a new find, double rim with serifs.

7A3 is reported used in 1917 so cannot be Hampshire. The identification was from a scrawl interpreted as MLV, suggested as Fleet Surgeon MLMVaudin, initially in Hampshire. Has been seen 5.4.17 with a different frank and 7 .1.18 with the above when Vaudin is listed as Vivid. I tend to be suspicious of franks which appear to leave out an initial without any apparent reason.

7 A 17 is reported as Peyton.

7C25 seen from Mosquito

8A60. Is reported with a part strike below of boxed AGVF, apparently the bottom part of 3A9.

8822. Another large C has turned up, used on mail sent to the docks in Glasgow. Graham Mark tells me that in 1918 the duty of examining letters addressed to ships in port was transferred to the Military Control Officers at the ports. This large C is clearly of that use and as such is not really a naval mark.

CEN 0 SOR 38 is reported. OPL is reported but I cannot explain this.

Cachets. I have been shown a cover dated FPOa 18 June 1919 with a double ring cachet for the ISLAND OF CAVA This is the first time I have seen this. lt is suggested that it is a censor but, of course, censorship had ceased by 1919. I am curious as to who was on Cava, an island within Scapa Flow and I wonder if this had something to do with the guarding of the German fleet. Had it been seen during the War, I might have suggested that there was a station there for signalling ships to their anchorage - I do not know how this was handled.

Section 2. Royal Marine Mail.

Mr R V Swart?rick has been doing extensive research into the Royal Marines in WW1 (and he would, no doubt, be pleased to hear from anyone with a similar interest). I am grateful to him for permission to quote some of his data pertaining to naval mails .

New mark: 2822. Unframed, handcut circular CENSORED/ RMG. lt is suggested that this was used at Cromarty.

287 is not one mark and should be deleted. This illustration is 5A 112 plus a separate cachet.

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 45 Winter 1999

2B1 0 and 2B11 are definitely two marks. There appears to be two different marks listed as 2810, both from Cromarty. One, struck in black, has stronger letters to CENSOR that the second, seen struck in purple. The line of the back of R cuts M bottom left in the first and top right in the second. 2B11 is apparently from South Sutor Camp.

4A7, franked H Tully. He was attached to theRM submarine miners unit, as is postmark FPOa obviously at Scapa. Bob tells me that the mines were electronically detonated from shore at any sign of attack. Such mine officers are generally listed as at their base in Chatham.

5A 110. A fresher looking example, without the apparent shadow, seen postmarl<ed Stromness and was apparently used by the RMG there. A further example, FPOa 25.9.18, but showing some distortion is apparently this.

CEN 0 SOR. Bob suggests that NSG/B actually stands for Naval Siege Guns, Belgium. I find that I have no confirming copy of NSG/L and it is tempting to suggest that this is a misread of NSG/F (Naval Siege Guns, France).

Section 3. Straight line PASSED BY CENSOR.

The unframed Passed by Censor continue to give problems (the 4C300 group) and apparently new marks are constantly being reported. I have now set up a card reference file against which I can check 'new finds' .

301 . I have come to the conclusion that this is probably an Australian censor.

309. I have found a Xerox which could boost this and I hope the illustration comes out. The height is nearer 8. This differs from 310 in the thickness of letters, although this may simply be a function of age. 310 is proving a puzzle- it is known on covers from HMS Garry and Teviot, apparently with Liverpool mutes, on a Harwich cover, from Fearless (FPOa) and with MA14. This accords with no obvious naval movements and this may be a London postal censor,

The group 311 to 325 is proving most troublesome with marks being recorded which appear not to fit.

Appropriate postmarks will confirm 314 (illustrated), 320, 321 and 326 to 328 (illustrated)

311 Tail of R is kinked. 312. Impressions are usually poor. 313. One example. Thickish letters, definite stop, downstrokes thicken to bottom including the tail to the R This may be 311 over-inked. 315. One poor impression. Mid bars of Es are short. Second S larger bottom loop. Stop faint, may be broken tail toR. 316. Entry taken from very weak copy. 317. Illustrated. 318. Illustrated in 2nd Ed. Note different ends to S. 319. Illustrated. Impressions poor. Stop uncertain. Noticeably smaller gaps to By than 317. 322. Illustrated in 2nd Ed. 323. I have a problem in that this came from a tracing, but the R seems to have a broad top-heavy loop (I have seen a similar Xerox, but the ship not confirmed on it). 324. Spacings are different. 325. D-B 4. The R is broad but not top-heavy, tail thickens to bottom. Original was fine letters but have now seen somewhat thicker with initials HWYT (Surgeon Hugh W Y Taylor, who in 1916 was on yacht Sagitta)

312A 71 4.5 31 43 I have tried to trace this. Letters are as seriffed but not all serifs are apparent. 313A 70 4.5 30 42 .5 Tail of R pointed. Ends of S less obviously horizontal. No stop seen. 319A This may be 319 but appears to show thickening to the bottom, 319 is uniformly heavy. 322A A less clear mark has been seen with all the bars of the E of a length 325A Similar to 325 but narrow R, ends S inclined (not horizontal), wider gaps to letters of CENSOR.

