the forces postal history society newsletter 207 spring 1991 … · the cover is postmarked...

The Forces Postal History Society

Newsletter 207 Spring 1991

C O N T E N T S ISSN 9 0 5 1 - 7 5 6 1 PAGE

THE GULF 115

London Paid Datestamps on Mail from the B.E.F. (WWI) 119Submarine Mail 1919 - a likely story 120Tommy Atkins' Letters (1990 FPO) 121More about "Wounded Post Office Malta" (WWI) 122Military Missions in Berlin (1945-1990) 123For the Record

Allied Transadriatic censorship WWII 124"Censored Mail" (Italy WWII) 124Prisoners of War Camp, Blandford WWI 124

Long Service & Good Conduct (H.M.S.Pique 1797) 125Help Line

SZ series 126RAFP0STS South East Asia 127

Bookshelf - The Postal History of the A.ii.F. WWI 127Prisoner of v«ar Camp in Gibraltar WWII 128A Canadian Blackout Precursor WWII 129Queries 122 (Task Group 308.5, 1956), 123 (Signals

Control, Berlin 1923), 124 (Belgianin U.K.WWI) 130

NEWSLETTER No.207 (Vol.XXI; No.7) SPRING 1991

The Gulf

Thanks to the indefatigable energy of our old friend Frederic Patka once again, we have received illustrations of covers, together with some notes relating to the various contingents. All of this material dates from the time leading up to the opening of actual operations against Iraq.United States ForcesThe Americans have, according to Mr.Patka, a total of 14 active APOs, which includes ten which have been in operation for years, also some 40 APOs which are only mailing addresses. Army mail is cancelled by the normal Army Postal Service / APO (number) datestamps.The U.S.Marines have individual unit datestamps, similar to U.S.warships, and two different types are shown below, as well as a cover from U.S.S.Nassau. The marines were probably on board warships.

- 115 -

FPHS Newsletter No.207 Spring 1991

British ForcesThe BFPO mailing addresses range between 641 and 647 apparently. A number of Field Post Office datestamps occur on mail from the area, as for example 190, 234, 755, 766, 791, 990, but where they were actually located is not established. Again, these are all of conventional type normally used. We showed some Royal Navy ships' cachets in the last Newsletter.Australian NavyThe cover shown below demonstrates that the R.A.N. has been very enterprising in producing ships' datestamps in both Arabic and English. As well as that for HMAS Success, similar ones exist for HMAS Darwin and Adelaide. The postmark reads International Mail - NSW Aust.

^ L - i-H-U

1 9 SEP 1990COMMANDING OFFICER

HMAS SUCCESSFrederic J . Patka

J.N. Berger Platz 4/19

B Y AIR MAI LPAR AVI ON

Wien 16Austria

tiittsi

Belgian NavySome ships'cachets are shown below. Such mail is postmarked in Brussels.

116


Royal Canadian NavyA cover below shows the cachet of HMCS Athabaskan, postmarked CFPO 5071 FMO Halifax, N.S., said to be used on board the supply ship HMCS Protector.

K .

Royal Danish NavyThe three-line handstamp, struck on the flap of the envelope, is that of the Corvette Olfert Fischer. The cover is postmarked Kobenhavn.

KORVETTEN OLFERT FISCHER K0BMAGERGADES POSTKONTOR

1000 K0BENHAVN K

117

I


French ForcesThe French have 3 army post offices (Bureau Postal Militaire) and two branch APOs in the area, 640, 640A, 640B, 641 and 642. The cachet Commandant le 5° Regiment d'Helicopteres de Combat Operation Daguet occurs on a cover postmarked BPM 640, at Yanbu, the French base in Saudi Arabia. Another postmarked BPM 642 has the return address shown CM Abu Dhabi Operation Busiris.

COMMANDANT LE 5“ REGIMENT D’HELICOP I ERES DE COMBAT

OPERATION DAGUET

Italian NavyThe cover below is from the Orsa. Other Italian warships in the area are the Libeccio, Minerva, Sfinga and Stromboli; all have the Italian Navy ships' postmarks and cachets like the Orsa.

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One wonders how many code-named 'Operations' will have been used by the time the war is over - 'Desert Storm', 'Daguet', Busiris', 'Southern Breeze' etc.

London Paid Datestamps on Mail From The B.E.F.

This subject seems to have inspired more interest than most, as here are contributions from two more members.From Alec Swain:I have the following items in my collection:1914 A plain envelope endorsed 'On Active Service' with the Paris machine

cancel 'Paris Gare de Lyon 2330 8 Aout 14' addressed to Camberwell.London SE. It has a red datestamp (Coles type 1) LONDON E.C. PAID 12 SP 14 with '2' at the base. The French machine cancels of this period tend not to be too clear but the '8' is well centred and I don't think there is a second figure in the date plug - so why the delay ? No censor mark.

1914 A French p.p.c. of Yvetot endorsed 'Franchise Militaire' from a Frenchsoldier (43rd Infantry Regt., 32nd Company) to his wife at Harrow. Written in English (the text is dated '5-8-14') but there is no French datestamp. It has a red datestanp (Coles type 1) LONDON ?? PAID 15 SP 14 (the number at the base is not clear and 'EC' is not struck). As with the first item there is some delay. No censor mark.

1914 A French p.p.c. of Saille (Loire-Inf.) endorsed 'Active Service' with a Paris-a-Belfort 2° t.p.o. cancel 15 Sept 14, addressed to Brighton. It has the red machine cancel (Coles type 3) LONDON F.S.PAID SEP 22 14G with six straight lines between the datestamps. No censor mark.

1914 A French p.p.c. of" Versailles endorsed 'On Active Service' with no French datestamp, addressed to Croydon. It has the red machine cancel (Coles type 3) LONDON F.S.PAID SEP 29 14G without lines. Censor type CM1/213in red.

1915 A French p.p.c. 'The War - The exodus' i.e. refugees, with Tresor et Postes 66 4 Avril 15 datestamp, addressed to 'Gran' in Weston-super-Mare from 'Jim' with French 'T' in inverted triangle tax mark. This has been obliterated by a black dumb cancel AND a black (Coles type 2) datestamp LONDON PAID 10 APL ?? (year not struck). The same datestamp is then struck in the normal red just below. No censor mark.

From Frank Daniel:I was interested to see David Cornelius's comments (NL 206) on this subject, which other pressures had caused me to miss. I would now like to add some comments of my own.1) In my experience many of the items from this period are struck with one of censors 1/194 - 1/200. These were used by the Base Depots of, respectively the-Cavalry and 1 - 6 Infantry Divisions, where the Immediate Reinforcements awaited the call to join their units. David's unstamped item with censor 1/1 came from the HQ of 1 Cavalry Brigade. I have a cover. (ABPO, 29 Oct 14) with censor 1/284 from 8 Coy Army Ordnance Corps, and am very interested in allocatable items over 1/200. (Censors 1/1 - 1/175 can all be tied to major units of the B.E.F.).

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2 a) Peter T.Scott's publication 'The Great War' illustrates (Vol.2 No.4 Aug.1990 p.141) a postcard sent by Capt.Pryce-Jones of 2 Coldstream Guards (4 Bde /2 Div.) to his wife from the rest camp 4 miles from Le Havre, soon after landing. This he has dated by hand 13 Aug.14, but it bears the ABPO datestamp of 22 Aug.14 (censor 1/198, tax h/s F.B.A.^d). It would appear therefore that for a period after landing, B.E.F. mail was purposely delayed. It would be interesting if we could identify this period more precisely.

2 b) I have a cover with ABPO 23 Aug.14 franked by Capt.E.Christie-Miller of 1 Coldstream Guards (1 Bde/ 1 Div.) which the carries the battalion censor 1/28 but no U.K.datestamp of any sort. It is hard to say whether this had also been delayed, but I suspect that it had left the battalion on the way up to Mons.The contrast in censors is noteworthy.

3) I have two p.p.cs of Bruges from 7 Division, newly landed in the Bruges area. One, to Pimlico, was franked by both Capt.H.W.McCall of 2 Yorkshires (Green Howards) and, most unusually, by the battalion C.O. Lt.Col.W.L.Alexander, plus the battalion censor 1/1009. It received the Bruges datestamp of 9.X.1914 (17—18 hrs) and the LONDON F.S.PAID 12 OCT 14G (Coles type 3 no lines).Two to Goswell Road, London is headed '21820 Royal Engineers' and is neither franked nor censored. The postmark is Oostende 2,9 X 1914 (11-12 hrs) plus the LONDON F.S.PAID 23 OCT 14G (Coles type 3 no lines). There is also the red P.C. in 30 mm circle in red.The interesting point here is that, though written on the same day one only reached the post in the U.K.11 days after the other. This, I am sure, was no accident, but an example of an official policy of delaying uncensored mail posted out of course in civil pillar boxes.

4) I have at least one example of type 3 (with lines) showing code letterA, while between us we already have three examples of code letter G. I wonder what other code letters are to be found. (Later on, numerous code letters can can be found with the 'RECEIVED FROM H.M.SHIPS' cancellation.).

5) It may be worthy of note that type 2 also appears on an 'On Active Service' cover from Malta, Sliema, no censor, 22 July 1916, London date 29 July 1916.

Submarine Mail 1919 - a l i kely story

by Martin Lynes

Very little attributable mail to or from submariners has come my way over the years. It was therefore with some pleasure that an On Active Service postcard with the return address 'H.M.Submarine U.N.37, c/o H.M.S.Adamant, c/o GP0, London', with the 'Received From H.M.Ships / No Charge To Be Raised' machine cancel of London, for 6 February 19, was acquired at a local fair.

Confidently, I turned to Colledge's 'British Warships 1914-1919' and was astonished when no trace of this class was evident. A further search of specialist publications at the County reference library also failed to reveal anything of U.N.37. It was then that it occurred to me that this could possibly be a German U-Boat used for trials by the Royal Navy, and this hypothesis was put to the Admiralty.

120 -


Hopefully the reply will give others as much delight as it gave me."Your letter concerning the submarine HMS UN 37 was received with considerable incredulity. However, you are quite correct, though I am unable to confirm whether it was late 1918 or early 1919. When the Germans surrendered at the of the war the minelaying submarine UC 37 was one of four U-boats to surrender at Sevastopol in the Crimea. Two of these boats were allocated to the French and two - including the UC 37 - to the British. The ADAMANT, a submarine depot ship, and the submarine E 21 were sent into the Black Sea to bring the British prizes back. The UC 37 was commanded by Lieutenant Jermyn Rushbrooke, while Lieutenant Ashmore commanded the other one (one of the UB class).Having taken over his boat, cleaned it up and prepared it for passage to Malta, Rushbrooke, renowned for his sense of humour, repainted the numbers on the conning tower. The UC then became UN, since the Germans had always been referred to as 'The (H)un' I "

TOMMY ATKINS' LETTERS

was the name given to an exhibition of British forces' mail from the 1840's to the Falklands campaign, held at the National Army Museum last year. The exhibition ran from 5 April to 4 September 1990. As part of the display the Forces Postal Service set up a replica of a field post office in the Arctic. On certain days this FPO was staffed by sappers from a Postal & Courier Squadron at Bulford, Wiltshire, and it was possible to obtain souvenir covers postmarked on the day. That was the theory anyway I I tried on three occasions, but for various reasons there was no one there at the times of my visits; covers left for re-posting were returned with illegible postmarks. However, I am grateful to the Squadron 0C who kindly provided replacement covers in the form of first and last day covers. Two postmarks were used: FIELD POST OFFICE 616 and the A.C.E.MOBILE FORCE rubber datestamp. (Michael Dobbs)

As a postcript, the Museum Shop, National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4HT can supply a booklet published to accompany the exhibition entitled 'Tommy Atkins' Letters: The History of the British Army Postal Service' by P.B.Boyden, for £6.60 post paid in the U.K.

121


More about "wounded post office malta"

Our appeal for information on any other examples of this rare mark did not go in vain.

Mr.Alan J.Howard writes to us as follows:"Yes, I have a copy of "Wounded Post Office Malta". In fact I showed it

at the March 1989 meeting in Manchester as part of my 2nd Western General Hospital collection, so there may be one or two members saying to themselves "where did I see of those ?" .

"I am enclosing a xerox copy of the five pages which show the progress of 'Harry' of the Manchester Regiment through 1914-1915. On page two the actual strike is shown (illustrated below - Ed.) and it couldn't be a better one.The card also has a good strike of 'On Active Service Medtn'. There is a further card a month later which has a poor 'On Active Service' and no 'Wounded Post Office'. Both cards are written from 'Ward J 6, St.Andrews, Malta.If any member has information or a photo of this place I would appreciate hearing from them. On page four you will see the 2nd Western General Hospital connection, a month after writing his last card in Malta he is in the Princess Street Manchester section of 2nd W.G.H. Then on to Bury, Margate, Tidworth and the trenches.

"It is not often that sets of cards like these can be kept together but I always try when I see them. "

The message reads:Ward J 6, St.Andrews, Malta. June 24 (1915)Dear Nellie,Just a card from Malta. I am glad to say I am marked down for convalescence but dont know when I shall go. The ladies of Malta bring these views every week. When I get down town I hope to be able to send you some more. I think this all this time I am sending usual letter.With Best Love Harry

122 -


MILITARY MISSIONS IN BERLIN

Some further information and comments from Konrad Meyer:

MISSION MILITAIRE FRANQAISE DE LIAISON PRES LE HAUT COMMANDEMENT SOVIETIQUE

EN ALLEMAGNE

MO. /MMFL/ODT

Potsdam, le 29 MARS 1986.

1.

Mission Mllltalre Franpalso de Liaison auprfe do Haut Commandment Sovi&ique

du Groupe de Forces Quest

Maggie Meyer,Am Zuggraben 6,D-2905 FRIEDEICHSFEHN

4.

1) The British, French and American Liaison Missions to the Soviet Forces were not based in East Berlin, but in Potsdam, as shown by the marking of the French Mission shown.2) The Australian Military Mission Germany mark mentioned by John Daynes used in Berlin.3) French APO postmark used at the Franco-German Philatelic Exhibition in on 10-11 November 1990.4) French Mission APO postmark and cachet.

123 -


For The Record

Two items from Italian forces serving wth the Allies, both of some rarity.

The censor label on the back of a cover with the sender's address P.M.151 B (Posta Militare), sent stampless and charged 2 lire postage on arrival at Latiano on 26.1.45.

Envelope of British appearance postmarked by a single-ring cds R.R.POSTE Comando Superiore Navale Italiano del Levante with 2-line CENSORED MAIL. Arrival date 11.7.45.

From Peter High:'Proof' that Blandford was a prisoner-of-war camp in WWI, as well as a naval camp.

