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A reminder that our annual War & Philetly event takes place this coming Saturday, 9th August 2025 (10am to 3pm) - look forward to seeing those of you who can attend. Flyer giving details attached.
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I have a couple of covers I would like some help with please ;
A) A PPC from Ceylon,address side shown with this post.
London machine cancel but date not decipherable. Unboxed RECEIVED FROM... handstamp. Undated but clear censor's signature handstamp looks like P? de B Lockyer.
Can anyone identify him and possibly the ship he was on?
B) A neat cover with standard 8 barred circle dumb cancel with triangular censor mark PASSED / BY / CENSOR inside, addressed to J N Masters, Hope Stores, Rye, England. No date
The censor mark measures 26mm along the bottom line and 20mm down each side. Very similar to Gould 8A0 on page 118 of his Volume 2 but his dimensions (45 x 25mm) appear larger. He says 6 WING RNAS
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I am attaching a scan of a cover addressed to an officer with the above unit. The franking is FPO SC3, HQ Canadian Reinforcement Units, Aldershot.
I am endeavouring to understand what the initials stand for. I imagine the C is for Canadian and the R is for Reinforcement, but cannot find anything to confirm what the S stands for except a reference to the Canadian Signals Reinforcement Unit. Does this make sense?
Here is a scan of the reverse, indicating it was sent from #3 Wing, Canadian Training School on the 25th Feb 1943. What were they training and where were they based
?
I hope the party on the 6th March went well
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I have had request in whether anyone knows about the cachet below and confirm the the units it was associated with?
When I saw the item initially at Midpex thought is was 5th Wing but looking at the scan could be 6th Wing.
The ‘ARS’ I had not managed to find a definite answer but would suggest it stands for ‘Aeroplane Repair Section’ or ‘Aircraft Repair Section’ and would part of the of the Aircraft Park which was split into several different Sections and kept records and reports on aircraft, personnel, engines, etc. in service with the Squadrons within the Wing. I would suggest the envelope was waxed / Oiled to help keep the paperwork clean and dry as being used in the open on an airfield
It measures appx 263x136mm with a flap 48mm deep
Geoff, Peter,
just seen this exchange on return from a week at Air Tattoo at Fairford..!
I have consulted Sturtivant's 'RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912'.
glossary gives ARS = Aircraft Repair Section.
For No 6 Wing, I attach a scan of the entry. Note the references to ARS. I would say this is most probably the answer.
It can't be No 5 Wing as that was in the Middle East from late 1915 to 1920.
belated, but I hope of use.
Neil
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Any thoughts on the attached cover would be appreciated....
It appears to be FPO 59 dated Mar 1983 in the Falkland Islands - am I missing something?
The Derek Ransom's list does not have FPO 59 recorded, I checked FPO 69 this is not recorded this date. Also if you look at the date configuration on the date stamp the MR (March month) is not correctly placed, it is in the year position.
It seems strange that someone would go to any lengths to forge a cheap item like this, it is clearly philatelic.
HMS Cardiff was in the Persian Gulf and redeployed to the FI in the June of 1983 - this cover does not make any sense on that basis?
Comments?
Peter
The two RN cachets 'look OK'. However, The FPO cds looks very sketchy, to be polite. Looking closely at the upper left of the stamp, and particularly the area nearby of the envelope's 'airmail stripes', there appear to be traces of other postal marks.... as if whatever was on the envelope before has been removed and replaced with a very slightly used FI stamp, which has then had the sketchy cds applied..
As you say, why bother? Perhaps the owner wanted something 'more attractive' for a display??
ps good to chat at Midpex!
Neil
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I am attaching a scan of a cover from an officer with the Canadian army in France. The franking is FPO AC1 dated Jul 20 44. This relates to the 1st Canadian Army Headquarters. Units of the 1st Canadian Army landed on Juno beach on D-Day, but the Headquarters itself didn't arrive in France until mid-July and only became fully operational on the 23rd July. This would tie in with the date of the franking.
On the reverse of the cover, the officer gives his address as Cdn Army Overseas - BWE Forces. Am I right in assuming that this stands for British Western Europe Forces or something similar?
Alan
Yes, you are almost correct. This is an extract from my chaper on "The Liberation of Europe: Forces Addresses":
Some ten days after D-Day, however, the Troops Mail Policy and Planning Committee were still discussing a suitable form of address. At its meeting on 16 June 1944 the Committee pondered over several alternatives: "BEF", mentioned at its December 1943 meeting, was vetoed; "BNEF" was suggested but was turned down as it was similar to "BNAF" in use in North Africa; "BNWEF" and "NWEF" were also suggested but were turned down. As a result Second Army, on its own initiative, devised its own address for use in Normandy. They came up with BRITISH WESTERN EUROPEAN FORCE (BWEF), details of which were promulgated on 22 June 1944.
It took a few days for the revised address to be disseminated downwards to all units and unit personnel. For example 104 Base Sub-Area issued a routine order on 24 June 1944 [Serial 7 (Second Series) Item 42 “Postal Address”] announcing that the use of APO ENGLAND had ceased and that the new postal address BWEF was to be adopted. The BWEF address remained in use as an unofficial Force address until it was replaced by an official Force address promulgated the following month.
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I have been approached by an East Africa Study Circle member with the following query:
I wonder if you may be able to shed some light on two covers I have that seem to show an anomaly. These were sent from Kiganjo to the UK in 1955 & 56 and both bear an oval hand-stamp, ostensibly to authorise the forces concession, with 'ADJUTANT'S OFFICE / Royal Garhwal Rifles'. Though this was a bona fide Indian regiment, I have been unable to find any evidence that it was involved in the Kenya Emergency. Therefore, though the covers look genuine, I have to be a bit suspicious.
My view is:
Michael - many thanks for your response; I have passed it on to the person making the enquiry (he is a member of the EASC but had not come across that particular item in his search).
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These official and ordinary covers sent to the Moscow Red Cross Committee in Copenhagen are quite common and have been available for as long as I have been collecting. Thy are always unsealed (to allow censorship before leaving Germany) and always sent by Russian POW officers. Does anyone know if it was only the officers who could ask for aid and has anyone seen an article on these covers?
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Hi Tony, Re the PPC from Ceylon. The lady to whom the card was addressed was Ellen Clarke, wife to Samuel Clarke (deceased). She had 9 children, 7 boys and 2 girls. Only two of her sons were in the military, Oliver and Montague. Oliver was a mechanic/driver in the RNAS/RAF and served both in France and on UK shore bases. I cannot find any reference to him serving anywhere else. However, Montague joined the Merchant Navy and whilst I don't know how to access Merchant Navy records, it is entirely possible that it was Montague writing to his mother. If you could trace Montague and the ships he sailed on, it might help identify this particular ship's Censor. That's the best I can do, sorry!