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Those who went to Lancaster had a most enjoyable weekend away - the weather was fine, the company convivial and the displays superb. Our grateful thanks go to Andy Brooks for organising the weekend. We had an excellent venue in the centre of the City and the facilities were good. The room was sufficiently large, light and airy, with plenty of space to walk and talk and Andy had arranged with two local societies for the loan of display boards (grateful thanks go to the Cumbria Postal History Group and the Morecambe & District Philatelic Society). When I arrived on the Friday evening displays were well under way under the auspices of our new President Ian Muchall. Attendance from local members was a little disappointing and the main contingent came from the London meetings members, although Andy had invited a couple of guests to display and we welcomed once again to a weekend away Derek Brook all the way from Weston super Mare. I shall not attempt to give a write-up on all the displays (particularly since there were so many over the weekend I didn't have time to record them all and I wanted to spend some time looking at them !). My apologies for any that I have missed, particularly for the Friday evening. Saturday displays: John Sheen (a guest) showed a variety of WW1 mail: New Zealand items from Gallipoli (from an English officer), items from WW1 showing research behind the writers of the covers/cards, mail from Australian, Canadian and New Zealand forces (some from British nationals serving with the Dominion forces). Also a few German items, including an official letter from Britain to a German telling the individual that they had no knowledge of her husband as a prisoner. The write-up of the various items included background details of either the writer or addressee. John is the author of two Pen & Sword publications on Pals Battalions - "Durham Pals" and the "Wearside Battalion". Peter Rook was another guest and a member of the France & Colonies Philatelic Society and his displays covered the Napoleonic and Peninsular wars and the French Revolutionary Wars. At this time Peter's display was of the English side. British forces had no postal structure other than the ordinary commercial routes (ship letters, packet letters, etc). Quite a few items were naval based, including a couple of letters from prize ships. Peter explained the prize system stating that some captain's were little more than legalised pirates ! The Peninsular war period included mail out of Portugal and Spain including a letter which went into considerable detail about life in the campaign area. He also showed a letter which told of life on a baggage train. Quite frequently letters contained detailed descriptions of conditions and campaigns, which painted a harrowing tale of the conditions of war (and which would not have passed the censor's pen in later years !). He also showed two proclamations - prayers to be read in churches both before and after Wellington's campaigns to drive the French armies from Spain. He also showed a 'free' front signed by Thomas Masterman Hardy - as Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy as First Sea Lord of the Admiralty. Derek Brook showed a selection of soldiers' 1d concessional mails from Gibraltar (1860-96), Boer War mail and Italian POW mail from Gibraltar. He also showed a number of naval items from the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers including a letter from 1880, a postcard of the Liverpool Corps Orders December 1890 and a postcard of the Clyde Brigade Gunnery Drill results for November 1891. This little known branch of the Royal Navy was formed on 5 August 1873. Robin Davis showed a collection of covers from the Russian naval representative concerned with the building and fitting out at Barrow-in-Furness of the Russian cruiser "Rurik" in 1905 and later the sea trials in 1907 prior to sailing back to Russia. Following the weekend Robin was intending to go to the museum at Barrow-in-Furness in an attempt to find out more information. Frank Schofield said that one of his collecting interests was British Coronation stamps of 12 May 1937. He showed a collection of covers from various ships (mainly liners and merchant vessels plus one warship - HMS Esk) paid with Coronations stamps and associated these with picture postcards of the vessels themselves. He commented that most of these vessels were lost to torpedo attacks during WW2. Chris Grimshaw provided a display on Salonika telling the story of 60th (2/2nd London) Division through its postal history and showing the various changes in datestamps swapped around for security purposes. Michael Dobbs displayed covers and forms connected with "Army Signals". This started with a Sudan Military Telegraphs form of 1898, a Naval Signals form used in 1914, a DRLS envelope with Army Telegraphs datestamps used in WW1 and a Message Form used on Army manoeuvres in 1937. However the mainstay of the display was covers with Army Signals datestamps used during WW2 and later. Also shown were his researches in the National Archives on the development of Army Signals and the ways and means to identify the various code letters used in such datestamps. Andy Brooks showed a selection of material with WW1 Home Defence