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The FPHS and Malta Study Circle last met together in October 2001 when it was stated that a very successful joint meeting was held - this meeting was equally successful and enjoyable and the members who participated had not lost any of their enthusiasm for the subject. Some 22 members from both Societies attended (a few being members of both) and took part or simply viewed the material put up for display. We learnt from past joint meetings and this was a whole day affair rather than simply our usual afternoon session - we certainly needed the extra time which was sufficient to allow us to complete the programme of displays rather than curtailing them due to lack of time. The displays ran in chronological order and some of the earlier material included Napoleonic entires written by midshipman William Balfour (later Lord) aboard HMS Northumberland off Malta on 14 January and 7 May 1800 - one being routed via Lisbon. The letters came from a tea chest full of correspondence discovered after the Balfour home had been sold some years back. Also on show was a letter from Vice Admiral Lord Keith written on 25 February 1800 aboard the "Queen Charlotte off Malta". Another entire written on 24 December 1809 by Captain Alexander Ball (one of Nelson's captains) was displayed by David Ball (no relation). A piece postmarked 16 March 1855 was the earliest recorded date for GB stamps cancelled in Malta. Finally in this section Alistair Kennedy displayed various items from 1870 onwards showing Officers mail posted at the normal civil rate of 2 1/2d and also soldiers 1d concession rate. For WW1 there were some very interesting reconnaissance photographs showing a cargo vessel sinking from a submarine torpedo attack, a torpedo boat searching for the submarine and the submarine itself at a depth of 50 feet. Back to postal history and the members from both societies showed a variety of censor and "Opened under Marshal Law" cachets and labels. Naval mail from Malta was popular with items including troopship mail: covers and postcards galore, many with illustrations of the ships concerned. There was an interesting selection of OAS covers to illustrate that they turned up with cancellations from almost every Branch Post Office in Malta. An FPO was introduced in Malta in November 1915 and very soon cachets were employed reading "Not at Malta" or "No Trace at Malta". All the way through the displays a number of items had wonderful anecdotes behind either the sender or addressee - too many and too detailed for your scribe to capture whilst writing these notes ! The Malta SC had recently undertaken a survey to identify those hospital ships that had visited Malta during WW1 and Peter High displayed items from a few such vessels where the item could be positively identified as being connected with Malta. These included the Charles Roux (France) and the following Italian hospital ships: Regina d'Italia, Italia, Flora and Brasile. A number Maltese citizens joined the British Army and served in other theatres of war - a selection of material was displayed that related to six such persons who had become officers. Marc Paren changed tact somewhat and departed from the predominantly British these by showing items from the French Navy and Air Force in the Mediterranean and also had a rare item from the Japanese Navy who were assisting the Allied Naval effort in the Mediterranean at that time having sent their 10th and 11th Destroyer Flotillas to the area. WW2 produced a plethora of items: we started off with a detailed study of the censor labels ("Opened by Censor" and later "Opened by Examiner" and also "Examined by Base Censor") applied to mail - the earliest being on 18 September 1939. The display showed various types, including sub-types and varieties of colour, printings and type faces - many previously unrecorded. This is believed to be as near a complete listing as possible. Early Naval censored items included "Received from HM Ships" cover dated 5 September 1939 showing early Naval censored mail - this was from a Naval officer in Egypt to his wife in Malta. Also in show was a run of correspondence from a Naval Surgeon showing changes in censor arrangements from early cachets to tombstone marks. Early in the war the Malta PO agreed that mail from the troops could be post free - initially by use of unit cachets which last for a short period only and a few covers were shown featuring these. Items on display showed that during 1940 it was still possible at that time to send airmail from Malta at the 5d rate via Italy. There was no airgraph service to/from Malta as there was no airgraph station there. A couple of members showed original airgraphs with cachets that indicated they had been transmitted by ordinary mail as there was no airgraph service available. One was addressed to the RAF c/o APO 6510 which identified that temporary number with Malta. The FPO opened in May 1943 and items FPO datestamps were displays. Also shown were air mail letter cards (AMLCs) - both red (post-free) and blue (postage payable) and well as the green cross labels, tobacco cards, gratitude and Naval patriotic labels. The air mail postcard service was still available in Malta as there was no airgraph service. Substitute AMLCs were also shown - an interesting story was connected with these. A supply of AMLCs was taken out to Malta aboard HMS Breconshire, but the ship was damaged in a near miss on 24 March 1942 and the cards were found to be badly damaged and so troops were allowed to make their own. However, a substitute AMLC card was displayed dated before the Breconshire incident which clearly showed that they were needed anyway. A number of Maltese inhabitants had sympathies towards the Italians and so three civilian internee camps were established in Malta. Mail from these Camps was shown. As a result of the bombing campaign these internees were eventually shipped off to camps established in Uganda. The post-war era covered a host of British FPOs to be found used in Malta. This was represented by FPO 757 from 1st Highland Light Infantry showing the short lived use of the MELF 51 address. The Suez campaign was featured with Army/RAF/Navy censored items shown; 3 Commando Brigade in Malta showing use of the BFPO 300 address and later reversion to BFPO 51 address. Mail sent between 1957-60 from units of the Royal Malta Artillery posted through FPOs. Peter High had picture postcards and philatelic items from the Mercy Ship mv Anastasis during her visit to the UK - the vessel is registered in Malta. Michael Dobbs showed a cover posted on the last day of the FPO at RAF Luqa - on 27 March 1979. Unfortunately the postie had forgotten to change the date as it still had the previous day - as there are no other cachets to substantiate this you just had Michael's word ! Thank you to both societies for organising the event and to the members who took part and who came to view the variety of the material on display - it was a packed day full of interest and enthusiasm. |