FPRS Newsletter No.242 Page 46 Winter 1999

325B This looks similar more heavily struck but the letter appear taller, upper ends of S vertical, very narrow R, short E in CENSOR. Has stop.

330 Illustrated - runs off this card. 331 Illustrated? This is apparently the source of this entry but I would measure as 67 long. lt is like 323 but regular R and P-B 0.5 shorter. Harwich pm. 332. New illustration. 334A Part strike, approx. 64 long. Letters less tall than 334. CENSOR 25 (against 26).

348 Taken from poor strike. A second, apparently the same, is illustrated. This one is from Hercules.

358A. Similar in size but has wide S against the narrow S ·of 358.

361 . Illustrated. 361A. Similar but narrowS, no stop. 362. The original ran faint to the right. A second somewhat thicker and partly doubled strike is recorded with a stop. These may be worn strikes of 364. 364. (NoteJ) is not 365, but may be 362.

367 A. A second mark from Stornaway is reported. Although very similarly spaced, the lettering is only 3. 367B. A poor strike but appears to be different. BY is noticeably narrow. ·

377 A Not a clear mark but seems taller with narrow S 377B Another very like 377 but letters very close and 0 closer to B. 377C Another very like 377 but fine letters, narrow S, no stop. 3770. From Carter. Like 378 (four copies) but shown longer with P-C longer.

379A Like 379 but taller letters, square stop. 379B. From Carter. Spacing appears to be different (any stop is lost in the background)

381. With initials PHC, possibly Lt Philip H Caldeton in Mines.

384? Appears identical to 384, also Capetown, but is longer. Are these SA civil censors?

389 Faint strike. Short thickish letters set close. 389A Fine taller letters with stop. Also manuscript Censored WEB Yates (ML 289). Censor may be base yacht

394. Magic 11 was a hospital ship, renamed Classic 6/18

401 A Much finer letters. 401 B I have been shown several examples of a block mark about 30, one is illustrated, P-C 19 401 C One example, apparently different. Appears a little shorter, P-C 18.

4C362. I have seen in a recent auction a mark 49 x 3.5 used on Osprey. I have not seen the cover but this is presumably 4C362.

Section 4. Identification from frank.

To identify censors usage from the frank needs a slice of luck. One needs a clear unambiguous frank, a date, the Navy List and some idea of where each ship was (to confirm has a likely postmark). I have done some work in this area and hoped to do more, but when I went to Trinity College Library in Dublin I found that their copies of the Navy List have no ship information and were, presumably, a less secure set. The only sets which I know of with ship information are in the Naval Library and the National Maritime Library, both in London. Thus I was unable to complete what I set out to do but I give below what I have discovered. The Naval List has three lists, RN, RNR and RNVR and if I found several likely interpretations in the RN list I generally did not check the other two.

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 47 Winter 1999

I should , perhaps, point out that censor marks may occur with various franks, J Frost reports JAM for 5A30, for example.

3A33. If the reported use of this censor with 7C65 does infer flying connections (when did the term 'group' come into flying parlance?) then OD may be skipper Owen Davis in Riviera (seaplane carrier) Unfortunately my notes are not clear and it would need to be checked that Davis was not in Riviere (trawler). Did these operate in 'groups'?

3A21 . There are several ES but I think, based on other like censors, that this is likely to be Fleet Surgeon Edward Sutton in Drina.

3A38 . Another possibly for BHG is Basil H Griffiths, Sub Lt., serving in the Royal Naval Division from September 1917. Neither Godfrey or Griffiths look promising and this is probably a mercantile marine frank.

3A42. If the order is accepted as CFN then this is probably Charles F Newman, Assistant Paymaster in Europa.

3A47. l find no name to fit BNVC.

3A49. Not surprisingly there are several CC, RN from the Oct 1918 List are Cyril Callaghan, LtCr, M29 Colin Cantlie, LtCr (3/17), Maidstone Clifford Caslon, Lt (9/17), Malaya Cecil Calmer, Surgeon (7/17), Donegal Cuthbert Coppinger, Lt, Canterbury Charles Cuthbert, Lt (5/16), Dolphin. To progress this further one needs dated postmarks.

3A52. The RN list produces Francis GB Hastings, Chap., Hong Kong Fred. G Hunt, Sur. Chatham Dockyard Francis G Hunter, Lt, Vernon (Devonport training base) None appears likely. The crown suggests that this is a RGA mark.

3A53. I have not found NPO. it is tempting to suggest something like Northern Pay Office or Neath Port Office but this is speculation.

3A63 is said to be HS Somali but there is no BLE listed at the date (6.4.15). This may, of course, be an army surgeon .

