FPHS Members
Sign Up or Log In below to access Members Only menu
View posts from all forums
This post is from a suggested group
Hello
Can anyone help with the marking on the reverse "Present Location Unsertain" (spelling error!)? What is the meaning of the "A.L.8 ..." information?
Manuscript marking "Transferred sick" on the front suggests the officer was moved somewhere. How did the postal service work in case someone was moved, how can the various army post office marks be explained?
best regards, Peter
This post is from a suggested group
I attach a scan of a cover from 18657 C/En Hardie, posted at Advance Base Post Office Arakan. I believe this because the unit censor number is smack in the middle of a series issued to above mentioned brigade I contend that the advanced post office was used because EA APO 78 which had come from Ceylon With the brigade had not yet been opened. Can any member advise me if the engineer was attached to the brigade.
This post is from a suggested group
I have received the following enquiry - I have responded with the information I have (my comments are in red) which is not very helpful but can anyone provide any additional specific information please:
I have a series of covers from the same RAF leading aircraftman all noted RAF SEAAF.
One of them is from Hong Kong and I was wondering if you could tell me where the others were posted?
They are:
FPO 174 8 Oct 45 Egypt – APO S.210 by 16 Dec 45
This post is from a suggested group
Thanks Peter. Have you or any other member seen this version of honour envelope used to a British address? Mike
This post is from a suggested group
Can some help explain the purpose of this document?
It records payments (?) to a member of the Kings African Rifles (KAR) in post-WWI German East Africa (soon to be Tanganyika). Of major interest to me is the GEA and Tanganyika stamps used to pay some fee. Perhaps an income tax? Was this is record of payments to the soldier?
to me the stamps are paying a purchase/transaction tax on whatever item is on that line. The refund of the costs of the item on that line are not subject to the tax. So on this fragment, tax is being paid on each of 117.50, 97.50, 115.00 and 82.50. The total charges are 515 before refunds. Pity we don't know what the charges are for!
This post is from a suggested group
Would like the FPHS to know that the Military Postal History Society will be at booth 712. Boston 2026 is from May 23 to May 30.
It will also have a one frame exhibit in the America's Pavillion.
If you are attending please stop by the MPHS table.
FPHS members attending BOSTON 2026 are encouraged to visit the MPHS table and show support to our USA equivalent society!
This post is from a suggested group
I have received the following enquiry from Germany:
Dear Sirs, I am a philatelic historian from Germany and am researching a mysterious British prisoner-of-war air letter that was included in Michael Dixon´s exhibit and called there "a German propaganda production". It is illustrated in the catalog "British PoW Air Mail Stationery, The Exhibit, by Michael D Dixon, on page 54. Do you have any data or information about this item? I am thankful for any kind of help! Thank you for your consideration!
Details of the publication can be found here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/British-WWII-Prisoner-War-Stationery/dp/B0BN9FNDBZ
I believe that the author died in 2024 - open the following link and scroll down to Michael D. Dixon:
https://militaryphs.org/blog/home/in-memoriam/
This post is from a suggested group
I have received the following enquiry:
I am in possession of a cover front with this 1946 postmark that Webb knew of only 7 in existence. There was some doubt about where RAFPOST130 was based in Hong Kong when Col. Webb wrote his book in 1961. Is any more known now? Please put me in touch with anyone who may have information. Thanks
As I have both John Smith's and Bill Garrard's booklets on RAF Postal Service Overseas I have responded as per the attached document. However, if any member has additional information please do respond here.
Thanks, Michael
I have since received the following response from the person making the enquiry:
Col. Webb quotes your first extract and comments 'nevertheless examples of it are curiously rare. Mr. Fugle, who was at Kai Tak from 4 September 1945, tells us that all his letters home were marked RAF POST-6-SE ASIA. In his opinion RAF POST 130 was allotted to 5358 Airfield Construction Unit, which was building an airstrip, later demolished, at Pingshan, whose HQ were in Kowloon.
Pingshan was in the New Territories near the Chinese border and the back of my cover front confirms that they had to go into town to the cinema. Kai Tak was in town so this seems to support Mr. Fugle's view.
We may have to wait until service records are released to answer this question and look at which units the senders came from. In the meantime I am collecting images of all the items to identify as many senders as possible and would be grateful for any images your members can provide.
Does anyone have any covers postmarked RAFPOST 130, if so please scan front and back and send them to me or post here on the forum.
Thanks, Mike
This post is from a suggested group
Can anyone tell me what is going on here?
The attached February 1941 cover to UK has a 4d Swaziland definitive affixed and is cancelled at SA APO 1, the South Africa Forces base APO in Durban.
Why the Swazi stamp? Why the 4d rate? I cannot find any evidence that this is a true rate.
The cover came on an album page which suggested it originated from Natal Force, East Africa. I can find no evidence to support this.
Any thoughts?
Michael
Michael, I do not know for sure, but it would not surprise me if Swazi stamps were valid, bearing in mind geography, and the probability of Swazi troops serving in or with South African Forces. The rate is a bigger issue, theres nothing to indicate airmail or anything like that, and the normal surface rate to the UK was three'happence first half ounce and a halfpenny per subsequent half ounces. There's no way that small envelope has the weight, so I'd think it's been deliberately over-franked for philatelic purposes, even if it did have a letter inside. regards, Neil
Part Two
Turning to the further postmarks Not 100 % but the Base APO 23 Jan 16 is I feel Base APO X where it was sent back from Egypt. From there it went to APO SX 1 JA 23 16 (Note Month not clear) but ties in with the Base APO X cancel two days earlier APO SX 1 was located on the Monastair Rd outside Salonika. By this time all 10th Division troops had withdrawn to the Salonika area. it's likely it was forwarded to 28th gen Hospital from APO SX 1 where it was then returned to APO SX 1 by Feb 22 16. It was then presumably returned to London where it received the 'PRESENT LOCATION UNCERTAIN etc' cachet, Then opened and if possible returned to sender presumabley under cover. I've never seen an example endorsed with a home address so believe all sent under cover, however never seen an example which was still with such a cover. The UNABLE TO TRACE R.L.S. L.P.S. G.P.O. B.M.E.F. is a Egypt cancel.
As to where he was I don't know. As the Army Postal Service became established in Salonika a card index system was established. However Base APOX with the main Postal party had only arrived in December 1915 and was just getting started
I cannot make out his surname so cannot trace further easily.
However a Very nice cover indeed.
Chris