This post is from a suggested group
British Military Hospital Nairobi
Here's a 1954 cover from the hospital. The sender, B Robertson, puts his rank as BACS on the return address on the reverse. What is this acronym?
42 Views
top of page
FPHS Members
Sign Up or Log In below to access Members Only menu
All Posts
View posts from all forums
This post is from a suggested group
Postal deliveries to France 1944 - 45
I have received the following enquiry from a non-member:
In a family history context I would like to know how a letter written by a soldier in May 1944, addressed to a family in Paris, might have been delivered and how long it would take. Would the Red Cross have been involved? When did normal postage services from UK to France resume? I would appreciate any information relating to this subject. Many thanks.
Any help gratefully received, thanks, Mike
46 Views
This post is from a suggested group
BMEF WW1 Item "Present Location Unsertain"
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
78 Views
Michael Dobbs
May 31
Chris - I think you are mixing up the two cachets. Yes the UNABLE TO TRACE cachet on the front of the envelope is B.M.E.F. and I don't disagree that it is from Egypt. The cachet on the reverse of the envelope PRESENT LOCATION UNSERTAIN is the one with the initials R.L.B. L.F.S. G.P.O. These stand for Returned Letter Branch, London Foreign Section, General Post Office. This would relate to the GPO in London based at the King Edward Building, London EC1. I admit the 'B' in R.L.B looks like an '8' and its difficult to make out the 'S' in L.F.S.!! And yes, there is also a spelling error in UNSERTAIN which should read UNCERTAIN. This is a poorly made cachet but I believe genuine.
This post is from a suggested group
BRITISH ENGINEER SECONDED TO 22 (EA) BRIGADE. (PERHAPS)
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.
85 Views
This post is from a suggested group
Queries regarding FPO and RAFPost datestamp locations
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
55 Views
This post is from a suggested group
WWII Honour Envelope - trying to confirm it as 'Canadian'. Different from WW1 UK honour envelopes.
78 Views
Michael Street
Mar 20
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
GEA WWI Revenue document
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?
71 Views
Neil Williams
Mar 26
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
Boston 2026 World Philatelic Expo
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.
79 Views
Michael Dobbs
Mar 09
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
Research of enigmatic POW air letter
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/
80 Views
bottom of page
Chaps, since the sender, B. Robertson, is the same name as one of our members (who happens to be a medical doctor), I sent him the pdf. He says it's definitely NOT him, or any relative that he knows of, BUT: he suggests this (and I quote):
The "BACS" could actually be "BRCS" - British Red Cross Society.
All Military Hospitals around the world would have had a Joint Red Cross and St John Welfare Department with the staff being members of one or other Organisation.
This Joint Service Hospital Welfare Department became the independent Defence Medical Welfare Service in 2001 and still exists working around the world with British Forces today.
So, an alternative possibility? 🙂
Nick.