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Field Post Offices of the British Expeditionary Force 1939-40

Introduction

Index

  1. Timetable and map .......... 3
  2. Machine cancellation and handstamps .......... 4
    1. Machine cancellation by the "Krag" Machine .......... 4
    2. Handstamp Type 1 .......... 6
    3. Handstamp Type 2 .......... 7
    4. Handstamp Type 3 .......... 8
  3. Censor handstamps of the Army and Royal Air Force .......... 9
    1. Censor offices .......... 9
    2. Design of handstamp .......... 9
    3. Censor labels used to reseal envelopes .......... 11
  4. Field Post Offices .......... 14
    1. Field Post Office; Cherbourg .......... 14
    2. General Headquarters of British Expeditionary Force .......... 16
    3. British Expeditionary Force .......... 19
    4. Air Force Postal Unit .......... 28
    5. Structure of the British Expeditionary Force .......... 32
    6. Lines of Communication .......... 33
      1. 1st Line of Communication .......... 33
      2. 2nd Line of Communication .......... 35
      3. 3rd Line of Communication .......... 37
    7. Corps .......... 38
      1. I. Corps .......... 38
      2. II. Corps .......... 49
      3. III. Corps .......... 61
  5. British Expeditionary Force Peculiarities .......... 63
    1. 51st Infantry (Highland) Division - Saar Force .......... 63
    2. Envelopes without FPO handstamps .......... 64
    3. Home to Soldiers envelopes .......... 65
    4. Double Army Censor 212 used black ink .......... 69
    5. Envelopes stamped on 10th May 1940 or later .......... 71
  6. Appendix .......... 80

Soon after the United Kingdom and France had declared war against Germany in September 1939, British
troops were sent to Northern France. By mid-March 1940 some 316,000 British troops were stationed there.

This exhibit tries to identify the army post offices of the individual units and the methods of sending mail to
and from members of the British Expeditionary Force. Of course, censorship played an important role during
the war. The exhibit also tries to show how censorship was enacted. On 10 May 1940 Germany invaded
Belgium and the Netherlands and the Britisch Expeditionary Force soon became engaged in heavy fighting.
From this date onwards the troops were continuously on the retreat as they could not stop the German
offensive. By 26 May large parts of the British Expeditionary Force were besieged in Dunkirk on the French
coast and finally evacuated to Great Britain. Another part of the British Expeditionary Force was cut off and
pushed back to Cherbourg, Le Havre and other smaller ports. These troops were evacuated back to England
in mid-June 1940.

After 10 May 1940 individual soldiers had hardly any time to write letters home and the field post offices had
great difficulties transporting mail. For these reasons letters after 10 May to or from members of the British
Expeditionary Force are exceedingly scarce. This exhibit shows several scarce letters and postcards to or from
soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force from this period.

Please note: The British Military archives cannot provide information about which units used particular Field
Post and Censor handstamps or where. Only a list of FPO handstamps of the British Expeditonary Force,
Royal Air Force, Corps and Divisions are known. Smaller units are unknown.

France was divided by the British military administration in distinct areas. These areas were supported by
the three Lines of Communication Units.

(link)

Frame 1

Introduction, Timetable and Map
  1. Sheet 1
  2. Sheet 2
  3. Sheet 3
Machine Cancellation and Handstamps
  1. Sheet 4
  2. Sheet 5
  3. Sheet 6
  4. Sheet 7
  5. Sheet 8
Censor Handstamps of the Army and Royal Air Force
  1. Sheet 9
  2. Sheet 10
  3. Sheet 11
  4. Sheet 12
  5. Sheet 13
Field Post Offices
  1. Sheet 14
  2. Sheet 15
  3. Sheet 16
(link)

Frame 2

Field Post Offices (cont)
  1. Sheet 17
  2. Sheet 18
  3. Sheet 19
  4. Sheet 20
  5. Sheet 21
  6. Sheet 22
  7. Sheet 23
  8. Sheet 24
  9. Sheet 25
  10. Sheet 26
  11. Sheet 27
  12. Sheet 28
  13. Sheet 29
  14. Sheet 30
  15. Sheet 31
  16. Sheet 32
(link)

Frame 3

Field Post Offices (cont)
  1. Sheet 33
  2. Sheet 34
  3. Sheet 35
  4. Sheet 36
  5. Sheet 37
  6. Sheet 38
  7. Sheet 39
  8. Sheet 40
  9. Sheet 41
  10. Sheet 42
  11. Sheet 43
  12. Sheet 44
  13. Sheet 45
  14. Sheet 46
  15. Sheet 47
  16. Sheet 48
(link)

Frame 4

Field Post Offices (cont)
  1. Sheet 49
  2. Sheet 50
  3. Sheet 51
  4. Sheet 52
  5. Sheet 53
  6. Sheet 54
  7. Sheet 55
  8. Sheet 56
  9. Sheet 57
  10. Sheet 58
  11. Sheet 59
  12. Sheet 60
  13. Sheet 61
  14. Sheet 62
British Expeditionary Force Peculiarities
  1. Sheet 63
  2. Sheet 64
(link)

Frame 5

British Expeditionary Force Peculiarities (cont)
  1. Sheet 65
  2. Sheet 66
  3. Sheet 67
  4. Sheet 68
  5. Sheet 69
  6. Sheet 70
  7. Sheet 71
  8. Sheet 72
  9. Sheet 73
  10. Sheet 74
  11. Sheet 75
  12. Sheet 76
  13. Sheet 77
  14. Sheet 78
  15. Sheet 79
Appendix
  1. Sheet 80