#

%

P r isonens o f W a r S a m p ,

0 la n d fo r d ,

Dorset.

hyv/

/ l-Uc yiMs-/,.oiO' 'fk//

124 -

cX/*


Long Service & Good Conduct

by Lt.Cdr.M.J.Hill

How time flies since I note that I acquired the entire illustrated below, some three years ago, but did not research it until earlier last year.Written at Spithead on H.M.Ship PIQUE 25th November 1797.

Dear StewartFor sometime past I have

expected to have heard from you, at least to have enquired for your Ward. I arrived here last Saturday [22nd November] and will remain about three weeks as we want some repairs, I have had a good deal of cruizing have only been a few days in harbour since April but have taken nothing of great value, we lately made some recaptures in Company with the Phaeton and Stag Frigates which may turn our something considerable.

In May last I met Tennent at Sea off Ushant in his way from India and lately had a letter from him at Elsenor, he had again lost his ship by the villany of a Pilot and mentions his intention of proceeding directly to India, but it appears with no settled plan Mrs Tennent and her sister remained at Bengal.

As I shall remain here sometime I hope to hear from you. I shall be in London the end of next week if I can get leave for a few days. Bruce is very well and gets quite stout. Dalyell had a most severe fever after he came onboard and was very near dead, he is now perfectly recovered. No prospect yet of my visiting you in Scotland. Peace now seems as far distant as ever. I beg my best compliments to Mrs Stewart and Mrs Gordon and believe me

Dear Stewart Yours always very truly

David Milne

The great French wars, as they used to be called which took place with first Revolutionary and then Napoleonic France between the years 1793 and 1815 - have been described as a battle between the elephant and the whale, the strongest land-power and the strongest sea-power. In this battle sea power triumphed and largely through the calibre of the sea going officer such as

125 -


Captain David Milne entered in the Royal Navy at the age of sixteen as Midshipman on 26 May 1779 serving on the CANADA 74, in 1780 he was present at the relief of the garrison at Gibraltar and assisted in the capture of a Spanish frigate of 44 guns. Two years later he was in the fleet serving Admiral Sir Samuel Hood when thrice attacked by the Comte de Grasse at St.Kitts. To round off his 20th year the CANADA together with the JASON were the only two ships to survive a hurricane on their homeward passage during which young Milne was awarded his Master's Mate rating.

After this somewhat exciting start to his naval career David Milne's next ship was paid off, so he entered the Merchant Service until 1793 when he re-entered the Royal Navy to serve on the BOYNE 98 under the flag of Sir John Jervis, who on arrival in the West Indies promoted him to Lieutenant in the BLANCHE 38. He saw almost continuous action in the West Indies during the next two years until on 5 Jan 1795 after a deadly action of 4-j hours, which killed his Captain and 7 others, she affected the capture of La Pique of 38 guns and about 279 men of whom 76 were killed and 110 wounded. As the boats of both ships were either completely destroyed or unable to float, Mr.Milne with 10 seamen swam to the conquered vessel and took possession of her. As soon as the Admiralty heard of this splendid action he was promoted to the command of teh INSPECTOR sloop. He continued to be involved with many actions against the French in this theatre of war and on hearing that the command of the ship he had captured was falling vacant he solicited his Admiral and was duly appointed in command of LA PIQUE and joined her in Barbados in Jan.1796. Later that year he accompanied a convoy to England. After the general mutiny at Spithead in April 1797 and a second exhibition of insubordination on LA PIQUE, which was subdued by a mixture of intrepidity, firmness and clemency on the part of Captain Milne, he continued attached to the force on the coast of France until wrecked at the capture of La Seine.

It was during a lapse in this period that we find Captain Milne at Spit- head on a November day writing to Charles Stewart.

In October 1799 he saw service off the coast of Africa before once again proceeding to the West Indies and involvement in the blockade of the Mississipi. He was paid off in 1802 and a year later re-employed as Captain of LA SEINE, before assuming responsibility for the command of the Firth of Forth area.More action, promotion to Flag rank, Commander in Chief North America station followed. Promoted Vice Admiral 27 May 1825, GCB 4 July 1840 and full Admiral 23 November 1841. From April 1842 until a few days of his decease he fill the post of C-in-C Devonport with his flag on board the CALEDONIA 120. He died on passage in the CLARENCE steamer from Londonto Scotland at the age of 82 having served his Sovereign for 30 years on full pay and 36 years on half pay.

Help L ine

From E.W.Proud:SZ Series

I am at present preparing a second edition of the History of the British Army Postal Service Vol.2 1903-1927. The largest remaining gap is the allocation of some of the A.P.0. SZ series. I have made a partial break through, but need more information and would ask members to send details of any covers of the following numbers:

126 -


SZ32 SZ36 SZ40 SZ48SZ33 SZ37 SZ46 SZ49SZ35 SZ39 SZ47 SZ51 to SZ55

Ideally, I would like photostats of them, but, if not possible, please list the following data:

Date of postmark and A.P.O. number Censor type and number. Also censor's name if endorsed in corner.Name and rank of sender.Details of any cachets, crests, etc.

All contributions will be acknowledged. Also helpers can have an advanced copy of my conclusions and results if so desired.

From W.G.Garrard:RAFPOSTSof South East Asia

I would like to ask members who might have any comments, additions or alterations to in the hopes that a new edition will be produced.

Bookshelf

"THE POSTAL HISTORY OF THE A.E.F. 1917-1923", new updated and revised edition, including a Valuation Guide, compiled by the World War I-A.E.F. Study Group of the War Cover Club. 265 pp. offset. Hard cover. Price $46.00 postage paid to U.S.A. War Cover Club members $42.00 (Canada, Overseas add $2.00 surface mail). Available from the publisher, the Printer's Stone, P.O.Box 30, Fishkill, N.Y.12524, U.S.A. Payment should be made out to the War Cover Club.The original edition of this work was published in 1980 without any valuation guide, which was later rectified by a supplementary booklet in 1983. Neither have been available for some years, and this new edition is therefore very welcome to all collectors of A.E.F. material, not a very numerous band on this side of the Atlantic, probably due to the comparative sparsity of these items here.Four new chapters have been added on Prisoner of War Mail, A.P.O.No.975 and the European Officers Courier Mail, American Red Cross and Army Medical Department Overseas, and Patriotics used by members of the A.E.F. There are new sections on the A.E.F.Booklet Panes, Machine Postmarks, and British Field Post Markings; in addition there are new addenda: The Stars and Stripes Wrappers, and Chaplain's Mail.In general, much new information has come to light and is incorporated in the other chapters, some of which have been completely revised. The Valuation Guide is now included.Sections on Camps in the United States, and Naval Postmarks (with the exception of North Russia and Siberia) do not appear in this book, but will be published at a later date.We can thoroughly recommend this fine publication.

127


A Prisoner of War Camp in Gibraltar

by A.J.Brown

"V'/PRISONER OF WAR POST.

A rm y Form W . J4W

SERVICE DES PR ISO N ER S DE GUERRE.

INDIRIZZO

A ..........................

t1/ji.a m ..j.y.s&'&Lvh *

&<*«• .S..P0I0... JJA I.... -Prov. Z 4

f . V A? C * A*------------^

The postcard shown above, acquired recently, is the first mention of a prisoner-of-war camp in Gibraltar that I have seen.

As can be seen, the postcard is one of the usual Army Form W3493 cards issued to Italian POWs in Great Britain, and only rarely used elsewhere (I have one from North Africa). It is dated by the writer 6.1.46, and my first thought was that perhaps it was written by an Italian being repatriated to Italy and passing through Gibraltar on the way. However, the message only says (rough translation):"I have not heard from you dear for over 2 weeks. How are you ? I have always written. I hope you have received my letters and also my reply to

news."(girl friend ?) all he says is

was a POW camp in information or

comments.

your telegram, which I sent you in the last few days. NoOne would think that if the prisoner was going to see his in a short while, he would make some mention of this, but "No news".

From this, I draw the tentative deduction that there Gibraltar, and the writer was in it. I await any further

0-

128 -


A Canadian Blackout Precursor

by Bill Thorne

Have you a Canadian wartime cover like the one shown ? Every collector of Canadian blackout markings should include this as a precursor since it is an obvious non-information strike, possibly from Halifax.

H.E.Guertin describes this as a city type electric canceller "...the most efficient from the point of view of concealing the origin of the letter.It occurred most often on mail from the armed forces and was often accompanied by the handstamp TRANSMISSION DELAYED FOR PURPOSES OF SECURITY." His earliest recorded date was November 24, 1941, and this cover predates this by four months (July 21, 1941). Guertin also said that this cancellation was only seen on mail from service personnel on the East coast of Canada. The cover shown has no return address to confirm his observations. What is most unusual is the cover destination. It is addressed to Professor Gentil of the Portuguese Institute of Medical Science in Lisbon. Note the postage due marking has been crossed out and apparently no dues fee was raised. The reverse has a British censor tape showing the routing via England.

The author is interested in any information about this particular marking, particularly related to the blackout use. Please contact directly at 4827 Water Lane, West Vancouver, BC, Canada V7W 1K4.

129 -


Queries

Query No.122(207/ 13Q) from Dr.R.C.Hunt:I have just come across a cover with a cachet reading "Post Office/14 Dec 1956/ H.Q.Task Group 308*5". The sender's address is R.A.A.F.Edinburgh Field, South Australia (written as S.A.) and the cover was posted at Adelaide.I wonder what Task Group 308*5 was ?

Query No.123(207/ 130) from Konrad Meyer:

I recently came across a cover (shown above) of the "Inter-Allied Commission of Control/Administrative Staff" which was based in Berlin from 1919 to 1927 after World War I. In addition to the cachet of the Control Commission the cover has a large violet cachet "Signals Control".Has anyone any explanation for the meaning of this cachet ?

130 -


Query No.124(207/ 131) From Dr.Michael Gould:

Above is shown a postcard (of the Albert Memorial, Belfast), postmarked Glasgow 28 DE 15 - no stamp, no postage due charged. It is inscribed "S.M." (Service Militaire), and the message mentions a return to Belgium and appears to be from a woman (note 'amies'). My question is could it have been sent by a nurse (if so where would she have been based ?) or from an evacuee ? There were evacuees housed in Balrothery Workhouse, north of Dublin, but many went to Britain to work in munitions especially. Dublin-Belfast-Glasgow would be one route to Scotland (I am not sure if there was a direct Dublin-Glasgow route in 1915). Any other ideas ?

Newsletter Editor: A.J.Brown, 17 Wimbledon Park Court,- London SW19 6NN.

131


Newsletter 208 Summer 1991

C O N T E N T S ISSN 9 0 5 1 - 7 5 6 1

ALLIED FORCES POSTAL SERVICES IN THE GULF 1990-1991806th Bombardment Wing Provisional at R.A.F.

Fairford, Gloucestershire 1991Hong Kong Military Censorship Handstamp 1940 - 1941Prisoner of War Camp at Gibraltar (WWII)

H.M.H.S.Karapara (Kenya 1946)Queries;

122 (207/130) Task Force 308 & Task Group 308.5 (Australia 1955-1956)

125 (208/144) WWI cover to Denmark126 (209/144) WWII P.O.W. postcard

British Prisoners-of-War in Turkey in World War I

Grimsditch R.A.F.Post Office 1953

BbbkshelfPoste Militari della Prima Guerra Mondial 1917 - 1923

Vol II 4th EditionBritish Empire Campaigns and Occupations in the

Near East 1914 - 1924 A postal History - Firebrace

PAGE

132

139

140141142

143144 144146

148

150

150

NEWSLETTER No.208 (Vol.XXI: No.8) SUMMER 1991

All ied Forces Postal Services in the Gulf 1990-1991

by J.A.Paynes

In 1961 an Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was prevented by British Forces which had been urgently sent there. These Forces used Field Post Offices 941, 1039 and 1040 from July to early October using the address British Forces Post Office 616. A small Liaison Team remained in Kuwait to train and assist local forces and this team was still in Kuwait when Iraq invaded Kuwait on 2nd August 1990.

Now the cease fire has been accepted by Iraq it is possible to give a preliminary report of the Forces Postal Services in the Gulf.The first B.F.P.O's opened about 13th August and were established at bases which received the first R.A.F. units and at the Headquarters British Forces Middle East in Riyadh.The F.P.0. at Riyadh is 234 and Blackwell 186. Later F.P.0. 1025 was reported and it is thought that there was a postal detachment at the airfield. The B.F.P.0. number was 646.

A British Army souvenir cover autographed by Lieutenant General Sir Peter de la Billiere, Commander British Forces Middle East with F.P.0. 234 of Riyadh.

132 -

FPHS Newsletter No.208 Summer 1991

The 7th Armoured Brigade was allocated B.F.P.O. 644 on 24th September and what had, until then, been a straight forward picture for postal historians became confused. At first the 7 Armoured Brigade was the main army unit and was based around the port of A1 Jubayl. F.P.O 791 was at the Brigade Headquarters and a F.P.O. was established at the Quay (F.P.O. 1012), When the 7th Brigade moved inland a main F.P.O. was established at A1 Jubayl using F.P.O's 222 & 990. A machine postmark (F.P.O. 40)was also used in red ink jon Forces Air Letters which were sent from the Gulf free of postage.

When the army contingent was increased to a Division the new (4th) Armoured Brigade was allocated B.F.P.O. 648 and the 1st Armoured Division allocated B.F.P.O. 649, both on 12th December. A consequence of this was that A1 Jubayl became B.F.P.O. 637 two days later.

At this point a few words regarding the postmarking of British Forces mail from the Gulf may indicate some of the problems for collectors. Much mail from Army units was sent to the United Kingdom without a postmark, some were postmarked in London at the Post Office Inland Section with either a civil postmark or the Maritime Mail postmark. A large part of mail received no postmark at all.

F.P.O's which I suspect were under the control of B.F.P.O. 637 but which may have been used on mail from other areas or B.F.P.O's were 222, 990 1012, 1042, 1058 & Blackwell 95 & 132 (two types),

F.P.O's which I think were allocated to army units were 755, 791 and single ring and double ring 482, and perhaps F.P.O. 475.

F.P.O's awaiting identification are 493 & 1059. No doubt others exist which have yet to be recorded. One problem is F.P.O. 171 - this is recorded on mail from B.F.P.O. 644 but is also recorded on mail from Cyprus - could it be that some mail was flown to Cyprus for postmarking or did F.P.O. 171 go to the Gulf?

• ,>,•V-ijosTACE% r i , .