3A65. FCT, Lee on Solent 18.4.18. The only possibility would seem to be Frank C Taylor U RNVR in ML238 but I do not know where that launch was. This appears to refute my suggestion of Air Construction Unit but no alternative has been offered. There are also Us Frank C Tearks and Frank C Topham both listed in the 'catch-all' administrative ship President (at London) .

3A72. I find no name to fit JEVB in Nov 1918 list. (There is WEVB, JEAB or JBVB).

3820 GF Lt RNR, solid circle. Taken as early 1916 this appears to be George Foote (have yet to find his ship) .

(3829. This has puzzled me as it is quite common and should be identifiable. Seen ·t91 5 and 1916 with ASH and I was gratified when I found Fleet Paymaster Allison 8 Hall in Manzantia until I found that this was the administrative unit for the Adriatic so it cannot be)

3840. HF, FPOa 22.4.17. This may be surgeon Humphrey LG Foxell in the 11th Des. Flot. Leader Kempenfelt.

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 48 Winter 1999

4A39. ABO, FPOa 19.4.16. Not a clear identification but this may be Andrew B Downes LtCr Birmingham (notionally at Rosyth so would probably not be this postmark). If this is ABW, and the frank appears to be in the ink of the address where the D is different, this could be Alfred B Watts in Canada (at Scapa).

4A207. RUG, X. Message 'rougher voyage this trip cannot get mails'. No RUG. Nearest is Robert H Griffin, LtCr RNR in Donegal.

4C172. C Glen, 27.1 0.17. This is the Surgeon Probationer in Sceptre.

4C306. JL, postmarked London. Quite likely this is John Luce, Captain, Glasgow.

4C388 GHL, Simonstown 26.12.14 Sur. Godfrey H Latham (no ship) Cr George H Lang, Weymouth. Weymouth is recorded as East Africa some months later so would appear to be this.

Page 114 note G. This may be Sarepta but I cannot confirm the location while the frank WLL? is not that of its skipper, G R Wylie.

5A28. EH, FPOa 17.2.18. This may be Edgar Hastchurst, Clerk, afterwards Assistant Paymaster, Intrepid.

5A29. HP, DD22 (7.1.17). 10 or 11 RN possibilities alone. Postmark favours Herbert Pott UCr Caroline (needs confirmation).

5A32. On mail to his wife from Ass. Paymaster Arthur NH Poynter in Hibiscus (at Malta?). Also to his wife by W E Powell, surg. in same ship. The stop is much heavier than that shown.

5A36. THL, 10.7.16. This looks like Thomas H Lewis, Sk RNR in Phoebe 11, although the. censor is more likely of the base ship or yacht. ·

5A115 ??Callender, FPOa 17.5. 18., sent to Mrs Callender. I totally misread this before so is not Elderol. This is apparently Thomas 0 Callender (the first part may read 'Tho'). Callender was a RM Submarine officer, notionally based at Chatham (see 4A7 in Section 2).

5A 123. WRC, Barred circle (28.9.16). Most likely William P Col lis Lt RNR, Crescent, then at Rosyth.

5C14. ES, London 15.6.17. RN list gives Eric Simonds, Lt RM, Highflyer Earl Spencer LtCr, Chatham dockyard Ernest Stevenson, Cr, Cormorant Ernest Stacker, ECr, Prince George (Chatham) Edward Sutton, Fleet Sur., Plassy. My ~would be the. last.

5C70. CHP, London 12.10.15 Chris H Philips, UCr, Falmouth Chris H Petrie, Lt TB33 Charles H Payton, Chap, Juno. Mail from Falmouth would be ex FPOa and TB33 (at Queensferry) would probably have got an Edinburgh X, leaving Juno. This ties in with the need to modify 5A35.

5C95 D?KD, barred circle. The first 'D' is unlike the second (There was a David K Dick with no ship early 1918). I think it likely this is Harold Knight-Denham, Sur. Prob., Lark. A less likely possibility is David R Don aid Lt RN R in Gladiolus 1 .2.17 (Buncrana, although I still have doubts if there was a barred circle used here as I have seen several items postmarked Belfast).

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 49 Winter 1999

5C100 LAG? (Cf 3A64), barred circle. At first sight Leonard A Gilbert, Chap. Yarmouth, but he was not appointed until July 1918. This and 3A64 need to be definitely dated. Possibly Lawrence A Griffin, Lt RNR on Sutton.

5C110 AleP or ACP (added by sender), FPOa 16.1?.15 Arthur C Pelham-Kent, Staff Paymaster, Blonde Arthur C Petherick LtCr, Bellona. This could be from either.

5E25. HBL, FPOa 17.5.16. This might be Hugh B Lawrie, Surg., Dublin. This was notionally at Rosyth but I think the light cruisers moved around freely. ·

6826 read as RNM, barred circle. Robert N McKinstry, Surg., Agadir Robert N Marshal!, Lt RNR, no ship, so this looks like McKinstry.