datestamps: Army Post Office (HD) 1-45, single ring datestamps and also Parcel Post 31 datestamp and lastly an item with the dumb A.P.S. HD/A cancellation. Keith Tranmer showed items connected with his time with the Gallipoli Association - he told the story of how he became involved with the Association and of his escapades in touring Gallipoli (including run-ins with the local police!). He also showed items connected with Austrian military sent there - in the last month of the campaign two artillery batteries arrived. Also shown were Army Signals forms - the last signals sent by the Australian Division before they were evacuated. The signallers were British - due to a shortage the British picked six signallers from the Royal Engineers and sent them to join the Australians. After a break for lunch we assembled across the road from the hotel at the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum (part of the City Museum) and were met by the Curator, Peter Donnelly. Prior to a wander around the Museum Peter held an extremely interesting discussion with us on the merits, problems, issues, etc of storing (preserving) letters, envelopes, cards, etc. This ranged around duplication, disposal of surplus material, deterioration and included references to modern letters received from soldiers in such places as Iraq and Afghanistan. We were then let loose in the Museum. Ian Muchall had a particular interest as he had a Great Uncle in the 2nd Battalion, The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) - this was George William Stuart Muchall (1881-1915) who joined the Army in 1902 as a career soldier. There was a family rumour that he was the Regiment's crack shot and here Peter Donnelly surprised Ian by producing shooting medals - the J H Steward Medal for judged distance at Bisley 1909 and 1911, and the Regimental Champion shot at Bisley for 3 years 1907 to 1910. These had been presented to the Museum by Ian's cousin Anthony who lives in Paris. George was married and living in Warrington at the time. He had served in India and Jersey prior to being commissioned and sent to Belgium. He was Commissioned on 9 January 1915 and killed in action on 8 May 1915 (at the Battle of Frezenberg Ridge). He was in Battalion HQ when it was hit by a shell killing most of the occupants including the Lieutenant Colonel. George has no known grave and is recorded on the Menin Gate along with most of his Battalion as they were virtually wiped out by the Germans at Frenzenberg. When Ian and his wife visited the Menin Gate and saw the list of names of the King's Own on the memorial it was obvious that they had suffered very heavy casualties as there were over 300 names from the Regiment recorded. It is hoped to show photographs of the medals on our website. After the Museum visit we settled down for another round of displays. Derek Brook started the session with ephemera associated with volunteers from the 18th Century and included such items as 1st Middlesex (Victoria and St George's) Rifle Volunteers Orders and a card for the Easter Review; St George's Rifles Jubilee Day 6 June 1887 programme and postcards, New Headquarters Committee and instructions for "fitting the equipment". Chris Grimshaw showed Salonika again - this time items from Christmas from the British Expeditionary Force Salonika and from the British Army in Macedonia "A Happy Christmas from the Balkans" and greetings from Salonika Army - identical cards but separately inscribed for Christmas and the New Year. Frank Schofield showed 41st and 5th Divisions in Italy (for four and five months respectively from November 1917) illustrating the various postmarks used by the different FPOs which served the two divisions. The last three items concerned individuals in 5th Division who returned to France from Italy only to be killed in action there. Michael Dobbs brought matters more modern with a display of postal history related to NATO - from the various postal markings used by NATO military HQs or Agencies through to the postal marking used by the British forces based at NATO military HQs. This included NATO HQ and SHAPE, both formerly in France but which were re-located to Belgium in 1967. See some of Michael's covers online. Keith Tranmer displayed items connected with the Knights of Malta Hospital Trains - they were lettered A to F and some had surgical units on board. He also showed items from the Austrian Army in Turkey - there was no post until 1917 and the Austrians used the Turkish field post system till then. Such mail was stamped in Vienna with the W1 datestamp to show it came through diplomatic mail from Constantinople. Peter Rook then displayed the French side of the Napoleonic and Peninsular wars and the French Revolutionary Wars - first item was of 1792 the War of the First Coalition, a letter from an officer to his uncle. There was other mail from ordinary soldiers and a 1973 letter to a military hospital making enquiries about a cavalryman. There were letters from the Army of the Rhine and the Grande Armee as well as mail from the 1806-14 Peninsular War. There was mail from the Russian campaign - in 1812 the French army gathered in Prussia prior to its push into northern Russia. Peter High showed a few covers and cards around the theme of repatriation in WW1. There were picture