, V > j

John Daynes

25A Mill Road

Burnham on Crouch

Essex England

BERESFQRDFL0Wn IN TORNADO ZE 204 BY FLT LT A F CLITHEROW AND FG OFF T

A special Forces Air Letter flown by 43 Squadron R.A.F. from Dharan.133


B.F.P.O. Location / Unit Opened Closed

637 A1 Jubayl, Saudi Arabia 14 Dec 90638 Dubai 14 Nov 90639 Tabuk, Saudi Arabia 9 Oct 90 Mar 91640 Not in Gulf641 Dharan, Saudi Arabia 13 Aug 90 24 Apr 91642 Thumrait, Oman 13 Aug 90 10 Oct 90643 Seeb, Oman 13 Aug 90 24 Apr 91644 7th Armoured Brigade 24 Sep 90 Mar 91645 Not in Gulf646 Riyadh Saudi Arabia 13 Aug 90647 Muharraq, Bahrain 25 Aug 90648 4th Armoured Brigade 12 Dec 90 Mar 91649 1st Armoured Division 12 Dec 90 Mar 91

3000 "Any serviceman" Dec 90 Mar 91Gift address

The above list of B.F.P.O's in the Gulf shows that many have already closed. The dates are those advised in the British Post Office listings and may be approximate. The list of F.P.O's on the next page has, I am sure, many gaps, and I would be pleased to receive details of additional F.P.O's as well as the dates of the F.P.O's listed. As usual the recordings of Blackwell and parcel postmarks would be particularly appreciated.There were at least two meter marks with the 1st Armoured Division F.P.O., one (type 8) was used with a 000 value on forces air letters and private letters, the second (type 9) was used on official mail with the postage paid indicatedThe air letter illustrated below, which was posted through F.P.O. 121 at Dubai, shows an interesting example of cooperation within the multinational forces. 'C' flight of 826 Naval Air Squadron was detached onboard the Dutch naval ship "Southern Cross" (Zuiderkruis).

British Forces Mail

By air mail Par avion

J M u l i t r t a f u m a l (3 j.l/ Ua&L s/ur &N

n r c 2

Aerogramme

---- - .rr-’ "

Zu id e rk ru is . P e rz is ch e G o lf ________

Royal MailMOD FORM 674

EXECUTIVE OFFICER12 JAN 1991

826 NAVAL AIK SQUADRON C FLIGHT

John Daynes

25A Mill Road

B urnham -o n -C ro u chEssex CMO 8PZ U.K.

PO STAGE

,__—FHE(:

Gulf force'

£>/1 U y

/ ,

f l m L k ^ x z s '77 G_ /4n( 4 ft Ibisscud. Jgs&Jc

134 -


F . ? . 0 - 3 . F . P . 0 . Type

7 648 540 * 644 746 649 650 642 695 637 5103 647 5121 638 3132 637 5132 637 6143 642 3164 638 5165 641 5171 ? 1186 646 6190 641 4222 644 1234 646 1475 644 4482 649 1482 649 3493 7 3574 641 1740 643 1755 644 1764 639 1766 647 1791 644 1990 637/644 21012 637/644 21025 646 21042 637 21043 Kuwai t 21058 637 21059 637 ? 2

GULF 1 * 646GULF 2 * 649 8GULF 2. * 649 9 * used in red ink

9


CANADIAN FORCES

The first Canadian Forces Post Office to be opened in the Gulf was C.F.P.O. 5071 which was opened at Manamah in Bahrain for Operation Friction - the naval support which consisted of three Royal Canadian Navy ships; HMCS Athabaskan, HMCS Protecteur, HMCS Terra Nova. The C.F.P.O. opened on the 4th October 1990. A commemorative cover was issued towards the end of September.

)

iThe Royal Canadian Air Force unit was established at Doha, Qatar on 7th November 1990 using C.F.P.O. 5004. Finally a C.F.P.O. - 5003 was used by the Canadian Army Field Hospital which was established in Saudi Arabia for a short time in early 1991.

CFP0 5004

17 I 1391

990043i C rPO - 5 0 0 4

POST MASTER CDN SUP UNIT CFPO 5004

g e n e r a l d e l i v e r y

P C S T E R E S T A N T E

C. F. P. O. 5004 KGK 3R0

136 -


FRENCH FORCES

The main French operation in Saudi Arabia was known as "Operation Daguet" and the following Bureau Postal Militaire have been recorded;

640 (Yanbu), 640A, 640B, 641 (A1 Ahsad) 642 (Abu Dhabi) 643644, 645, 647 (Kuwait)

Some of the postmarks and cachets are shown below.

A cover from Operation Busiris (B.P.M. 642) in the United Arab Emirates. The Armed Forces cachet is known in two sizes.

r

I

By air mail Par avion

“O n A ctive S ervice

FRENCH ARMED FORCES IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATESa. . . . l y . n o t

John Daynes,25A Mill Road, Burnham on Crouch, Essex, England.

I

\

\

137


UNITED STATES FORCES - list of A.P.O'sNumber Service Location / Unit Number Service Location / Unit09017 AF Taif, Saudi Arabia 09741 Army09038 AF Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 0974509152 Dahran, Saudi Arabia 09754 Army09209 Army 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regt .09766 AF09218 Army III Corps 09784 Army09298 A1 Jubayl, Saudi Arabia 09785 Army DISC0M, 1st Inf. Div09306 Army 1st Cavalry Division 09786 Army 1st Bde, 1st Inf Div.09309 Army 101st Airborne Division 09787 Army 2nd Bde, 1st Inf Div.09310 Army 1st Infantry Division 09789 Army 1st Bde, 24 Div.09312 09790 Army 2nd Bde, 24th Div.09313 Army 25th Infantry Division 09791 Army09314 Army 4th Infantry Division 09848 "Any Service Member"09315 Army 24th Infantry Division (same as B.F.P.0. 3000)09316 Army 7th Infantry Division 09849 12th Aviation Divi-09317 Army 5th Infantry Division 09851 Special Operations Cmd.09371 09852 AF09503 Navy 09853 AF Abu Dhabi09526 Havy Jufair, Bahrain 09854 AF09542 Navy Jufair, Bahrain 09855 AF09603 AF 09856 AF09604 AF 09859 A:F09608 AF 317 TAW 09867 Army 47th Field Hosp.09615 A1 Batin, Saudi Arabia 09868 Army 10th Mountain Div.09616 AF Dhahran, Saudi Arabia 09873 Army Avn. Bde. 24th Inf Div.09637 Army 09875 Army09656 Army 82nd Airborne Division 0989809657 Army 1291 Postal Co 09985 Army09617 AF Khamia Mushyat S.A. 96608 Navy09686 AF 9661009691 AF Tabuk, Saudi Arabia 9661109697 Jidda, Saudi Arabia 9661209698 Army 410 Evac. Hosp.09733 Army USMC (REIN) 2DFSSG UNIT 409734 Army U.S.M .C. FP0 98773 UNIT 2

International Joint Commission Post Office Box 3286.Detroit, Michigan 48232-

138

__


806th Bombardment Wing Provisional

at RAF Fairford , Gloucestershire

by Peter High

On 5th February 1991, the first of several B-529 Stratofortresses touched down at the former SAC 11th Strategic Group airfield of RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire. This airfield had been kept on a care and maintenance basis since the withdrawal of the U.S. tanker force stationed there from 1978 to 1990.

Earlier, during the third week of the Gulf War, the British Minister of Defence, the Rt.Hon.Tom King MP, had agreed to the request by the U.S.A. for an unspecified number of B.52s to be based at the airfield to be used in the war offensive against the enormous war machine of Iraq. At the outset of the war the B.52s operated out of bases in Turkey and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

In all, eight of the massive bombers operated from the Fairford base.They formed the 806th Bombardment Wing Provisional, and had been made up from the 379th Bombardment Wing, Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, 416th Bombardment Wing, Griffis AFB New York, and 2nd Bombardment Wing, Barksdale AFB Louisiana.

As soon as they arrived at Fairford, the 806th set up a Public Affairs section, 'manned' by female USAF officers.

No rubber handstamps were brought with them and none were made for use during their stay. Official mail may be identified by the use of adhesive white labels typed with addressee's name and address details (applied centre), and sender's anme and address details (applied top left-hand front in the usual American style). The mail was collected daily and passed to the civilian postal authorities, meanwhile being franked with a meter frank in red inscribed 'Oxford' (PB.H5441C). The mail did not receive this frank at the bases.

It is interesting to note that there was a post office open at the base operated by British Post Office personnel. Mail (stamped) posted there received the usual machine cancellation of 'Gloucestershire' applied at the main mechanised letter office for the area. For counter work the base Post Office used a single-ring circular datestamp 'Fairford / Glos.'.

The B.52s have now left the quiet village atmosphere of Fairford - a short but nevertheless interesting period of postal history.

139 -


Hong Kong Mi l itary Censorship Handstamp

Chris Norton, of the Hong Kong Study Circle, has been recording the occurrence of the triangular military PASSED / BY / CENSOR / No. handstamps, to establish dates of use, and more especially, to try and allocate the different numbers to military establishments or units between 1940 and 1941.

Numbers 136 and 137 were fairly certainly allocated to the two Canadian battalions of Force 'C', probably 136 to the Royal Rifles of Canada, and 137 to the Winnipeg Grenadiers.

Any information that would assist him would be most gratefully received.

F.P.H.S. Type HK 100Table of triangular Army handstamp (Hong Kong Study Circle type 8)

EarliestCensor No. recorded di

101 15 JY 40102 13 JU 41103 ? MR 41104 12 EE 40105 16 EE 40106 20 AP 40107 13 AU 40I0X 14 MY 40109 1 AP 401 101 1 1 20 SP 41112 20 OC 41113 2X MY 401 14 21 MR 401 151 16 25 OC 411 17 4 OC 40MX 16 OC 401 19 4 DE 40120 16 MR 40121122 16 JY40123 7 JA 41124 6 AP 40125 12 AP 40126 20 OC 40127 13 AU 41I2X 15 NO 41129130 12 DE40

131 to 135136 7 DE 41137 1 DE 41

Latestrecorded date

3 1 O C 41 3 DE 4 I

28 AU 41 31 DE 40

9 DE 41 25 AU 41

6 OC 4 1 2X JA 41

only one cover known not yet recorded

1 NO 41 only one cover known

3 DE 4116 DE 40

not yet recorded5 DE 4 1

14 AP 4 1 23 AU 4 1

only one cover known 14 OC 41

not yet recorded 1 DE41

only one cover known only one cover known

30 DE 4017 OC 4 14 0 C 4 I

only one cover knownnot yet recorded

26 FE4I not yet recorded

only one cover known7 DE 4 1

140 -

FPHS Newsletter No.208 Sumner 1991

Prisoner of War Camp at Gibraltar

Following the note on page 128 of the last Newsletter, we have received advices from no less than three members that they have examples of mail from prisoners in Gibraltar. Strangely, the four covers and one letter-sheet are all written by the same prisoner as the card illustrated on page 128, since presumably they were obtained from four different sources.

The four covers all have a handstarnp "P.W.MAIL" on the front, one of them illustrated here.

The sender's address on the back of one, belonging to Jim Grassom, reads '656 I.P.C., Gibraltar', who understands that the prisoners were employed to build the air strip on Gibraltar. Tony Tudor's cover is endorsed 'Pioneer Coy', which tends to bear out this belief.

Thanks to Colonel Day, Jim Grassom and Tony Tudor for their welcome assistance.

141


H.M.H.S. Karapara

s .s .p .LTD.1VO.NO. 8 28 9 /2 /0 1738-d t . 12.10.-15-25,00,(XX)

:f’'T

* Ad*."'”'*'

- TTl /7"'

mSHi

CLos/c... ,N

uS'/'i 9 f / J “ ™

fi I.TpUOg

1U•8 0 :1 W H J O i S f l 3 HJ. H O J SI 8 3 . U . 3 J 9 1 H I.

Above is an Air Letter I.A.F.F.-1083 sent by a nursing matron in H.M. Hospital Ship 'Karapara', showing the oval office datestamp poorly struck, presumably reading 'H.M.H.S.' around the top, and 'Karapara' below.

Inside the sender gives her address as 'H.M.H.S.Karapara, c/o Grey Dawes & Co., 122 Leadenhall Street, London' and the date '13.2.46'. (Grey Dawes & Co. was a firm of shipping agents.)

142 -


Parts of the letter read "I have sent a parcel off to you today fromMombasa ....... We have had all our red + lights taken off the ship, so Ifeel we won't be needed much longer, in fact I was surprised this morning when I heard that we were off to Singapore again, I felt sure we would go straight back to Bombay from Mombasa."

In the book "Hospital Ships and Ambulance Trains" by Lt.Col.J.H.Plumridge, there are several references to a HMHS Katapara. The earliest is to a WWI ship at Scapa Flow, and later to a hospital ship using Indian ports in WWII, obviously the one from which the Air Letter was written. Were the WWI and WWII 'Karapara' one and the same ? Perhaps one of our readers can tell us.

Queries

Query No.122(207/130) Task Force 308 & Task Group 308.5From Michael Dobbs: "The above task force was formed for Operation'Mosaic' -part of the atomic trials undertaken by Britian in Australia during the 1950's. This particular operation was a Royal Navy operation and the Admiralty appointed Captain (later Commodore) H.C.Martell RN as the operational commander in June 1955. The operational commander was also the Task Force Commander. The ships which made up Task Force 308 were split into four groups. However, there was a fifth group; this was the RAF element of the task force.

"The RAF element was under the command of Group Captain S.W.B.Menaul RAF, and was designated Task Force 308.5. It was formed at RAF Weston Zoyland and was responsible for air communications and transport, air safety patrols, long range meteorological reconnaissance flights over the Timor Sea, the collection of cloud samples, cloud tracking, radiological surveys of the islands and coastal area and aerial photography. A total of 25 aircraft were involved, with over 107 officers and 407 other ranks.

"Commander Task Group 308.5 (CTG 308.5) established his HQ at RAAF Station Pearce, some 30 miles north of Perth, Western Australia. Most operations were conducted from RAAF Pearce and RAAF Onslow.

"Operation Mosaic was the third series of tests to be undertaken in Australia and the second in the Monte Bello Islands.

"Following the last detonation the TF was dismantled and the various elements departed from Australia. However, a large part of the RAF element (i.e., TG 308.5) moved south to RAAF Station Edinburgh Field, near Adelaide, South Australia. An advanced element was also located at the Maralinga Range.

"The cover which Dr.Hunt has is from the period when TG 308.5 moved to RAAF Edinburgh Field. I have recorded a number of covers from this period with the same Task Group datestamp. All are from the period October to December 1956, and all are postmarked by the Adelaide GP0. The Task Group datestamp acted as a frank to authorise concession rate of postage through the civil post office.

"I have not recorded the datestamp used during the period the TG was involved in the Mosaic trials. However, I have seen a cover with the HEADQUARTERS TASK GROUP 308.5 datestamp postmarked FP0 1014 on 17 JY 56. The FP0 was located at RAAF Pearce at this time.