6879. Scribble apparently SAN, London 12.2.18, addressed to RNVR Depot Signal School. This looks like Samuel A Newman, URNVR, ML 457.

6C1 SE (although there appears to be perhaps a C running into the curly E), 14.5.17. RN list gives Stephen S English, LtCr Anti Sub. Div. Seymore E Erskine, Pembroke (retired admiral) Stephen P Elliott, URNR, Renown Samuel A Erskine, Ass Paymaster RNR on the Clyde. This does not get us far!

6D71. Sent from FPOa to Mrs Prendergast. This is either JA, Surg., Greenwich, or RJ, Rear Admiral, lmperieuse. The frank which looks more like MP is presumably the second written with an open R.

7 A5. MSN, London 8.8.18?. If 1918 is correct, this appears to be Matthew S Nicholson Slt on the seized Russian Yacht commissioned as Josephine.

7A14 ASO, FPOa 10.5.17. Only is Alfred S Owens (no ship). If ASD, this could be Alex S Douglas, Cr, Rival, but this was at Rosyth (althot,~gh the destroyers also moved about).

7A67. C W Lindley, 15.1.18. Lt RNR on ML 445.

8C21. Scribble L (or A)U (or V) W, FPOa 14.5.15. Possibilities in the RN list are Lancelot V Webb, Ass. Paymaster, Warrior Algeron U Wallis Lt, Defiance (i.e. Devonport) or perhaps John V Wotton, Lt, Orion. Webb seems the most likely of these.

NL 242/50

DC 4- .2.

GENSOP.~O

~ 3AZ9

· CENSORED.

DC 91

3AS7

. 4' ' , ~ .... . " ... -""' .

1)£. 13

Fhet Surgeon de S. M . 0.

3BI9

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NL 242/51

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NL 242/53

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FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 54 Winter 1999

"~~~1]~_~,~-S()ft,

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4-C 4-DI A

PASSED BY OENSOR.

4 - G401C

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Pa ge 55 Winter 1999

Battle for the Mareth line - March 1943

Ernie Leppard

Mter Alamein in November 1942, the 8th Anny engaged in battle with the Mrika Korps for 1500 miles across North Africa constantly outflanking the many defensive positions that Rommel attempted to stop the advance.

He had a fmal defensive line to retreat to at the base of Tunisia call the Mareth Line. This defensive position approximately 10 miles across from the Matmata Hills and the coast had been constructed by the French prewar on the lines of the Maginot line with a defensive ditch constucted from an existing Wadi in places 60 ft across and up to 20 ft deep and with a minefield and concrete defensive bunkers some of which could hold up to a battalion of infantry. This defence line had been improved on by the Germans and Italians, a formidable and almost impregnable position.

On capturing Tripoli in Jail 1943, Montgomery had sent out patrols by the Long Range Desert Group to investigate whether this line could be outflanked. It was known a gap existed between the Matmata Hills and the Djebel Tebaga about 4 miles wide, but would need a flanking movement of over 280 miles through terrain the French prewar considered impracticable to sustain a large force. The Tebaga gap narrowed to a bottleneck of about one mile and dominated in the centre by a bilL Point 201 and in Roman times a defensive wall had been built, this was now merely an earthwork.. This Gap was defended by an Italian force of 1400 men with a minefield and a gun line of 10 88mm antitank guns as well as 3 batteries of heavier artillery.

Behind this Italian line, two miles back where the Gap widened to 4 miles wide, the German defence line was constructed using two wadis the Hemet and Alsoub, defended by 4 battalions of 164 Panzer Grenadiers. A battalion each of 21 Panzer tanks were positioned either side among the hills to enfilade fire to the infantry position, to these were added anti­tank guns. In reserve at Gabes the 15th Panzer Div could cover both the Mareth line and the TebagaGap.

Montgomery's plan was a full scale frontal atack on the Mareth line and as a diversion a Corps of the New Zealand 2nd Division and the 8th Annoured Brigade would threaten the Tebaga Gap to hold as many defenders away from the Mareth Line. Rommel had other ideas. From Nov 1942 the American and British 1st Anny had landed in Algiers and were advancing towards Tunis. . Gathering his new arrived lOth Panzer Div, which included the newly arrived Abt 501 battalion of 20 Tiger tanks (Jan 43), with the 21st Panzer Div. He attacked the American 2nd Corps at Kasserine Pass and inflicted 169 tank losses on the Americans as well as substantial losses to the British 1st Anny in the North.

