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Members' displays: "Indian Ocean" was the subject of the meeting and there was an extremely wide variety of material on display of which the following is only a brief summary. Keith Tranmer started with a single item of British mail carried by the KuK SM Corvette Frundsberg in 1896 from Seychelles to Zanzibar. As to be expected Keith Fitton displayed Seychelles that included mail from Seychellois who served in pioneer and engineer units in WW2; military and civil censorship to/from Seychelles and included mail to Ireland that was invariably opened and censored in both Seychelles and UK. Chris Cruttwell showed a letter from Archbishop Makarios who in 1956 was exiled to Seychelles; the letter was censored in Cyprus. John Leathes showed mail from various submarine squadrons based at ports that would have sailed in the Indian Ocean. Alistair Kennedy put up an item with the ZC censor from Reunion. Mauritius was another popular area with John Daynes and others showing a variety of Naval items from both wartime and post-war period. He also included mail from Guard Companies formed from Mauritius and Rodrigues and sent to the Canal Zone. A number of members showed items from the Naval shore establishment HMS Mauritius (BFPO 161). Mail from Diego Garcia and Naval Party 1002 was also a popular theme. Keith Lillywhite showed WW2 items from the Cocos Islands including RAF, Indian FPOs and RAAF. He also showed a selection of photographs and covers from an airman who served there. Albert Coles displayed RAAF PO mail and covers connected with the extension of the airfield by the RAAF. He also showed items from the 1954 Royal Visit. Alistair Kennedy showed items RAF Post 301 and Indian FPO 46. Both Alistair and John showed a variety of items including the RAF detachment at Nicobar 1956, Madagascar: French mail up to and including the week of British occupation in May 1942, civil mail censored by the military authorities, mail from French occupation. John also showed items from the RAF detachment at Majunga on the Beira Patrol 1966-1979. Lastly Chris Cruttwell displayed items from WW1 British occupation of Mafia Island, including overprinted Indian IEE stamps further overprinted GR Mafia. |