"In summary, the Headquarters datestamp has been recorded used at Pearce in July 1956, while the Post Office datestamp has been recorded in October and December 1956 postmarked through the civil post office at Adelaide.

143 -


"This poses a significant question: why was the Australian civil post usedwhen a BFPO had been established at RAAF Edinburgh Field by that time (BFPO 151 using FPO 1046) ?

"I have recorded three other covers:i) from a Sqn.Ldr RAF to the UK with Post Office datestamp 5 Oct.1956.ii) from a RAF sergeant with 12 Joint Services Trials Unit, BFPO 151 to the UK

Post Office datestamp of 4 Dec.1956.iii) Forces Mail to UK with Post Office datestamp of 24 Dec.1956.All three have 3d Australian stamps and are postmarked at Adelaide on the same day as the Post Office datestamp.

"If anyone has any ideas, or similar covers, please write to me, with photocopies if possible.Michael Dobbs, 92 Byne Road, Sydenham, London SE26 5JD."

Query No.125(208/144). From W.A.Page:

'The cover shown above (reduced) has been sent to me by a journalist in Denmark for research.'The addressee was apparently one of the first aviators in Denmark, Alfred Nerv<z$. The postmark is Cranbrook, 20th November 1917. The query is - who would have sent this letter - without stamps - is it likely to have been a military man ? It may well be a freak, and just missed franking or surcharging by the post office, but there may be some other explanation. "

Query No.126(209/144) This comes from a non-member, John Rawlings:

Mr.Rawlings wants to know if our readers can help to decide whether the P.O.W. card shown above is an interesting rarity or a fake. He points out some odd facts about it:(1) The card is printed in dark blue (instead of the usual black), and the

format and printing style are totally unlike any other P.O.W.card he has seen.

(2) The inscription is in a mixture of English and German.

144


v

(3) The sender's details provide for army No., Name and Feldpost-No., instead of the usual Christian name and Surname; P.O.W. No. and Camp.

(4) As far as he knows only POWs attached to special Workers Units had German Feldpost numbers, and this card is not from any Workers Unit known to Signor Mattiello, co-author of "Deutsche Kriegsgefangenen-und Internierten Post Einrichtung 1939-1945", and that this Efeldpost number was allocated to Landschutz (Fusilier) Batallion 278, then serving in Holland.

(5) The card bears no unit letter handstamp (Feldpost Briefstempel) as it should if the writer had somehow become attached to a Germany army unit.

(6) The card appears to have come through uncensored (by the Germans) since it bears no O.K.W. or cargp censor mark.

The Imperial War Museum tells him that army no.7594225 was one of a batch issued to R .A.O.C.conscripts at the beginning of WWII, but that 'Private Sykes' name does not appearh&H their list of British POWs in German camps in 1944.He says that German experts are confident that the card is a fake, and, considering all the points he lists, it is difficult to maintain otherwise. Even the name looks 'fishy'. Yet he is not entirely convinced. The vernacular English of the message seems so genuine, and he finds it difficult to believe in a faker who would go to the trouble and expense of printing such an item and get it wrong in so many details.He would be particularly grateful for readers' views on the British censor mark (looks perfectly genuine to me - Ed.).He ends by hoping that some reader will be able to assist him in running 'Bill' Sykes of Slaithwaite, Yorkshire to earth - or in exorcising his ghost !

145 -


British Prisoners-of -war in Turkey in World War I

by Martin Lynes

At the time of the 1918 Parliamentary Report on the Treatment of British prisoners of war in Turkey compiled before the end of the war, there were 9565 British and Indian POWs held in Turkey. It was believed that the total number captured had been 16,583, and of these 13,309 had fallen into Turkish hands on the capitulation of Kut, on 29th April 1916. This leaves 3,274 captured at Gallipoli or in Egypt and Palestine. The large difference between those captured and those in captivity in 1918 is explained principally by the appalling privation of the Kut garrison, weakened by a siege of 143 days and then forced to march to places of incarceration. Still, in 'A Prisoner in Turkey', writes that it was believed that 75% of British rank and file perished within two years of capture. Graphic accounts of their suffering may be found in books by Sandes and Mousley, and the extracts from Captain Shakeshaft's diary in the Official History, Vol.II.

The relative dearth of material - cards, envelopes and lettersheets - is matched by the lack of philatelic writing on the subject. Perhaps this is because the material itself is not overly appealing, with few camps having their own stationery or markings. The most favourable arrangement for mail allowed two letters of two pages and four postcards of four lines per month.The formula postcards, with space for the sender's name and address front left, are most frequently encountered. They can pose problems, as phonetically rendered Turkish placenames make identification of location difficult to reconcile with known names.

'Camp'-seems a misnomer in many cases, as autobiographies reveal officers living in houses in several places in a town. Location of writer seems a more realistic description, with small hospitals and work camps existing.Although this article relates mainly to British POWs, locations were sometimes shared with Russian and French allies. Separation of officers and other ranks seems to have been general, and religious groups were also segregated.

Censorship posed particular difficulties for the Turkish authorities on account of language problems, and both incoming and outgoing mail was subject to severe delays. The familiar black or violet rectangular boxed Arabic script censorship markings with numbers in the corner are invariably poorly struck.They were applied in Istanbul and Galata. The circular bridge type with barred lunettes of the Istanbul Military Censor is also found. Secondary censorship was sometimes carried out in Vienna, and the distinctive red or purple triangular marking may be found.

It is hoped to deal with this mail location by location, with notes on each abstracted from various sources. Participation by members is earnestly solicited, in any form, but photocopies of cards or covers in their possession would be most helpful, and costs of photocopying and postage will gladly be reimbursed. Often it is the odd item in a general collection that contributes to the total picture.

Currently, I have brief notes, in some cases very brief, about the following ' camps':

Afion-Kara-Hissar Angora Bilemedik-PozantiBrousse *Changri EskichehirGedos or Kedos Haida Pascha Hadjikire

146


Harbie*KiangeriKoniaNigdeRas al Ain Yozgrad

IsmidKirchehirMagnesiaNisibinTasch-Kischla

Kastamuni*KhangriMosulPrinkipe

*Tschanri

* denotes different spellings of the same place.F.J.Carter includes 'Kushdjular' in his list, the only one of which I have no knowledge. It could be another phonetic variation of one of the locations listed above.As far as I can ascertain, Sivas, Touzla, Koutaia and Jedi Koule held only Russian prisoners.ReferencesCarter: 'Post, Censor and Other Markings from Prisoner of War Letters 1914-19'.Mousley: 'Secrets of a Kuttite .Sandes: 'In Kut and Captivity with the 8th Indian Division'.Still: 'A Prisoner in Turkey'.H.M.S.O.: Official History, Mesopotamia Campaign Vol.II, Appendix XXX.

EASTBOJRNE

8. ms.

21 NOV 16

\ ~ ” ■ " *<u L<_\ 'f- ■ . • rcro-H-a. 0

r>V/n \ c / o '. t t L

^ To

A

\“ V S .

O V C A

A cover from Eastbourne to Major-General W.S.Delamain, who was with the 6th Indian Division at Kut and later imprisoned at Broussa. The cover was posted 12 days before Kut was entered and by the time it reached India it was no longer deliverable.

147


Grimsditch R.A.F.Post Office

by W.Garrard

The story goes something like this. Many years ago, at a Birmingham meeting I was shown a loose RAF registration label which bore the legend "Grimsditch RAFPO". At that time I had never heard of a RAF station called Grimsditch, it never cropped up in any of the RAF records I was in the habit of consulting, and without a cover to tie it to I was deprived of any idea of the date it was used and its approximate location. Even the Air Historical Branch at first disclaimed all knowledge. I was up the proverbial creek without as much as a paddle !

Many years later, the Air Historical Branch suddenly came to life, one member of that illustrious tribe remembered seeing a reference to Grimsditch in a paper referring to 210 Advanced Flying Training School at Tarrant Rushton, so armed with a relevant file reference, I set to work again ! Bingo !

Here we had an Advance Flying Training School which had no airfield, where the domestic site (Grimsditch) was at least 8 miles away from the airfield it represented (Tarrant Rushton). Add to that the confusion caused by both places being served by different postal authorities, and you have all makings of a Greek farce.

When I took out and began to read the file I was directed to; all the frustrations of post-war RAF service came crowding back, the bad food, the shortages, the people who went on leave never to reappear, the frustrated erk whos only way of getting back at the system was to take an axe to the desk used by the Station Warrant Officer and smash it up ! And even the officer who wrote up the unit diary was contantly describing it as like Belsen ! You can see it must have been a fun place to be in.

Anyway, at the back of the file there was an appendix on postal matters of which I took a photocopy :

"AIR 29/2148 APPENDIX 'A':

No.210 Advance Flying Training School Tarrant Rushton (Grimsditch)

From: No.210 A.F.S. (Tarrant Rushton) Grimsditch, Salisbury.To: Headquarters No.25 GroupDate: 11th March 1953Ref: GRM/981/Postal

Class 11C" Post- Room - Tarrant Rushton Airfield

In order to improve the efficiency of the postal section, I am asking for permission to open a Class "C" Post Room at Tarrant Rushton airfield.

Delays are at present occuring due to the geographical split-up of the unit. Grimsditch is on the Hampshire and Wiltshire boundary and is considered by the G.P.O. as being in the Salisbury area. Consequently they deliver to and collect from the Grimsditch Class “A“ Post Office.

148 -


But Tarrant Rushton airfield, however, is in Dorset, the nearest town being Blandford Forum. As we have no mustered Postal Clerk at the airfield, the G.P.O. will not deliver.

This station is generally known as "Royal Air Force Tarrant Rushton" means that most of our official mail is sent to Blandford G.P.O,and has to be collected every day by our one and only Postal Corporal from Grimsditch, for delivery to the Central Registry (also at Grimsditch). Mail for Tarrant Rushton (Flying Ving) is thus held up until the foiling day, when it is delivered to the aerodrome on a routine run.

Similarly, mail for despatch from Tarrant Rushton is brought up to Grimsditch on the routine run arriving at about 1630 hours. It cannot despatched before the following day. The routine run referred to leaves Grimsditch at 1400 hours, taking the postal clerk to Blandford where he picks up the mail. It then calls in at Tarrant Rushton, delivers private mail for Flying Ving personnel, collects mail for despatch and returns to Grimsditch. During the time that this run is being carried out, the post office at Grimsditch has to remain closed, the clerk being absent.

The situation outlined above is clearly most unsatisfactory and the ? ions efficiency of the unit is being impaired by these dalays in the receipt and despatch of mail. If a Class "C" Post Room is opened at the airfield, the following advantages will accrue:-

a. With a postal clerk running the post room, Blandford G.P.O. will make two deliveries/collections per day to the airfield.

b. The 40 mile daily routine run can be cancelled.c. The mail will be despatched on the same day on which it is

writtend. Incoming mail will be dealt with on the day it arrives.e. The Grimsditch Post Office will be able to remain open through

out the working day.

A sub-registry is already in operation at Tarrant Rushton which could ? with the increase of work, and a suitable building is available for the proposed post room.

The only increase in establishment required would be the addition of one postal clerk, established to run the post room. At present the establishment is:-

Clerk (Postal) 1 Corporal 1 Aircraftsman This should become:-

1 Corporal 2 Aircraftsman

I am convinced that with the addition of one clerk and a post room at Tarrant Rushton, the work of this unit will be considerably speeded

C.R.J.Hawkins Group Captain.Officer CommandingRoyal Air ForceTarrant Rushton (Grimsditch)

- 149 -


" Note on the above letterThis letter elicited a reply from Group, saying that our official address

is R.A.F.Grimsditch. The reply was addressed to Tarrant Rushton ! It of course turned down our application."

Bookshelf

Luciano Buzzetti, our longtime member in Italy and authority on the Italian Military Posts in WWI, has just published "POSTE MILITARI DELLA PRIMA GUERRA MONDIALE 1917-1923, Vol.II, 4th edition", which embodies a list of all the numbered Posta Militare datestamps, with illustrations of all the types of each, one to a page, allocations to formations, and a points scarcity rating for each. It includes chapters on the Italian forces in North Russia, Palestine, Siberia, Turkey, and also on the Allied forces in Italy; over 300 pages altogether. Like the previous editions, it will become the standard work on the subject. It will be obtainable from Vera Trinder Ltd., 38 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9EU for £25.00 plus postage/packing. Vol.I, which is due to be published in May 1991, will deal with the period leading up to the introduction of the numbered datestamps.

"BRITISH EMPIRE CAMPAIGNS AND OCCUPATIONS IN THE NEAR EAST,1914-1924 A POSTAL HISTORY "

by John FirebraceThis work is announced without a firm publication date; the author's name is sufficient to ensure its authenticity. It is stated to be the first detailed study of British, Indian, Australian and New Zealand participation in the campaigns in Egypt, Gallipoli, Salonica and the Sudan, with the advance of the E.E.F. into and through Palestine and, following the Armistice in 1918, the military occupations of Palestine, Syria, the Lebanon, Turkey and the intervention in South Russia. Early chapters are devoted to the datestamps of the Expeditionary Forces, Armies and other major formations, followed by the Divisions, Stationary and Base Offices, T.P.O.s, Military Missions and the O.E.T.A. Further sections cover postage rates, instructional and censor markings, postal stationery and cachets. The final chapters deal with maritime mail, troopships, hospital ships, disasters, and the R.A.F. Over 460 pages long, with 100 pages of illustrations, 15 maps and 2 appendices, the book will eventually be priced at £65. However, all orders received before 1st August 1991 will be filled at a pre-publication price of £55 (plus postage inland £4, overseas £8.50). Orders to M.Brachi, Christie's Robson Lowe, 39 Poole Hill, Bournemouth BH2 5PX, U.K.We know how much time John has spent in research devoted to what is the culmination of many years of collecting of this area of postal history, and we wish his book every success.

NEWSLETTER EDITOR: A.J.Brown, 17 Wimbledon Park Court, London SW19 6NN.