Rommel now had a breathing space and gathered his three Panzer Divs. lOth, 21st and 15th and attacked the 8th Anny forming up for the Mareth Line. The attack went in at Medenine with 164 tanks. This attack was expected by Montgomery who taking a leaf from Rommel tactics had formed a gun line of anti-tank guns of the new 17 pdr guns. This caused 40 tank losses, causing the Afrika Korps to retreat once more behind the Mareth Line with only 86 undamaged tanks remaining. Rommel by now a very sick man left Africa for the last time on 9 Mar 43, the overall command reverted to General Messe (Italian) with V on Arnim the German commander

The 8th Anny now launched an attack on 18th Mar at the Mareth Line proper with the 50th Northumbrian Division, the 4th Indian Division and the 201 Guards Brigade, 1st Annoured Division were in reserve for the breakthrough. Whilst the New Zealand Corps with 8th Annoured Bde commenced the flanking movement on the 15 Mar. towards the TebagaGap.

Within 2 days the 8th Anny had suffered considerable losses, specially to the 50th Division and were back to their start line by German counter attacks, bad weather put a stop to this offensive. Montgomery then sent to Gen. Freyberg V.C. the New Zealand Corps commander the code work 'Benghasi Minus'. Notifying him that plan two would now come into operation i.e. the main effort or schwerpunkt would have to be made by the New Zealand Corps.

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 56 Winte r 1999

•

M ATMATA H 1 LLS

To Ben Gardane and Tripoli

@ or 14-

irSollone Mar 16

... ff&urn Tatahouine ~ ~ .. ,.

....... --:..

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Mat 18 ~ ~ .::l

7

-BATTLES OF MARE.TH & EL HAM MA ~

MAR20-26 1943 , Outflanking move /;y N.Z. :

) Corps and 8 Armif Bde ~ followed oy 10 Corps ~

FPHS Newsletter No. 242 Page 57 Winter 1999

The left flank of the 2nd New Zealand Division and the support tanks of the 8th Armoured Brigade had been moving solely at night to avoid being spotted by German planes and their recce group of AA3. However they had b~en spotted from the 18th March with the defence being strengthened by the Italians and Germans at the Tebaga Gap.

Gen. Freyberg abandoned the night move8 and advanced quickly to the Point 201 and Roman Wall and arrived by the 20th Mar. Immediately putting in a night attack by the 23rd Wellington Regt and 26th South Island Battalion of the 6th NZ Brigade liDder Brig. Gentry, and supported by the tanks of the 3rd R.T.R. and the Notts Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry. This attack was completely successful capturing the position with all guns and 800 PoWs. In the morning the NZers and tanks advanced to the Roman wall with a further 400 PoWs. The German line later reported on the disgraceful debacle of 30 Offrs and 1200 men surrendering, stories of German firing on retreating Italians were reported.

Montgomery sent signal to Freyberg for him to order the 8th Armoured Bde to continue the attack on the German line and that he would send the 1st Armoured Division under Gen. Brian Horrocks to support him and take command. This didn't go down well with Freyberg, who would not let anyone else command the New Zealand Division. Freyberg was also a very senior commander, having earned his VC as a Corps commander on the Ancre in France in 1916, whilst even Montgomery was then only a battalion officer.

Freyberg immediately flew to see Montgomery, if an attack was to be made it would be done his way and not piecemeal. His plan for the 26th March would be a blitz attack never before attempted by British forces, though often enough by the Germans. The attack would commence at 4 o'clock with the three Armoured Regts in one line abreast, the heavy Shermans tanks in front followed by a line of Crusader tanks and then the New Zealand infantry some riding on the backs of the Crusader tanks. So that the 3 R.T.R. would be supported by the 24 NZ Bn on the left, in the centre the Staffs Yeomanry with the 23 NZ Bn, and the difficult ground on the right the Sherwood Rangers tanks would have the 28 Maori Bn in support. The whole attack was preceded with a bomber attack at 3 o'clock, from 3.30 pm, 5 Squadrons of RAF close support, Spitfrres, .Kittybombers and Hurricane tank busters would give close support and 200 Field guns would give a creeping barrage from 3.45 p.m.

The 150 tanks of the three tanks regiments moved forward precisely at 4 pm behind the creeping artillery barrage. The attack was aided by a swirling dust storm kicked up by the barrage. The advance was described by Gen Freybarg as 'a most awe inspiring spectacle of modem warfare'. The frrst objective at 6000 yards was reached with stunned reaction from the German defenders. The advance to the second objective the Hemet and Alsoub wadi defences then broke up into an individual tank and infantry mellee. By nightfall the tanks had carved a breakthrough by 9 pm. when as planned the second attack by the 1st Armoured Div of another 150 tanks followed through.

It was not until 2 am that the 8th Armoured tanks were able to leaguer for fuel and replenishments, each Regt had had their losses, but not considerable. Mopping up was still proceeding by the New Zealand infantry, and continued during the next day when the tanks were out early by daybreak in support. On the right flank the 28th Maori Bn had the most difficult task of taking a hill feature of Pt 209 where as 2{Lt N garimu was to be awarded a posthumous VC for attacking single handed enemy posts and holding out against counter attacks all night.

