1. For the last 15 years or so, the SPS has been building the 'Streetly Collection' which is all things to do with postal matters in SC.
2. Today's talk included various Francis J. Field memorabilia, plus what the Society has on the 1957 Scout Jubilee Jamboree in Sutton Park.
3. Last year's talk (Part 1) covered the Society's collection on the 1st US Base Post Office. It was a shame to have missed this, of course, but at today's meeting the SPS Chair announced that they have now produced a CD of all the US material.
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Monday, 3 May 2010
More from the US
First, the magnum opus on WWII postal operations is that entitled "The United States Post Office in World War II" edited by Dr. Lawrence Sherman and published by the Collectors Club of Chicago in 2002. It has a section that describes the functions of the BPOs but not the history or locations. This brings us to the second key reference, which is "Numbered Army & Air Force Post Office Locations, Volume 1" by Russ Carter and published by the Military Postal History Society in 2001.
Russ lists each of the BPOs with when and where they functioned, but the layout of the handbook doesn't provide much space for details. However, it does give key dates. As to BPO #1, it was activated at the New York Port of Embarkation on 4 June 1942, established at Sutton Coldfield on 30 June and began operations the following day.
Apparently, a Detachment A was sent from the BPO to London to operate the V-mail station there in the spring of 1944.
Russ lists each of the BPOs with when and where they functioned, but the layout of the handbook doesn't provide much space for details. However, it does give key dates. As to BPO #1, it was activated at the New York Port of Embarkation on 4 June 1942, established at Sutton Coldfield on 30 June and began operations the following day.
Apparently, a Detachment A was sent from the BPO to London to operate the V-mail station there in the spring of 1944.
1st BPO History
Had this in from Russ Carter, the author of 'Numbered Army and Air Force Post Office Locations' in the States [see: http://www.militaryphs.org/pubs/apobook.html]. Some great photographs, and he makes the interesting distinction between 'Base Post Office' as 'the unit' or as 'the buildings'. Russ says:
Below is the unit history of the 1st BPO as in the book that I wrote:
1st BPO (machine and hand cancels reported)
Constituted in 3rd Corps Area 1 Jan 38
Disbanded 1 May 42
1st BPO reconstituted at Ft Hamilton, NY 1 May 42
Activated New York PoE 4 Jun 42
On Tegelberg (TAPO ?) 4 Jun 42
Liverpool, England 16 Jun 42
Whittington Barracks, England 17 Jun 42
Sutton Coldfield, England 30 Jun 42
Began ops 1 Jul 42
Det A organized to operate Vmail Station in London Mar/Apr 44
France??
On Gen Taylor 30 Jan 46
Camp Kilmer, NJ 11 Feb 46
Inactivated 12 Feb 46
Unfortunately I have nothing on the specific information that you are probably looking for. I do have several photos of the 1st BPO that I attach to this note.
photo 184248 Front of 1st BPO building 3/8/43
photo 184249 1st BPO directory service 3/8/43
photo 184261 1st BPO administration 2/22/43
photo 384770 sorting mail 9/27/43
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Saturday, 1 May 2010
War Cover Club
A fishing expedition to The Military Postal History Society [http://www.militaryphs.org/]...founded in 1937 as the War Cover Club, American Philatelic Society Unit #19. The original club focused largely on the postal history of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. The group changed its name in 1991 to better reflect the wide variety of collecting interests of its members. It promotes the study of the postal aspects of all wars and military actions of all nations. Today members' interests include soldier campaign covers, patriotics, prisoner-of-war mail, naval mail, occupation and internment covers, picture postcards of a military nature, camp cancels, field post offices, propaganda labels and leaflets, V-mail, censored mail and similar related material.
Military Post
6c Transport 1944 Sudbury, Pa. Concession Airmail to A.P.O. 649 Exeter, England Forwarded to A.P.O. 874 Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, England with magenta sl Directory Searched No Record at A.P.O. 874, then Forwarded to 1st B.P.O. Sutton Coldfield, England with boxed sl No Record 1st B.P.O. and sl Returned to Writer For Better Address in pointing hand. Reverse Label Tied 1944 Christmas Seal. Light creases and opening tears at top.
http://www.postalhistory.com/results.asp?task=&y1=&y2=&searchtype=&dt=&cc=AP&cd=&dq=&du=&ct=&cs=fw&ts=&st=&sort=&Auction=&group=20&pagenum=4
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