N e w s l e t t e r 2 0 9 A u t u m n 1991

CONTENTS ISSN 9051-7561 PAGE

THE B.E.F. IN FRANCE 1914 - THE EARLIEST DAYS

Prisoner-of-War Camp, Blandford WWIPrisoner-of-War Mail - Canadian Force 1C' Hong Kong WWII

151

155156

From the Auction 157Special Mediterranean Fleet air mail 1929 (to Corfu)H.M.S.Endurance 1974Resident Naval Officer Singapore 1975

BOOKSHELFUpdate of Postal History of AEF 1917-1923 159Postzansur wahrend der Besatzungszeit des Rheinlandes und des Ruhrgebies nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg 159Malta Study Paper 44 "Prisoner of War Mail" 159British Empire Campaigns & Occupations in the Near East 1914-1924, A postal History - J Firebrace 160 Postal Markings of RAF,RFC & RNAS in U.K. 1918-1968 160

PRISONERS OF WAR CAMPS - WEST AFRICA FORCE - WWII 161

M.P.O. El Daba - Datestamp Defaced ? (1939) 164

QUERIES127 (209/165) Italian Censor 1968? 165128 (209/166) G.B.WWII Security postmarks 166

FOR THE RECORDField Post Office 21K (U.S.Forces WWI) 167

NEWSLETTER No.209 (Vol.XXI: No.9) AUTUMN 1991

The B.E.F. in France , 1914 - The Earliest Days

by Frank Daniel

IntroductionThe real beginnings of the postal service from the Expeditionary Force

in France have always seemed to me to be shrouded in mystery, and many are the times when friends have asked me either "what was the earliest mail from the B.E.F.?", or, "how was it handled ?". It has always irked me that I could never offer a convincing answer. We do know, however, that, as with similar services, plans had been prepared pre-war and laid down for the Force to follow; put into operation they clearly worked well. If we look at the structure of the post office and censor handstamp allocations the planning is clearly visible, and designed to accept the continuous movement inherent in the Army of 1914. However, just how and when these offices came into operation remains very ill-defined. If one looks at the earliest recorded dates for each office, having arranged them in the order of the 'Military pyramid', brigade, division, corps and base, one is impressed more by the lottery of survival and sighting than by any historical picture.

Recently, when I managed to borrow a copy of the volume of the Official History, 'Transportation on the Western Front' (H.M.S.O. 1937), I found detail which, while not throwing light directly on postal matters, presented more information on military movements than I have ever seen elsewhere. As I believe this may provide a framework on which we may be able to build up the postal history of the period, I have summarised this and added relevant postal and censorship data to produce the table below.

I realise all too well that whatever success I have enjoyed in my study of the field censors of WWI has been due in large measure to the kindness of those many friends who have given me lists of items they themselves hold or have recorded, and by so doing have extended the scope of my study beyond my own small collection. To them I remain deeply grateful.

Now I believe we shall only be able to fill out the framework by another such co-operative effort, and I also believe that we shall only wring out the best picture from our data if we heed the information offered by the censor handstamps. I hope, therefore, that these notes will spur friends to help with data, and in return (if I am not too vastly overwhelmed I) I will do my best to report back to them on points of interest in their notes.The Framework

The earliest stages of the existence of the B.E.F., into which any picture of the postal services must fit, fall naturally into three clearly recognisable periods:

The landings at the base ports and the move by rail to the concentrationarea south of the Belgian border near Mons (to 23 August 1914)The retreat from Mons to the Brie area south-east of Paris

(to 5 September 1914)The rebound to the Aisne (to 12 September 1914).It is perhaps worth reminding readers that Mons to Paris is some 220 km,

and Brie to the Aisne another 100 km (both as the crow flies , and most probably half as much again as the infantryman marched ) so that we must not allow ourselves to be surprised if we discover shortcomings in the postal services.

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FPHS Newsletter No.209 Autumn 1991

It is only after the arrival on the Aisne that the situation would seem to have stabilised sufficiently for the Army Postal Service to have had any chance to settle into a steady routine, so it is at this point that I have chosen to end my survey. (If later I mention dates and events outside this period, it is to help provide perspective for readers.)The Pre-war Planning

Here I should perhaps begin by saying that it will be noted that, on some points, I differ from Edward Proud, largely on the basis of my censor studies and the data they have yielded.

A thoughtful look at the list of the APOs used by the BEF in 1914 shows immediately that APO 44, for 19 Infantry Brigade (formed at Valenciennes on 22-23 August), and APO 45, for HQ 2 Cavalry Division (formed on the Aisne on 16 September) were the first new offices created to meet unplanned needs, thereby marking a new phase. The Army Base P0, the Advanced Base P0 and APOs 1 to 43 were all part of the pre-war plans.

Likewise, I am confident that the original plans provided censor numbers 1-180 in type 1 for the fighting troops, and higher numbers to circa 225 Type 1 for Army and Lines of Communication (L of C) Troops. (I am beginning to wonder, however, if Base Troops and maybe even some L of C Troops were originally left without censor handstamps; a point I hope this study may clarify).

These plans covered all levels up to that of Corps HQ. In neither list have I been able to identify post offices or censors used by the HQ of the C-in-C BEF, nor those for that of the Inspector-General of Communications (IGC, or GOC Lines of Communication). I find it hard to believe that either or both of these major headquarters should send all their mail by Bag or King's Messenger; another point to clarify.The landings

In August 1914, the principal embarkation ports for the BEF were Southampton, Folkestone and Dublin, while the French ports selected for disembarkation were Le Havre, Rouen and Boulogne, at each of these a Franco-British 'Commission du Poert' was formed, whose French members held the responsibility for the entry and berthing of vessels,and the British members that for the disembarkation of troops and unloading of stores. It is not clear whether the British side was all-Army or included also some naval officers.

At each port a base organisation was of course needed, to accept, store and despatch Stores. As it was expected that units would be split between two or more ships, rest camps were provided close to each port, where units could re-group and re-organise after the voyage, staying for one or two days. Presumably the Staffs of these bases and camps must have been the first British troops to land,but, without the time I am loath to spend in a search at the Public Record Office, I cannot prove this.

Protection of the roads and railways to be used for the move forward was the responsibility of the French Army, so that the five British L of C battalions sent were not intended, as is often supposed, for this purpose, but to provide manpower to help units, long in baggage but short in numbers, with loading and unloading. These battalions, the first British infantry to land in France, were:

2nd Royal Welsh Fusiliers landed Le Havre 11 August 19141st Middlesex Regiment landed Rouen 11th August 19141st Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders landed Boulogne 14th August 19141st Scottish Rifles landed Le Havre 15th August 19141st Devonshire Regiment landed Le Havre 21st August 1914.

152


The first four were quickly seized by GHQ to form 19 Infantry Brigade at Valenciennes.

GHQ landed at Boulogne on 14 August, but I find it hard to credit the oft-quoted 11 August for the landing of the two Corps HQs. The infantry of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th Divisions landed between 13 and 16 August (32 battalions at Le Havre, 5 battalions at Rouen, 5 battalions at Boulogne and 5 battalions unplaced). The cavalry landed between 14 and 18 August (ports unspecified).The 4th Division landed between 21 and 23 August (chiefly 22nd)(6 battalions at Le Havre, 4 at Boulogne and 2 unplaced).

I make no reference to the 6th Division here, as it only arrived on the Aisne after anti-invasion watch in East Anglia; nor to IV Corps (7th Infantry and 3rd Cavalry Divisions), sent to Belgium in October as a separate force.The Move to the Concentration Area

When the time came to start the move to the concentration area, the provision, routing and timing of trains was the province of the French Army, who tolerated no interference. Entrainment and marshalling of troops, was of course a British responsibility. Pre-war plans envisaged the despatch of the 'Railway Transport Establishment of the B.E.F.' to France at an early date, to assume these duties (actually 9 August 1914). This comprised 30 officers and 70 other ranks (clerks, checkers and batmen). 6 Officers were classed as Deputy Directors of Railway Transport, and 24 as Railway Transport Officers (DADRTs and RTOs), drawn half from the (hastily disbanded) Staff College course and half from the Reserve of Officers; their names are given in the volume quoted. This is the earliest firm landing date I have so far found.

The intention was that one DADRT would remain at Southampton to oversee embarkation, and one go to each base port for entrainment. Two more would move to the edge of the concentration area, where the trains began to fan out to the unloading points, while two RTOs would locate at each unloading point. Circumstances, of course, forced modifications to the plans.

The first trains left the ports on 15 August, and arrived in the concentration area the same day. Those from Boulogne had to travel via Etaples and Abbeville, because German troops had cut the line between Arras and Amiens.All trains, however, passed through the Advanced Regulating Station at Amiens en route to the DADRT's HQ at Busigny, where Captain Martelli was overseeing dispersal to de-training points. The area selected for concentration lay south of the Belgian frontier, around Valenciennes, Maubeuge and Etreux. The German advance soon forced de-trainment further south, as the threat to Amiens increased and called safer routes into use.

The attached table shows the main formations concentrating, the number of battalions known to have landed at, and the number of trains which carried them away from each base port, followed by the number of trains arriving each day for each formation. Although the totals agree, it is not possible to tie arrivals to departure ports. Nevertheless the table does give an impresssion of the build-up of the BEF, and a hint of when the FPOs may have begun to function (if anyone had had the time to write, and no security hold-up had been imposed) It also shows how little time the BEF had to organise itself before the German Army bumped into it on 23-24 August !The Retreat from Mons, and the Rebound to the Aisne

Right from the initial clash, the BEF was forced into a fighting retreat, which included the battles of Le Cateau and Landrecies and unceasing lesser actions. This phase ended with de Maunoury's counter-attack on the Marne on 5 September, by which time the BEF was south-east of Paris in the Brie-Rozoy area, having marched all the way. Frequently food and ammunition had had to

153 -


be dumped by the roadside ahead of the retreating troops. After the Marne, the BEF followed up as the Germans fell back, and by 12 September it had crossed the Aisne in places and was assaulting the Chemin des Dames. All this after a march of close on 450 km (275 miles). After a short stay, the BEF began the move to the north on 5 October, finishing it by the 19th. Meanwhile the Indian Expeditionary Force 'A' moved from Orleans to Flanders between 17 and 31 October.

During the period of the retreat, the original scheme for the supply to the Army in the field had shown its inadequacy, and been subjected to off-the- cuff improvements. Originally, the Quartermaster-General at GHQ specified the refilling points, where the corps and divisional horse transport took over supplies, ammunition and inward mail for delivery to the fighting units, and the Inspector-General selected railheads on the L of C, as far forward as was safe. Here motor transport (divisional supply columns and divisional ammunition parks) loaded up for delivery to the refilling points. These motor transport units were part of the L of C Troops commanded by the IGC. Events moved so rapidly, however, that General Robertson, the QMG, found himself compelled to designate the railheads, and bring the divisional supply columns and ammunition parks under Corps control, where they stayed for the rest of the war.- This,I believe, was marked by the appearance of the new APOs 51, 52 and 53 for the corps railheads. (Outward mail was to return with the empty transport, which did not always happen !).The Move of the Bases

The retreat also compelled a shift of the bases south to St.Nazaire and Nantes, and lengthened the supply lines. Boulogne, which had only been intended to operate until the end of the concentration, was evacuated by sea on 26 August, and the last trainloads left the Advanced Base at Amiens at 1630 hours on 27 August. (The city was eventually occupied by German troops on 31 August). From Amiens the HQ IGC reached Rouen on 27 August, Le Mans on 31 August, and Villeneuve St.George in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris on 12 September.Le Havre was evacuated by sea between 2 and 6 September, and Rouen by rail between 30 August and 1 September, with the last stores moved by rail.

The Advanced Regulating Station, where the movement of supply trains was co-ordinated, reached Creil from Amiens on 28 August, Le Bourget on 1 September, while the advanced party reached Versailles on 3 September. Finding this quite unsuitable, it moved on to Villeneuve St.George, and then, on 5 September, to Orleans, whence it was recalled to Villeneuve St.George before it could begin to operate. Le Mans now became the new Advanced Base. The moves consequent upon the shift to Flanders need not be considered here.Postal Considerations

As noted above, a picture can be drawn from the APO numbers themselves.From this it is clear that the BAPO at Le Havre and the ABPO at Amiens were key offices, both for the Field Army and for the L of C, with APO 37 at Rouen subsidiary to the ABPO, prior to the move of the bases. With only a short life planned for Boulogne, APO 38 is not out of place.

I am still trying to improve my picture of the censors, and am beginning to develop a suspicion that these, initially at least, may have been confined to field units. Among the early arrivals, I have only managed to identify a single stationary hospital, but am fairly confident that general hospitals held censor handstamps. Although it is not easy to choose a dividing line,I think that censors for new arrivals, and duplicates (? replacements for handstamps lost in the fighting) begin around 1/233. Scattered identifications fill the list to circa 1/699 without real definition and the series l/7xx, l/8xx and l/9xx are so sparsely filled that recordings here may be misreadings.

154 -


The range from 1/1000 to 1/1165 clearly cover the original IV Corps expedition to Belgium, and later additions, but the Royal Naval Division being an Admiralty unit does not show up.

The writing of these notes has spurred me to try and make a distinction between Base and L of C units at this period, and to reconsider/rework my censor records for 1914. Thus any firm data on these units would be of especial value, particularly those which used Orderly Room stamps rather than censors. We may suspect that some of the earliest items would originate from the parties responsible for setting up the bases and rest camps, and members of the railway transport establishment. Always presuming no ban existed, some may even have been safe-handed on returning ships and given to the Post Office at a UK port, but this is unlikely.

Proud states that an advance party of the REPS left for France on 11th August to set up the Army Base P.O., with the main party following on 14 August. He quotes 17 August as the definitive opening date, and 22 August as the earliest reported date from the ABPO. Ted Coles, however, reports a Id red FSPC from the ABPO dated 16 August, but as these were only supposed to have reached the War Office on 17 August, support would be desirable.

On the other hand, the card illustrated in 'The Great War' (pi.41, Vol.2, No.4, August 1990) suggests a deliberate holding back of mail. Written by Captain Pryce-Jones of 2nd Coldstream Guards at a rest camp close to Le Havre and dated in manuscript 13 August 14, it bears censor 1/198 and the ABPO datestamp of 22 August. By this time the battalion (and Capt.Pryce-Jones) were close to Mons. Whether this was standard practice is hard to say.

Free Postage was granted on 28 August 1914.I started a day-to-day record of items from the BEF, planning to close

this on 15 September 1914, but contributions have already tempted me to extend this to the end of that month - outside the range of these notes, but already promising points worthy of later attention. To extend this I shall be most grateful for any listings friends care to send me. I know it is a lot to ask but I believe it is the only way to tackle this critical period. Manuscript dates will be of extra special interest, say on picture postcards.

PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMP, BLANDFORD, WWI. Some more information from Peter Burrows;

After 1916, a German prioner-of-war camp was established on the eastern side of the Naval Camp immediately adjacent to the wooden area known as Cuckoo Clump.A second camp (main ?) was set up in an area known as Milldown, half a mile north of Blandford, alongside the Somerset and Dorset Railway. The prisoners at the Naval P0W camp were employed on duties within the camp and also hired out to local farmers to work in the fields. The scheme was administered by the commandant of the P0W Camp, Blandford (which one ?) at 4d per hour for a 9-hour day. A German cook was also hired at 9d per day. In 1918 the labourers rate was increased to 5d per hour. During the influenza outbreaks of 1918 and 1919 two internees at the Milldown camp died and four at the Naval P0W camp. They are buried in local cemeteries.I have not been able to find out so far how many prisoners were held in either of the camps, or when they were finally closed.