postcards of barges displaying red crosses towed by a motor boat. He followed the theme into WW2 with items from hospital ships used for repatriation, including the Gripsom in 1945. He also had a 1946 postcard concerning the repatriation of Jewish persons to Palestine. Ian Muchall had only recently given a display in South Africa to the South African WW2 Study Group showing RAF censors used in South Africa and he shared some of these with us. Also displayed were a number of covers where it was believed that the censor stamp was used aboard a troopship. In 1966 Ian was serving in the RAF and was sent to Majunga in Madagascar for three months to take part in the Beira Patrol. He was part of an RAF Detachment of some 108 personnel and 5 Shackleton aircraft that provided air patrols over the Mozambique Channel to spot tankers carrying oil bound for Rhodesia during the time of the Rhodesian Blockade. However, in the event the Malagasy authorities refused to authorise the establishment of a Forces Post Office and so BFPO 91 (the number allocated) went out of use and was replaced by a civil postal address and so mail from Ian and also official mail, had to have Malagasy stamps affixed. He showed a variety of covers to and from him, as well as philatelic mail commemorating the event. Peter Burrows showed part of his collection of nearly 400 POW cards - he collects the cards for what they are as stationery items and is not particularly interested in their usage. He is interested in the various printings, colours and changes or differences in typeset. He showed cards from the Middle East (ME Form 65); initially he only saw Italian POW cards and it was only after publication of his book did he find German cards existed (ME Form 62). He also showed a selection of South African POW 10 cards. The Americans also produced cards after they joined in the war - they produced cards for both POWs and internees. There were various form designations used - WD-PMG Form 7-1, 19-8, 19-9, 19-10, 19-11 and Forms 6, 6-1, 7 and 7-1. Derek Brook showed mail connected with Operation Grapple, the nuclear tests on Christmas Island with items from the Grapple test squadron and two copies of the locally produced "Mid-Pacific News" while Andy Brooks concentrated on the messages written on the backs of WW1 postcards. The first was posted on 4 August 1914, the day that war broke out, and was from a soldier who had been sent to a territorial camp. He showed a number of messages from the troops as they arrived in France - many were upbeat in their tone and little did they know what the future held. Lastly we had Chris Grimshaw again with, by way of a change, incoming mail to Salonika which was more difficult to find. Most of it was casualty mail or mail that could not be delivered and was returned to sender. The display showed the research Chris went to using the medal rolls to try and establish further details of the addressee. He also showed a selection of items postmarked APO W2 from the British Military Mission to the Royal Serbian Army. Sunday displays: Sunday morning saw the informal 9-sheet competition with a total of 12 entries which puts some of our formal competitions to shame ! The winner was Peter High with "Japanese Hospital Ships of the Sino-Japanese War 1937-45". Other participants were: Derek Brook with "POW Ships at Portsmouth 1914/15"; Andy Brooks with "Royal Engineers Postal Section (REPS) in WW1"; Peter Burrows with "US POW Cards"; Robin Davis with "Cyprus: WW2 Indian FPOs"; Michael Dobbs with "Current FPO Cancellations in Northern Ireland"; Alistair Kennedy with "The Royal Air Force between the two World Wars"; Ian Muchall with "Occupation of Madagascar in WW2"; Peter O'Keeffe with "Royal Navy Privilege Envelopes"; and Keith Tranmer with "Gallipoli 1915". Following the competition further displays were held as follows: Michael Dobbs showed his collection on Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) in the Sinai. The multinational force began its mission on 25 April 1982 and this display shows the postal markings used on mail from a number of the national contingents that went to make up the Force in its first couple of years of operation, including UK, France, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands and US. Accompanying the covers were a number of official photographs showing various activities of the Force. Peter High displayed a collection of material from German Hospital Ships during both WW1 and WW2, including the Danube Flotilla in WW1. Chris Grimshaw displayed a run of postcards from Reginald S Castledine (Surrey Yeomanry) showing his journey from France to Salonika and then homeward again till October 1918, showing a range of FPOs. He also displayed a small selection of British censorship of civilian mail at Syra. Andy Brooks put up a display on German Feldpost 1914-18 and explained his tale of woe in trying to get hold of a book (any book !) that would reveal details of postmarks and locations ! Initially postmarks included the name of the formation but around February 1917 the Germans became concerned about security and began to scratch out details and numbers. Peter O'Keeffe showed a selection of British naval mail with a variety of "Received from" marks in conjunction with censor marks, mainly the tombstone variety. |