At midnight on the 26th Mar the 1st Armoured Div had followed through to take El Hamma and continue to the coast at Gabes, but a well sited and hurried defence line of anti­tank guns comprising 3 - 88mms and 4 Field guns, completely held up the attack, with the depleted 15th Panzer from reserve also was attacking their flank. Horrocks asked for another Blitz attack to be set up, but Freybmg ordered the 8th Armoured Brigade to outflank and attack the 15th Panzer Div and drive towards the coast at Gabes. This they reached by the 31st March.

The gun line in front of El Hamma had unfortunate results as most of the Mareth line instead of being cut off was able to retreat behind the next defence line at Wadi Akarit. Thus ended the Battle for Tebaga Gap, which is considered after Alamein the second most important battle of North Africa.

In 1972, 29 years after the event a seminar was conducted at the site by the Ministry of Defence with over lOO military students~ many from other countries including Russian being taken over the field and points of conflict and given talks on the event. This was done under auspices of the Tunisian military and included participants of the battle including the

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 58 Winter 1999

defenders from the German force, and called Exercise Desert Bear .. This is a condensed version of a much largerstory I was asked to write up, using all

the orginal material from the Public Record Office and Exercise Desert Bear, with many first hand reports of the battle including the 21st Panzer Div. which is being published this year by the Old Comrades Association of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry.

Covers shown from the period include from Lt-Col Lawrence Biddle, Brigade Major of the 8th Armoured Brigade who was to earn an M.C. for the action. A cover written by the Col. Stanley Christopherson of the SRY (an MC for this action) to the wife of one of the Sherwood Rangers Sgt George Dring to earn an MM. A New Zealand Cover from 6 NZ Bde all using FPO 218 of the 8th Armoured Bde. One cover from the 50th Div representing the Mareth line with FPO 592. Other NZ covers shown are a captured Italian envelope with MPO KW5 and a cover with the '?atchet of the 28 Maori Bn. and fmally a cover showing the VCs of New Zealanders won during WWII including 2/Lt Ngarimu. Covers of the participants during March 43 were returned to Tripoli and Castel Benito airfield for connection with Algiers and Gibralter and to UK. New Zealand mail was retured to Cairo for transmission back to NZ.

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FPHS Newsletter No.24 2 Pa g e 59 Winter 199 9

NZ Corps

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FPHS Newsletter No.~ 7.42 Page 60 Winter 1999

Hfh Armd Udc- The three tank Rt~gt.s

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FPHS Newslet t er No.242 Page 61 Winter 1999

THE ARMY POST OFFICE 1914 - 1928

From Simon Fenvick

Extract from The Cologne Post and Wiesbaden Times Xmas Annual1928

In 1533 Henry VITI had military posts between London and his Armies, consisting ot horsemen established at 20 mile interval "by means of which, travelling at the utmost speed and no passing their respective limits" (or Posts) despatches were carried between the King and his Armies "200 miles in two days". Thus the Army Postal Service can claim to ~ -one of the oldest unit of the British Army. -

In time of war, however, a demand fo_r a military postal service has always _arisen, and, with the growth of education, soldier have insisted on o:rga.niSed means of-communication with their friends. When the Second Army marched into Cologne in 1918, General Plumeri sent for the DAPS (Brig Gen W Price CB CBE CMG VDii) and told him that Football and the Army Post Office had won the war. What he mean was that those two agencies were all important to maintain the morale of the troops, and the side, which had repelled 'that fed up feeling' the longest had won.

With the growth of armies and their deployment over 'far flung battlefields" the provision of internal postal services _within the Army Zone has also become rJghly important. The local internal communicatiori services of the Army Postal Service with the British Expeditionary Force in France were liighly organised, and by means of a fleet of 250 box cars and lorries, supplemented by train services, at one time they were carrying approximately half a million official letters daily between units and departments of the British Expeditionary Force; and, notwithstanding the constant moves of units and formations, the system enabled letters posted in any part ofthe British Expeditionary Force area to be delivered in any other part of the Army Zone within 24 hours.

In 1914 the peace establishment of the Royal Engineer (Postal Section) was 300 all ranks. The staff of the Home Depot in London, where the mails were sorted and which provided drafts for overseas, consisted during the war of 1,200 soldiers and 1,260 civilians and women; and, overseas, there were 8,000 men and W AAC employed in France alone, not counting, MT personnel and unskilled labour for loading work.

The volume of mail carried cannot be appreciated by the mere recital of figures. The fact that 555,000 sacks of mails were landed at the Base Posts in France in December 1917 may sound impressive but knowledge of the fact that these mails would require about 100 trains each of 30 trucks to carry them to railheads and represents 6,000 lorry loads to be transported from railheads to Field Post Offices ~th Brigades and Divisions, helps one to realise wh1t the figures mean.