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Prisoner of War Mail - Canadian Force "C" Hong Kong

by Ritch ToopA great deal of mail sent to Canadian POWs in Japanese POW camps was never delivered; after liberation of the Hong Kong POWs all mail then found was returned to the sender.This free POW cover to Gnr.Haslett, Camp No.4 c/o Japanese Red Cross, Tokyo, was mailed from Hamilton, Ont., 4 Nov.1943, but was never delivered. It was eventually returned to sender as indicated by the handstamp RETURN TO SENDER FREE / BY ORDER OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL / RECOVERED FROM JAPANESE. The reverse shows the Base A.P.O., Ottawa Directory Service marking of 18 December 1945 and Ottawa, Ont., Dead Letter Office machine marking of 7 January 1946.A letter from Canada Post HQ in Ottawa 15 October 1945 to the District Director, Vancouver, B.C. advised that an accumulation of approximately five tons of mail, consisting of both letters and parcels which were not delivered by the Japanese to Canadian Prisoners of War during the period 1942-1945, was being returned to Canada on HMCS PRINCE ROBERT which was expected to arrive Vancouver on or about 21 October.The letter further stated that this mail was to be returned direct to the senders from Vancouver, however, before return, each item was to be endorsed with a rubber stamp impression reading:

RETURN TO SENDER FREEBY ORDER OF THE POSTMASTER GENERALRECOVERED FORM THE JAPANESE

Two rubber stamps were requisitioned, one in English and one in French. The French stamp was to be used on all mail bearing any indication that the senders were French.It is unknown what proportion of the five tons represented parcels and how much was letter mail, nevertheless, this represents a huge quantity of mailable items denied delivery to the Canadians held captive by the Japanese.So far I have seen only the English handstamp and wonder if anyone can report the French version ?

(Reproduced from Newsletter No.95 of the Canadian Military Mail Study Group, with grateful acknowledgement to the Editor and to the Author.)

.. . - ‘ * * /V . 0\f t NOV 4 "A BUYVICTORYBONDS

Gnr. H. Haslett Camp'prisoners of War Camp,i U_

-CO-CO

X

COc=>

. IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY M " C O o/o Japanese Red Cross TOKYO

156 -


From the Auction

We thought these covers, picked out from Auction 207, were worth illustrating.

1) Special Mediterranean Fleet air mail 1929. The write-up accompanying the cover gives the details. (.Realised £36.00).

A Special Acceptance for transit by London to India air mail service of mails addressed to the Mediterranean Fleet at Corfu. There were only two acceptances, 19th October and 26th October. Thereafter the route was changed and the flying boats no longer landed at Corfu.A special fee of 4d was levied.

T\ p r o .

e^ lV c^ cuveoux

157 -


From the Auction

; or,-

DONALD TAYLOR 108 HALIFAX ROAD

RIPPONDEN SOWERBY BRIDGE YORKS HX6 4AG

ENGLAND

Cachet of H.M.S.Endurance of Antarctic fame.

Donald Taylor108 Halifax Road, Ripponden Sowerby Bridge Yorks HX6 4AG England

Cover postmarked ANZUK FPO 5 (5) with handstamps of Resident Naval Officer Singapore and Royal Navy Singapore Official Mail.

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Bookshelf

"UPdate to the Second Edition of THE POSTAL HISTORY OF THE AEF 1917-1923. Compiled by the World war I Study Group of the War Cover Club.No sooner almost than we had reviewed the second edition of The Postal History of the AEF than we received the update. As the Editor, Theo Van Dam, says, it is amazing that after so many years still new data appear, so soon after the publication in 1990 of the second edition.Most of the information contained in the 66 pages consists of individual items relating to chapters in the main work. One item of particular interest to British readers will be found in 'For The Record' on pagel47of this Newsletter, contributed by a member of this Society, J.N.Boyden. Another contribution comes from W.Collingwood on prisoner of war items. Most notably, however, is a whole chapter devoted to Listing of the AEF Stationery by none other than Peter Burrows, the first time a really comprehensive listing has been published.There is much other rare material described and illustrated, including some excerpts of two major auctions. Soft cover, 68 pages, published by The Raven Press, P.O.Box 135, Lake Oswego, OR 97034, U.S.A. Price $7.50, plus for overseas surface postage $2.00. Payment should be made out to the War Cover Club."Postzensur wahrend der Besatzungszeit des Rheinlandes und des Ruhrgebies nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg" (Postal Censorship during the Occupation of the Rhineland and the Ruhr Area after the First World war) by Werner Steven and Konrad Meyer.Both the authors of this 104 page monograph are members of this Society.It is a very thorough description of the censorship enforced by the various Allied occupation forces, American, Belgian, British and French, and is a companion to "The Fieldpost of the Allied Forces In Germany After WWI".Besides describing and illustrating the censor marks and labels, it goes into great detail about the history and regulations covering the control of communications .For the reader, a considerable knowledge of the German language is required to get beyond a glimpse of the marks and labels as illustrated. Obtainable in England from Vera Trinder Ltd., 38 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9 EU for

Malta Study Paper 44 "Prisoner of War Mail". This is a second edition of an earlier booklet published in 1975, and is a complete rewrite. Since then there has been a significant increase in the information available. While the First World War produced the largest number of surviving mail items, the paper records a letter of 1816 to a French prisoner at Malta, mail from the Turkish nationalists held there in 1920-21 and World War II Internment Mail including the camps in Uganda. Although only 20 A4 pages, they are closely printed, packed with data and illustrations, and it must be a worthwhile addition to the library of the collector of prisoner of war mail or the Malta specialist.Obtainable from Vera. Trinder Ltd (address above) for £6.00, postage/packing 65p within the U.K., £1.00 overseas.

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"British Empire Campaigns and Occupations in the Near East, 1914-1924, A Postal History" by John Firebrace.In the last issue a description of the scope and contents of this book was included, but at that time pre-publication we had not been able to see it. Now that we have a copy to study, we can say without fear of contradiction that it fully lives up to expectations, and will undoubtedly become the standard work on the campaigns and markings in Egypt, Palestine, the Sudan, Salonika, the Dardanelles and the subsequent occupations of enemy territory. As the author admits, the only omission is a chapter dealing with prisoner of war/internee mail.The detailed information on the history, military formations, illustrations of datestamps, maps is so thorough that it has required 460 pages of A4 size set out in fairly small type to contain it. It is safe to say, like the reviewer, anyone interested in any of the aspects therein will find something that is new to him, and will return again and again to the book for reference.The price, £65.00, may seem an obstacle (only the cost of one or two reasonably decent covers, after all), but compared to many philatelic books issued today this book is value for money. When you read this, Christmas will not be far away, and we cannot think of a better gift, to the collector of the area, or to the collector of military mail in general.Obtainable from philatelic booksellers or the publishers, Christie's Robson Lowe for £65 (plus postage inland £4, overseas £8.50).

"Postal Markings of RAF, RFC and RNAS Stations in the United Kingdom 1918-1968" by Bill Garrard.As the author says in his preamble, this book is the result of 40 years of enthusiastic research, which is demonstrated in the contents. The Introduction contains a history of the evolution of the RAF Postal Service, which the reviewer found most interesting. Besides chronicling the expansion of the post offices during World War II, it explains the difficulty encountered by the postal historian due to the lack of .records of this period.The main body of the book consists of illustrations of the datestamp types, followed by alphabetical lists of RAF/RNAS Stations and their datestamps, a list of RAF Post Offices, RAF Post Rooms, RAF/RNAS Stations listed by County.Examples of RAF Station postmarks on covers/postcards from the wartime years have never been easy to find and are indeed quite rare in many cases. Despite this Bill has been able to record a large proportion of the possible markings with dates where known.Although the author says that this book may not be the last word on the subject, it will be the standard source of reference for the collector and the postal historian, and is a valuable addition to postal history.Owing to the way the book is set out in sections, without continuous numbering of the pages, one has to count these up to reach the total number of 204 (if I am right) A4 size pages. It is obtainable from our Book Sales Officer,Peter High, 13 Hillcroome Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM7 5EL, price £25.00.

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Prisoners of War Camps - West African Force

by A.J.BrownSeveral items of mail from or to Italian prisoners of war giving their

address as "...Prisoners of War Camp, West African Force" have been seen in members' collections, including my own.

I can find no reference to any such camp in any of the publications dealing with World War II prisoner of war camps.

So far, four items have surfaced, but no doubt there are others hidden among other collections, which may come to light in due course.

1. A Prisoners of War Post card Army Form W.3493 of the type used in camps in the U.K. or occasionally elsewhere, from a sergeant POW in No.l Camp,W.A.F. Two handstamps have been applied, one reading "West African Force" below the prisoner's address, and the other across the top, a framed "P/W Censorship / West African Force". (Collection J.J.Martin)2. And this is a curiosity. Another POW post card similar to item 1, with the same two handstamps, again from No.l Camp W.A.F. However, the message on the back, written 20.5.43, says, roughly translated:

"Dear parents, I hope that my previous card arrived telling you about my transfer, now I am no longer in South Africa but instead in East (Est) Africa the journey was long but here I am...."

(Collection N.Colley)3. A letter-sheet "Corrispondenza-Prigionero di Guerra" with the addressprinted on the flap "Italian Prisoners of War Camp..../ West African Force". This has a different framed handstamp "P/W Censorship / West Africa Force" on the front. The writer gives his rank as "Seaman" and has added "No.6" to the address on the flap. There is also a code "P0W9" on the front, which is the same as the code appearing on letter-sheets used in POW camps in South Africa. (Collection A.J.B.)4. A postcard for writing to POW, issued by the Italian Red Cross of Acireale, Catania, written to Rosario Messina, 2° Capo Mecce, R.Marina,I-P-O-W West African Forc(e) C.N6. This bears a P/W Middle/East 027 handstamp, indicating that it passed through Egypt. (Collection A.J.B.)

So we have evidence of two camps, No.l and No.6, the latter containing marine personnel. Where were they located ? Where was "West African Force" ?

The writer of No.4 says he had been transferred from South Africa to East Africa. Did he mistake West for East ? The West African brigades in East Africa had long returned to West Africa (by October 1941), so it seems unlikely that there was a West African Force in East Africa in 1943.

Items 2 and 3 are shown on the following pages.

161


Card 2 - front

*■ "Est"

Card 2 - back

- 162 -


POV/9"^

PO R R m P O M n F N 7 A — PR I d O N IF.R in j ^ U F . R R A ^

Cltta.......................... .................t3L„...Provincia................................................................._ • » ,•»Paese..............................................................ji.... -..

rNome e Cognome........ .................................. : . . i ...............Grado......... ....................................................................

No. del Prigioniero................................................ ..ITALIAN PRISONERS OF W AR CAM P

W EST AFRICAN FORCE~ 1 :

J

V. J

Front & back of Letter-sheet 3


M.P.O. El Daba - Datestamp Defaced ?

by Alec HemmingsI recall a visiting speaker to Swindon Philatelic Society many years ago

making a brief mention of overseas military datestamps being defaced as a security neasure on the outbreak of war in September 1939.

Being then not yet 'hooked' on Forces postal history, the information passed to the depths of memory until, some five years ago, I obtained the cover illustrated below, which bears such a defaced datestamp. I can find no reference to this in any publication; neither memory nor the Swindon Philatelic Society files can identify the speaker; and several possible authorities have been consulted without success.

The strike matches the two top segments of the known El Daba datestamp, an example of which is shown on the right dated 31 AU 39, and would appear to have been struck, with a red crayon T alongside, when the 10m Army Post stamp was refused at the M.P.O. as being invalid for prepayment of the postage to France.

It has been suggested (by authorities who have only seen photostats) that some person scribbled the lower segment obliteration, but examination of the original discounts this theory. The inking is tidily and evenly within the rim; there is no continuance of any ink line, and no dotting effect, as would be evident with a scribble, and the ink shade matches overall, with strength fading slightly from left to right, with no trace of the letters El Daba beneath.

164 -


Thus the evidence suggests that the strike was made with the original cds from which the El Daba characters had been removed, that is, cut away, and space filled by some means.

Besides the strike of the civil post office El Daba, the same day as the M.P.O., there is on the back a weak strike of the civil railway travelling post office cds Alexandria/Marsa Matruh/QVV of the same date.

It is hoped that wider publicity will provide more information about the use of this mark. Perhaps some reader has another example ?

Queries

Query No.127(209/165) From George Crabb:

Shown above is a cover postmarked Bologna, Italy 7.2.68 addressed to the late Ian Hamilton, which has been opened and re-sealed with what looks like a WWII Verificato per censura label, and a WWII censor handstamp. Is it a fake ? If not, why the censorship ?

165 -


Query No.128(209/166) From R.W.Paton

ft-.-.

British security postmarks of WWII. The covers shown above all have Universal machine cancellations with differences in the date dies only.1) Sent to an address in Canada by a member of the RCAF, with insignia on the flap, and a PC90 label. The post town and the county have been scratched out, but the time and date is clear.

166 -


2) This has a POSTAGE PAID die with the date shown , sent to Liverpool.No censor mark.3) A similar POSTAGE PAID die but with slightly larger lettering, with both time and date omitted. Shield type censor mark No.10257. On the back flap is the crest of the Northamptonshire Regiment.

Any information concerning these wartime practices would help, such as why such variations were necessary, and also possible places of origin.(Relevant to cover 2, I have a cover with the same POSTAGE PAID mark dated 10 SEP 1943, addressed to Mrs.Crouch, The Friary, Aylesbury, Bucks., wife of the late Col.Crouch, which has a pencilled endorsement on the back "Colemans Hatch Camp, Tunbridge Wells". ED.).

For The Record

Skeleton Field Post Office 21K postmark

In "Update to the Second Edition of THE POSTAL HISTORY OF THE AEF 1917-1923 (reviewed on page 159) there is recorded and illustrated, the skeleton postmarks for FPO 21K, allotted to the U.S. 27th Infantry Division, dated JU 8 18. This postmark is not recorded by either Kennedy & Crabb or Proud.

Newsletter Editor; A.J.Brown, 17 Wimbledon Park Court, London SW19 6NN.

167


N e w s l e t t e r 210 Winter 1991

C O N T E N T S ISSN 9 0 5 1 - 7 5 6 1 PAGE

CRETE 1941 - 1991 168

BRITISH PRISONERS-OF-WAR IN TURKEY IN WORLD WAR I 178R.C.A.F. In Aden (WWII) - 182A Censor Curiosity (WWII) 182Life after Firebrace (WWI) 183WWII America/U.K. "Bomber" Mail 185The Liberation of the Channel Islands (Force 135)(WWII) 186British Forces Postal Address Indicator Numbers

(B.A.P.O's 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 Post War) 187

Bookshelf:An Introduction to German Censorship 1939-45 190The Posties went to War (I. Winfield) (Falklands '82) 190

QUERIES:129 (210/190) Force Overt (1943) 190130 (210/190) French Forces in Norway 1940 190

United Nations (0NUCA) Naval Squadron 1990 191

FPHS Newsletter No. 210 (Vol.XXI: No.10) Winter 1991

A PERSONAL NOTE

Having edited the Forces Postal History Society Newsletter for just about thirty years (!), starting with No.50 for July/August 1961, I have decided that it is time for a change of editor. It has been a pleasurable experience and I have enjoyed the correspondence with many members over the years. I hope that my successor, Ben Ferguson, will have as happy an experience.

ALAN BROWN

CRETE 1941 - 1991

by John Paynes

This year sees the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Crete and it would seem appropriate to attempt to set out the Forces postal history of the last fifty years.

The strategic importance of Crete was realized from the outbreak of war; in particular it was considered essential that the harbour at Suda Bay should be available to the Royal Navy as a refuelling base. This base was established by the end of October 1940 and on 1st November the 2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment arrived on the island to come, temporarily, under naval command. On 6th November Brigadier O.H.Tidbury, commanding 14th Brigade, arrived with another contingent and took over command of all British troops on Crete. The 2nd Battalion Black Watch arrived later in the month. The third battalion of the 14th Brigade - the 1st Battalion The Welch Regiment - arrived in Crete on February 17th, 1941.

By the end of April the Battle for Greece had been lost and many troops evacuated from Greece were sent to Crete. It was anticipated that the Germans would attack Crete after an interval of three weeks. During May the permanent British garrison was increased by the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment and the 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. By 20th May, the first day of the German assault on the island, there was a total of 15,063 British troops (including Royal Navy and RAF),6,451 Australians and 7100 New Zealanders. Of the grand total of 28,614 some 19,950 had arrived from Greece, many without eguipment.

In 1940 the Greek forces in Crete had been reduced to a minimum of 750 in order that the Greek troops could be sent to the Albanian front. However, with the loss of the Greek mainland the number of Greek troops had risen to 15,000.

After disastrous attacks by the Germans on the Royal Air Force in Greece the remnants of our sguadrons were withdrawn to Crete in mid-April. Of the fourteen Blenheims and fourteen Gladiators less than half were serviceable and these together with six Hurricanes were all that was left of Nos. 30, 33, 80 and 112 Sguadrons able to be rescued from Greece. In addition, nine Blenheims of 203 Sguadron from Egypt were to face 300 German fighters and over 400 bombers of the German VIII Air Corps. RAF fighters were withdrawn to Egypt on 19th May.

the Germans had some 22,750 troops for the seizure of Crete - codenamed

-168-

FPHS Newsletter No. 210 Winter 1991

"Operation Mercury". After a week of bitter fighting, during which time there were heavy German losses, the British were forced to order the withdrawal of their forces.

A cover from FPO 192 Crete, with A 400 censor No.27 POSTAL HISTORY

A British Field Post Office (Y76) was opened in late 1940 at Suda Bay using datestamp 192: this has been recorded from Crete between 20th November 1940 and 19th April 1941.

Field Post Office 221 is recorded from Crete from the 8th to the 14th May 1941 and it is assumed that this datestamp replaced FPO 192.

It has been suggested that FPO 321 was also in Crete in May 1941 but there is insufficient information to list this FPO. I would be grateful for details of any covers from FPO 321 in 1941.

Australian FPO - 3rd Bde HQ PO W3 is reported from Crete in May 1941.

As Mr E.W.Leppard mentioned in his article Army Signal on Crete in FPHS Newsletter No.199 (Spring 1989) mail from the New Zealand forces to their homeland was flown to Egypt and postmarked with an Egypt Postage Prepaid datestamp.

I would be pleased to receive details of any covers from the Cypriot and Palestinian troops in Crete at this time.

I have no record of any Greek APOs in Crete during this period. The card shown below is from a private at the Army School of Rethymno. It is postmarked at the civil post office at NEYE AMAPIO in central Crete on 11th March 1941.

-169-


CftMJsSns T sw /y

/ OfVvff /V

£/>/£-1 A K J '

jV- V . / .

A cover from F.P.O. 221 of 14th May 1941 in Crete. The censor (A300 No 250) is also recorded from F.P.O. 192 and supports the view that F.P.O. 221 replaced F.P.O. 192 at Suda Bay.

-170-


Two covers to Officers who did not escape from Crete, one to The Welch Regt. has the cachet "Addressee Reported / Prisoner of War" and the other to the Leicestershire Regt. with the cachet "Addressee / Reported Missing" to which has been added a m/s note "Wounded and"

■

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f t

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f a r 6 n e l t s h S C n .

Addressee Reported^ Missing”.

.j

-171-


l .. . . J

Covers from the Royal Navy postmarked at FPO 192 on Crete. The lower cover is from the Captain of HMS York which was serving with the Mediterranean Fleet when the ship was irreparably damaged at Suda Bay by an Italian one-man torpedo boat on 26th March 1941. The postmark is dated 5th April 1941.(cover courtesy Nick Colley)

172


O N A C T I V E S E R V

t o . 1 . B a h T

$ 3 . HEW. ST,ST. tSWDRf.

OafY£D/lV,This cover with censor A400 No.25 was flown to Egypt and postmarked there with Egypt Prepaid No.50 on 8th May 1941.

German Feldpost in 1941 were: 434 22 Luftlandung Division

587 5 Gebirgs Division

867 6 Gebirgs Division

Following the surrender of Italy in late 1943 German forces again returned to Crete when the following Feldpost were used:

148 22 Luftlandung Division

314 133 Festungs Division

434 ? [ L14 527 = Stabll Flak Regt 12]

743 Kdt.Festungs Kreta (Canea)

The above information’ is taken from Mr E.G.Taylor's article in Newsletter No.86 (July 1967)

Italian forces arrived in Crete in June 1941 the first office being Sezione A of Posta Militare 550. However, by September Posta Militare N 121 had opened and remained in service until the Italian surrender in September 1943.

-173-


e n I I I

A cover from Feldpost Nr L 14 527 postmarked Feldpost 434 in January 1944

A cover postmarked POSTA MILITARE 121 2nd November 1942

-174-

FPHS N e w s le t te r No. 210 W in te r 1991

To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary the Duke of Kent unveiled a memorial to the members of the Royal Air Force who lost their lives in the Battle of Crete. In addition to a fly-past by Pumas of No. 33 Squadron R.A.F. two Royal Navy ships were in Crete at this time - HMS Juno and HMS Danae.

A special B.F.P.S. postmark was used and Greece issued a special set of postage stamps and some commemorative postmarks.

British Forces Mail

By air mail Par avionAerogramme

T he 50th A n n iv e rs a ry o f the

Second W o rld W a r

*g Cdr Edward

r .a Tf . Delegation

Malerae K

Creteij COMMAMDfNQ

AbFIAT !Vv!i Mo. 53 SSuAOROr ?

Although it is known that British troops returned to Crete after the victory in Europe I have not recorded any mail from them and certainly at one time the numbers were insufficient to warrant a Field Post Office and the 'OC Troops' system was used.

In the Cold War period Crete became an important NATO base and the following US APOs were located on the island:

231 -1 (Unit 1 only) Iraklion Airfield

291 (became USAPO 09291 1 Jan 65) Iraklion

691 (became USAPO 09691 1 Jan 65) Suda Bay

09528 (Navy PO) Suda Bay

opened 21 Feb 1955

17 Feb 1955

30 Jun 1964 closed 12 Dec 1966

opened 1970

The Germans and Dutch also had units in Crete. The air letter below shows the cachet of the Dutch Air Force unit and is postmarked with the local Greek FPO No. 1015.

During the Gulf crisis a flotilla of German mine counter-measure ships were based in Crete. The ships were served by a Naval Post Office Number 10 (Marineschiffpost) which was later replaced by Nr.56.

I am grateful to A.L.Kennedy and N. Colley for their help. Any further inform-

-1 7 5 -

FPHS N e w s le t te r N o .210 W in te r 1991

ation regarding the forces postal history of Crete after 1941 would be most welcome.

Cover from the Dutch Air Force on Crete

DEUTSCHE EINHEIT

3 1 k OciCjncs

^ A M ; / / R o a d

f]i(y l\ & Ua 0lt Ci/CUcL

German Naval (Marineschiffpost) postmark

-1 76 -


APPENDIXUNITS IN CRETE (1941)

Brigades;10th New Zealand 14th (British)

Battalions:1st Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders2nd Black Watch2nd Leicestershire Regt.1st Welch Regt.2nd Yor & Lancaster Regt 1st Rangers (9th K.R.R.C.)2/lst Australian2/4th Australian2/7th Australian2/8th Australian2/llth Australian16th (Composite) Australian17th (Composite) Australian18th New Zealand19th New Zealand20th New Zealand21st New Zealand22nd New Zealand23rd New Zealand28th New Zealand (Maori)7th Medium Regt. R.A.102nd Anti-Tank Regt.(Northumberland Hussars) R.A.15th Coast Regt. R.A.20th Heavy A.A.Bty R.A.151st Heavy A.A.Bty R.A.234th Heavy A.A.Bty R.A.129th Light A.A.Bty R.A.156th Light A.A.Bty R.A.304th Searchlight Bty R.A.2/2nd Australian Field Regt 7th Australian Light A.A.Bty7th Royal Tank Regt.3rd HussarsNew Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regt.42 Field Coy R.E.6th Field Ambulance No 7 CommandoNo 50 Middle East Commando No 52 Middle East Commando

Royal NavyMobile Naval Base Defence Organisation.

Taken from Greece and Crete by Christopher Buckley - H.M.S.O. - 1952.

-177-


BRITISH PRISONERS-OF-WAR IN TURKEY IN WORLD WAR I

by Martin Lynes

The list of locations of prisoners published in Newsletter No. 208 is already subject to a goodly number of additions thanks to the supportive contributions of members. 'The British Prisoner of War' magazine for January 1918 includes an article about the work camps associated with railway construction and this has provided most of the following:

Ada Bazar Baghdad Derbezie Gelebek

AdanaBagtcheDorakKouch Joular

Nazareth Military Hospital Sheher Dere Tasch Durmas Yarbaschi

Airan Boudj ak Entelli Nevchehir Psamatia

Talebelle,Haz YazgadTel Halif Tunnel No.7,Yucksam

Haz Yazgad

Some fifty other ranks are mentioned as working at their own trades in Constantinople. A letter in a later issue of 'The British POW' which is headed San Stefano and a card from Boyuk Schikmid in a member's collection may be examples from these small groups. It will have been noted that Carter's reference to Kushdjular is confirmed by Kouch Joular above.

StationeryAn attempt has been made to describe all the examples recorded so far. Overall dimensions often vary and photocopies may have compounded variations;nevertheless it is hoped that the listing will allow for easy identification and provide a framework for any additions.

1 Postal cards headed 'CROISSANT-ROUGE OTTOMAN' at the top

1.1 Buff card c.154 x 100mmHeading c.91mm long, 3mm high seriffed capitals above an ornamented line, 'CARTE POSTALE' in unseriffed capitals below which is 'pour la correspondance des Prisonniers de Guerre'. At the right is 'Franc de port' underlined.Four dotted address lines,the final one with a solid line beneath it.Separated by two vertical dividing lines at the left is a sender's addresspanel printed sideways with Expediteur/Sender.... . Prisonnier de guerre a/Prisoner of war at...... Turguie/Turkey, No...The reverse is headed CORRESPONDANCE c48mm long in seriffed capitals above an ornamented line flanked by two boxes enclosing at right 'Please write only/ on the lines' and the French eguivalent at left, above 7 dotted lines.

Recorded used from Afion Kara Hissar, Mosul Period June - November 1916

1.2 White card c. 143 x 91.5mmSame layout as 1.1 but heading 66mm long 2.75mm high in unseriffed capitals. Sender's address panel is separated by a single vertical line and there is a capital G for Guerre.Reverse heading 53mm in stylised capitals flanked by two boxes with correct French and English wording without full stops above 6 dotted lines.

-178 -

FPHS N e w s le t te r N o .210 W in te r l9 9 1

Recorded used from Hadjikire,Bilemedik.Period August - September 1916

1.3 Buff card c.143 x 89.5mm _ ,Same layout as 1.2 but heading c.64mm long 2.5mm high in unseriffed capitals. Reverse heading c.47.5mm in seriffed capitals flanked by two boxes, the Englis at the right reading1Please write only/ont the lines!

Recorded used from Tasch Durmas,Bilemedik,Kastamuni,Afion Kara Hissar.Period October - November 1916

1.4 Buff card c.143 x 87.5mm. .Same layout as 1.2 but heading c.82mm long 3mm high in unseriffed capitals.At right'Franc de Pbrtlwith capital P and underlined.Address panel has Prisonner with two ns. .Reverse heading c.52mm long unseriffed capitals above a plain line flanked by two boxes, at right 'Pleasse write only/ont the lines' with correct French eguivalent at the left.

Recorded used from Kedos,Yozgad,Ada Bazar, Nisibin.Period July - October 1917

1.5 Grey card c.150 x 84/87 mmAs card 1.4 but with small p in 'Franc de port'.

Recorded used from Afion Kara Hissar, Kedos.Period May - October 1917

2 Cards similar to the above with locatipn printed in address panel at left.

2.1 Yozgad on card similar to 1.2 but heading c.69mm recorded for July 1917.

2.2 Bilemedik - Pozanti on card similar to 1.1 but with 75.5mm heading.

Recorded for March - June 1917.

2.3 Kastamoni on card similar to 1.2 but with 67.5mm heading.

Recorded for July 1917

3 Blue card 158 x 90mm headed 'Bureau des Prisonniers de Guerre' above a 135mm double line. The card has a frame line on three sides 6 - 10mm from the edge.At right is 'Franc de port' seriffed and underlined and at left "Adresse .The reverse top has a box at each side with an ornamental line between them. Below are 5 dotted lines above 1 SIGNATURE'in small seriffed capitals.

Recorded from Psamatia Period November 1917.

Note: this seems to be a truncated example of the second card illustrated by Carter which shows 'CROISSANT-ROUGE OTTOMAN' above 'Bureau etc' and has a vertical height of c.99mm.

4 Buff card with red crescent top centre.

4.1 148 x 100mm. Heading at left 'CARTE POSTALE 28mm/pour la/Correspondancedes Prisonniers de Guerre' Turkish eguivalent at right. Address lines with soli bottom line.

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FPHS N e w s le t te r N o .210 W in te r 1991

Recorded Kastamuni Period February 1917.