In the Field, the essential equipment of a post office was contained in a black iron box. Everything else had to be improvised on the spot or dispensed with. Where this-black box was planted, and the red and white flag displayed, there was a post office where unit postmen received and posted the soldiers mail, transacted ordinary postal business, purchased postal orders and savings certificates etc., and received their supply of newspapers. The use of the postal service as a medium for distributing newspapers to the troops was a very satisfactory feature of its work and was not the only 'sideline" of the Army Post Office. They frequently came to the assistance of the Military Forwarding Department (MFO); they were used for the

FPHS Newsletter No.242 Page 62 ~li nter 1999

evacuation of the valuable kit and articles of sentimental or intrinsic value of deceased and wounded soldiers; and they distributed and collected the soldiers votes during elections both at home and in the colonies.

Always progressive, they snatched at every means to improve their services; and it was the Army Post Office, which established the earliest regular Air Mail Services between England and the Continent. The bombing planes of 55 and 120 Squadrons, RAF were used to drop baskets of mails by parachute along the track of the Second Army on its march to Cologne, when roads and railways were damaged and congested, and the service developed into the London-Cologne Air Mail Service. Rumour has it that the man who flew with the first air mails is still with the Army Postal Service here in Wiesbaden.

With the demobilization of our war time army the vast organisation of the Army Postal Service was closed down. Its men went back to their civil jobs except the detachment which remained to serve the British Army on the Rhine, and a few who were called up again to serve the Shanghai Defence For.ce (1927-36). We all know their work here on the Rhine: we know they have a busy time just before Christmas; we know the unit appears twice as the Champions of the Small units Cricket League and they nearly won it a third time, but this year their luck deserted them. Their little band of NCO's inhabit the Garrison Sergeants' Mess where we hope they'll have a Happy Christnias-after they've delivered our Chfistmas mail.

Notes: ; Herbert Chal"les Onslow PLUMER (1857-1932). He served in Sudan (1884) and led the Rhodesian relief force to Mafeking (1900). In WW 1 he distinguished himself as commander of the 2nd Army of the British Expeditionary Force (1915-18), he was GOC Italian Expeditionary Force (19i7). He was appointed Field Marshal in 1919, was Governor of Malta (1919-24), and High Commissioner for Palestine (1925-8). ii William PRICE (1864-19?) He joined the Secretary's Office of the Post Office in 1889. He served with the Army Post Office Corps during the Anglo-Boer (1899-02), twice mentioned in Despatches. He was leading member of the Inter-departmental Committee ( 1908-11) which resulted in the formation of the Royal Engineers (Postal Section) in 1913, he was also appointed Director Army Postal Services, holding that post throughout WWl (1914-19). After the war he was apointed Secretary of the Post Office in Scotland until his retirement in 1924.

HEARD IN AN ARMY Posr OFFICE.

ToM MV :-" Do yoa keep stamps? "

SAPPER:-" Not if we can help· it-we sell 'em."

-:··------

FPHS News l et t er No . 242 Pa ge 63 Wi nter 1999

F 0 R T H E R E C 0 R D

RE-USED HONOUR ENVELOPES From Dr.M H Gould No further types of reused Honour Envelopes (Newsletter 235 Spring 1998) have been reported to me but I have since acquired a further type myself. This is similar to Figure 1 in the article but has the imprint 52-7257w to the bottom right below the lined box. On the address half it is overprinted ON HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE/USE BY AFFIXING ECONOMY/LABEL OVER FLAP/(three horizontal lines over the word ADDRESS)/NOTE/ OPEN BY CUTTING THE LABEL./RE-USE BY/AFFIXING FRESH LABEL.The lettering above the three horizontal lines is larger. True to the i nstructions, this is used with an A.F.A2919 G/ THE WAR OFFICE reuse label on the flap .

SLOGAN "FEED THE GUNS WITH WAR BONDS" From Mrs Susan McEwen Re Alan J Reward's pie~ue on War Bonds slogan in FPHS Newsletter 240. Mr Howard referred to the 11th November 1918 as the last date of the Slogan as well as the last date of the war. Here is a photocopy of a postcard in my collection showing a date of 12th November 1918. It may be that the slogan had longer use in some places than he believed, or the Post Office staff in my .. old home town were still cele­brating and failed to change the slogan ?

EDITORIAL NOTE We seem.to have lost many regular contributors to the Newsletter in recent years. I think of Frederick Patka, Ted Coles, Alec Page , Alex Hemmin~s, Boris Pritt, Archie Donald and others . Earlier this yearDtRobert Hunt died. His field was naval cancellations. I am grateful to the stalwarts who continue to contribute articles and queries and I am glad that some of our newer members are stepping into the breach too, and I would encourage any member to search their ccrllection and consider writing something for the Newsletter if only to seek information.