4.2 139/141 x 96mm. Heading at left 'CARTE POSTALE1 24mm./pour la/Correspond-ance des Prisonniers des Guerre'. Turkish equivalent at right.

Recorded from Boyuk schikmid, Sultan Tschifelik, Nr Constantinople,Psamatia. Period April - June 1918.

5 Lettersheet c.157 x 97mm, two folds with unfolded vertical measurement 2 q iOn front panel at left 'CORRESPONDANCE DES PRISONNIERS DE GUERRE' c.82mm in unseriffed capitals above 'Adresse' with Turkish equivalent at right. ^Reverse 'Expediteur/Sender---' aove 'Camp de Prisonniers de Guerre/Pnsonerof war Camp....' and 'No....'

Recorded Yozgad.Period August 1918

6 Printed blue on white adhesive labels.

6.1 58 x 51mm inscribed within a frame 2 lines of Turkish above a double horizontal line then 'DECEDE' above a single line then 'RETOUR' above a double line then a final line of Turkish.

6.2 Carter illustrates a similar label with the word 'INCONNU' instead of 'DECEDE'.

1.2

-1 8 0 -


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Thanks are due to Messrs Batty, Brierton, Dodd, Martin, Russell and Slingsby all of whom responded readily to the request for member participation.

THE R.C.A.F. IN ADEN (Newsletters Nos.204 and 205)

John Frith has sent us a photocopied extract from the history of No.413 Squadron R.C.A.F. This squadron flew Catalina flying-boats, under No.222 Group, Koggala, Ceylon. "— A number of detachments were undertaken by elements of the unit to Aden, St.Lucia, Durban, Tulear, and the Seychelles Islands, but in December 1944 the unit was stood down from operations and in January 1945 flew back to the United Kingdom, where it was disbanded a month later."

This seems to explain the existence of mail from R.C.A.F. members in Aden.

A CENSOR CURIOSITY (Newsletter No.206

From Bill Collingwood: I have seen that 'curiosity', or one very like it, before.That APO was unusual in that it stayed with a battalion-sized unit until January 1944 when the APO was changed to 791 and that carried on with the unit till April 1944. The unit was 812 Engineer(Aviation) Bn.(Colored) who were building airfield runways. The reference to Colored was used in the Order of Battle as black troops were not integrated with white troops. The unit history paralleled the APO history until April 1944,[as can be seen from the table]

-182-


Miami Florida 812 Eng. (Avn)Bn(Cld)

APO 626 used Nairobi 7 Aug 42 Kenya 29 July 42Heliopolis 19 Jan 43 Egypt 7 Feb 43Benghazi May 43 Libya 25 Mar 43Palermo 30 Nov 43 Algeria 28 Sept 43

Sicily 8 Nov 43

New York N.Y. c/o 31Dec 43

Redesignated APO 791 Sicily 1 Jan 44 Bastia Feb 44 Corsica 11 Jan 44

c/o 30 - 44 Italy 12 May 45

As for the improvised censor mark, although standard censor hand stamps wereissued to units there were many improvised marks used in 1942 and this one seems to have had a long life.

LIFE AFTER FIREBRACE

by F.W.Daniel

John Firebrace always said that when he published his book,which has lived up to its promise quite magnificently,I feel (see Bookshelf Newsletter No.209 -Ed) I would soon start to shoot holes in it! With all good will and the best of intentions!

As luck would have it, I have had the WWI card of which a photocopy is below for some years without being able, despite extensive reading, to find any hint as to its provenance. The day before John's book arrived I was chasing up the Veterinary Hospitals in the Official History volume on the Veterinary services and found a statement which I paraphrase:

"In November 1915, when the Senussi uprising escalated, General Maxwell,as well as forming the Composite Yeomanry Brigade and the Composite Infantry Brigade for service in the Coastal Sector, sent also his North Midland (22nd) Mounted Brigade to the Fayum and some 50 men of the Bikanir Camel Corps to the Wadi Natrum. He also formed a Composite Infantry Battalion from details of the 29th Division in their Base Depot at Alexandria" Bingo! Problem solved. This he sent to Damanhur(60 km S.E. of Alexandria,on the edge of the Delta) "to keep the peace".

I have never seen this battalion mentioned in any other account.

I couldn't resist sending the story to John who proposed, in his reply,that I should send the Newsletter Editor another copy with the suggestion that he might be willing to include it as evidence that "for those who look far enough and deep enough there is still life after Firebrace".

-183-


POST FROM THE FRONT

13 Dec 15 29 Division still at Suvla Bay.

1 Composite Bn. at A lexandria, Egypt. (Reinforcements at Divisional Base Depot.)

This Unit was a mystery for many years f as it wasnot mentioned in any of the usual accounts or records.Recently a note was found in Blenkinsop and Rainey's History of the Vetinary Services in WWI that this Btn. was formed from Details in the Divisional Base Depotin November 1915 and joined the Western Frontier Force It was sent to keep order at Damanhur (SOkmSE Alex)?

‘ when o ther Troops were sent to W. Nairnn, Fayum.-184-


WW II-AMERICA/UK "BOMBER" MAIL

By George Crabb

Dr R Oakland' s comprehensive article on the ferrying service across the Atlantic which provided safe delivery of some 10,000 heavy aircraft to the UK during World War II was published in our Newsletter No.190 (Winter 1986). This gave details of various aspects affecting the mail carried in these aircraft throughout the War, stampless from America via the British Embassy Washington, and with minimum surface mail rate in Canadian stamps from Canada. It is probable that there are more examples of Canadian items than American because those were stampless and not postmarked but bearing some reference to their means of transport. Nevertheless, it appears all are uncommon.

The recent acquisition of a large manilla cover bearing the words "Bomber Mail" in the same type as the address to United States Lines in Liverpool may be of interest as indicating a means of dealing with such "non-postal" mail arriving in the UK. The cover appears to be a straightforward commercial item: for whatever reason, the simple solution of adding a British stampfor UK delivery and posting by Civil Post was avoided.

A photocopy of part of this cover is shown: the cover was opened, examined, and sealed with a PC90 label,possibly at Prestwick, and it then received the machine "Received from HM Ships" cancel and with no datestamp. My guess is that the cancel was at London Chief Office, as there is also a large vertical "Admiralty Whitehall anchor"cachet. How the cover reached the addressee at Liverpool (if it did) is not known.

The only other aspect is the pencil arrow and 2^d which might suggest that someone in the Post Office thought that current inland rate postage was appropriate !

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FPHS Newsletter No . 210 Winter 1991

THE LIBERATION OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS(FORCE 135)

by George Crabb

In Newsletter No.198 Michael Dobbs published the results of going through the released WW II records at Kew: one result was to show that FPO 836 was attached to the build-up of this Force in the Plymouth area and that it operated from 17 AP 44 to 3 JU 45. This prompted me to reach for the bundle of unlocated FPO covers and pieces under the label of "Home" undisturbed for some years.Two official registered covers were produced (illustrated below) with the dates 5 June 1944 and 1 Jan 1945 - most timely- as I have been mounting a collection on the occupation of the Islands.

For these covers and many others addressed to "Infantry Records Ashford, Middlesex" collectors owe thanks to a Major Collyer who was stationed at Ashford and who, against regulations, saved some 10,000 covers and pieces - the latter particularly connected with "02C" from the fighting areas of North Africa, Italy, and later BLA. Masses of covers and loose pieces came on the market via auction, appropriately in steel ammunition chests!

I had the pleasure of dipping into one of Ted Proud1 s when he had a sales location. The young chap in charge was Clifford Raynor - still a regular standholder at Spring Stampex.

FPO 836 5 June 1944 at Brockenhurst Hants.


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FPO 836 1 January 1945 Force 135 at Plymouth

BRITISH FORCES POSTAL ADDRESS INDICATOR NUMBERS

by Michael Dobbs

BRITISH ARMY POST OFFICE NUMBERS (BAPO Nos.)

BAPO No. Location Date opened

BAPO 1 Hong Kong 29 Jun 1949

Notes

(i) Prior to the introduction of the BAPO 1 address forces mail was handled by the civil postal authority.

(ii) A British FPO did not open until 3 October 1949

(iii) From 1 January 1957 BAPO 1 became BFPO 1

Authority

Post Office Archive file POST 122/ 187 [introduction of BAPO 1]

Date closed

31 Dec 1956

-187-


BAPO 2

BAPO 3

BAPO 4

Authority (contd)

ACI 925/49 dated 30 November 1949 [introduction of BAPO 1]ACI 6/57 dated 2 January 1957 [change to BFPO 1]

Washington,USA 1950 30 September 1957

Notes

(i) Opened to serve the British Joint Services Mission(BJSM)

(ii) From 1 October 1957 BAPO 2 became BFPO 2

Authority

OM 100/50 dated 20 June 1950 ACI 518/50 dated 12 July 1950 ACI 424/57 dated 12 October 1957

[introduction of BAPO 2] [introduction of BAPO 2] [change to BFPO 2]

Korea 1950 31 December 1956

Notes

(i) Opened to serve British troops transferred to Korea from the United Kingdom (29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group and an administrative element known as British Element Korean Base).

(ii) At midnight 25/26 April 1951 HQ 28th(British Commonwealth) Infantry Brigade relieved HQ 27th(British Commonwealth)Infantry Brigade which then returned to Hong Kong. With the arrival of 28th Brigade in Korea and the return of 27th Brigade to Hong Kong, use of the BAPO 4 indicator lapsed and BAPO 3 became the address indicator for all British forces serving in Korea.

This took effect from 29 April 1951; at the same time 27th Brigade in Hong Kong adopted the indicator BAPO 1.

(iii) From 1 January 1957 BAPO 3 became BFPO 3

Authority

OM 155/50 dated 9 October 1950 OM 60/51 dated 3 May 1951

ACI 6/57 dated 2 January 1957

Korea ' 1950

Notes(i) Opened to serve British troops transferred to Korea from Hong

Kong(27th Infantry Brigade)

[introduction of BAPO 3][ for Note (ii)second part] [change to BFPO 3]

29 April 1951

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BAPO 5

(ii) Prior to the introduction of the BAPO 4 address it is thought that the British contingent continued to use the BAPO 1 (Hong Kong) indicator. In any event mail would continue to arrive at Hong Kong for them.

(iii) At midnight 25/26 April 1951 HQ 28th(British Commonwealth) Infantry Brigade relieved HQ 27th (British Commonwealth) Infantry Brigade which then returned to Hong Kong. With the arrival of 28th Brigade and the return of 27th Brigade to Hong Kong, use of the BAPO 4 indicator lapsed and BAPO 3 became the indicator for all British forces serving in Korea.

This took effect from 29 April 1951; at the same time 27th Brigade in Hong Kong re-adopted the BAPO 1 indicator.

Authority

OM 155/50 dated 9 October 1950 [introduction of BAPO 4]OM 60/51 dated 3 May 1951 [for Note (iii)second part]

Japan 1950 1957

Notes

(i) Initially introduced for mail for those elements of BritishElement Korean Base(BEKB) based in Japan. All other troops in Japan continued to use the closed address BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OCCUPATION FORCE (BC0F).

(ii) During early 1951 its use was extended to include all British forces in Japan.

Authority

OM 180/50 dated 1 December 1950 OM 21/51 dated 9 February 1951 POC dated 13 February 1957

[introduction for BEKB] [extension to all Japan] [withdrawal]

SUMMARY

BAPO 1 became BFPO 1 1 January 1957

BAPO 2 became BFPO 2 1 October 1957

BAPO 3 became BFPO 3 1 January 1957

BAPO 4 ceased 29 April 1951

_ BAPO 5 ceased 1957

-1 89 -


BOOKSHELF

AN INTRODUCTION TO GERMAN CENSORSHIP 1939 - 45

This is a twelve-page booklet illustrated with censor stamps and labels.It also gives an indication of the relative scarcity of particular types of censor device and of their valuation. It gives collectors guidance on where an item was censored and why at that place and is a useful, and inexpensive help to beginners, if not to the 'aficionados' of civil censorship. The publishers say that it is the only work on the subject written in English.

The booklet is published by Chavril Press (the new name for C R & A M Entwistle) at Bloomfield, Perth Rd.,Abernethy, Perth PH 2 9LW, price £3.00.It is also available from Vera Trinder Ltd 38 Bedford St.London WC2E 9EU.

THE POSTIES WENT TO WAR

The "War" in guestion was the 1982 Falklands campaign and this book is the story of the Army Post Office, or rather the Postal and Courier Service , as based on the journal of Major Ian Winfield. It gives a good picture of Field Post Office work under campaign conditions. The photograph illustrations are interesting but not of high guality and are rather amateurish. Nevertheless, such accounts of RE(P&C) Service work are scarce and it can be recommended to anyone trying to make sense of Falklands campaign postal history.

The book,95 pages in card covers, is published by Sguare One Publications, Saga House, Sansome Place, Worcester WR1 1UA . The price is £5.95 plus £1 postage and packing.

QUERIESQuery No.129 (210/190) From George Crabb:

I have a'green' envelope from the Middle East 1943 with an indistinct FPO cancel: the letter inside gives a new address for the writer(apparently a Royal Marine) -

Ex 2300 Mne B.W.Sandilands RM 2B

FORCE OVERT

Has any member details of what Force Overt was doing? The envelope has a low number type A5 censor mark '852'.

Query No.130 (210/190) From George Crabb:

Here is a 19th May 1940 cover from the French force in Norway at Narvik: the first I have been offered in 20 years or more! How scarce is such a cover?

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From Alan J Brown: The only reference I have to this campaign is a short para, in 'A chronology of French Military Campaigns etc" by W.M.Waugh and S.J.Luft.I quote: "A Franco-British expedition to regain Norway from the Germans(French land 19 April 1940) was recalled the first week of June to fight in France.See French Navy for markings.

A flotilla of torpedo boats helped escort the ill-fated April-June 1940 expedition to Norway, which retook Narvik from the Germans and then abandoned it. French expeditionary mail(very scarce to rare) was brought to France via these torpedo boats, and.bears the completely mute, undated Poste Navale cachet or the temporary Agence Navale Mo.30 hexagon applied in the Firth of Clyde aboard patrol boat 'Leoville' (very rare) ".

UNITED NATIONS (ONUCA) NAVAL SQUADRON

From Frederick J Patka: Two covers are below from the ONUCA in CentralAmerica, both from the small Argentinian Naval contingent based at San Lorenzo, Honduras. This sguadron is composed of four small patrol boats and the covers show the service stamp of the BARRANQUERAS and CONCEPTION DEL URUGUAY, both mailed via UN New York.

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r-nORPO AEREO

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

-19 2'

the forces postal history society newsletter 207 spring 1991 … · the cover is postmarked...

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