FPHS Neusl.etter No. 242 Page 64 Winter 1999

RESCUED AT DUNKIRK MAY 1 9 4 0 Fzem Peter O'Keeffe

I have recently acquired an Army 'Field Service'Post card bearing a red square slogan postmark of Salisbury, Great Britain, 31 May 1940 "Grow More Food 1 Dig For Victory". It is from a serviceman rescued from Dunkirk~ and is addressed to Chertsey, in. Surrey.

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On the back, he indicates that he is being sent down to base "in England". He has added "Home on Leave soon.Still travelling. Come from Dunkirk.Fit and Safe".Lionel The addru,y

ten on this sirh.

If anything else

is added the

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be dutroyed.

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The Servicemen rescued from the Dunkirk beaches were evacuated as quickly as possible away from Dover and other ports at which they where landed and would not have had an opportunity to

advise their relatives of the situation,until they reached a base camp, such as Salisbury. In most cases, their normal means of communication with their homes, was by post; it would appear therefore, that in thi s case the soldier was given a 'FS' postcard,which was then posted 'free' via the Civilian Postal System, rather than the 'Field Post Office'. It was also accepted with the additional message, and does not appear to have been routed via a 'Censor'. The sender has not dated the card. The postmark does usual "ld"postage might assume that Authorities were for the postage.

not show the rate and one the Military not charged

Many of the troops rescued at Dunkirk had only the clothes they were wearing,little or no other equipment, and probably no cash with them. Within a few days of their arrival back in the UK they were dispersed to camps all around the Country

NOTHING Is to be written on this side except the date and signature of the sende·r. Sentence; not required may be ~rased. . If anything else is ~dded the post card will be destroyed,

[Postage must be prepaid on nny letter or post card addressed ~o the aondm· of this card.]

I am quite . well.

I J~· ~~~~~~mr~~~

forms/A2042/7. 51-5437

FPRS Newsletter No. 242 Page 65

0 U E R I E S

Winter 1999

Oueey No-:?-42 .C2.42/55) From Dr M H Gould I recently bought a plain card of WWI appearance.Marked 'Active Service' and postmarked LO~~N EC/PAID/JUL 14G machine vertically along edge.Addressed to Mrs R Ross c/o Mrs Knight in 'Sussex~England'.The card was written cross-wise and then overwritten long-wise. . The under message reads " Sun. Dear wife, Just a card to let .you know that I am alive and kicking.! hope ¥QU got the various cards I have sent.! have not got a letter since we left York in fact nobody has. When we go through the(various townsJ) people give us cigars cigarettes packets of tobacca (bars of?)chocolate etc. We are like travelling tobacco shops. I can give no information or I oould have a lot to say. The people(hoarding?) food eggs they buy them now.! hope you got your pay all right as we have not had any yet(and,1but?) we would have it to aorne. Kiss Mildred for me and remember me to mother and Dick and Joe.Your loving husband. PS my pockets are full of cigars I wish I could offer Dick tlld Joe some."

Th~ over message reads" Dear Wife.! received your letter with photo today Wed 25th. If you only get 8/9 a week there must be something wrong.Write and let me know all the particulars or write to the nearest O.Commanding.Glad to hear you are all well.' Wr.ite a longer letter next time.Remember me to all. and kiss Mildred.

Problem ! If I have computed correctly neither July 25 nor August 2511914 were Wednesday. Question l.Why did this pass without postage due?

Loving husband"

2.It reads as a soldier advancing in uniform. Who was in,presumably1 France in July 1914 and where were they going?

Query No.240(241/27) Reply From John Daynes Keith Fitton's report of a cover to Seychelles is interesting but I wonder if the censor label gives a cJue as to an alternative origin.The PC22 censor label as Keith said was originally used for pres~ censorship but this was replaced in 1940 tbly the f'.teas &~rsom p .Burea·u yellow labeis. There was 1 it seems 1 a large quantity

· Oif the red PC22· censor labels left over and the wartime economy drive meant that a new use for these was sought.Some were used on Prisoner of War mail in the UK but the majority was sent to the military censorship authorities in the Middle East.The labels were used in several locations on mail where1according to official records1"It is not desired to indicate the location of the origin of the mail"and clearly it was felt that the usual military censorship may divulge the location. These labels have ~n recorded on mail from ships' crews of the Merchant Navy and I have an air letter with a return address of "c/o G.P.O.LONDON" dated 27th April 1943. The AMLC has a red PC22 label(but a later type with the code 2324/GHQP/3-43) and has the diamond censor mark number 8 indicating which censor officer dealt with the mail.The item is also postmarked Base Army Post Office 4. It would seem possible that Keith's item was from a Seychellois seaman and was referred to the censorship authorities in Egypt.It was then put into the military postal system at BAP04. The bars cancellation on the postage stamps may have been put on the cover when it was landed at a port.The fact that the cover has 2~d postage adds strength to the suggestion that the sender may have been in the Merchant Navy and thus under the control of the Ministry of War Transport.

Newsletter Editor; B.Ferguson,Flat 4 Springfield Court,Woodside,LONDON SW 19 7AJ