Australian Forces Postal Markings WWII

On arrival in the middle east in January 1940 the Australians were sent to Palestine for trainning. By Febuary two postal units, No.1 AIF Base Postal Unit and 6th. Divison Postal Unit had been set up. A set of twenty datestamps had been supplied in duplicate some were used in Palestine with some of them being transfred to Egypt and the western desert. On July 4, 1941 a new group of 21 datastamps arrived from Australia. Four AUST BASE P.O. and seveenteen A.I.F.FIELD P.O. with a number running from 5 to 25. They started at 5 as FPOs P1, RW 1, W1 and AW 1, which had all been used in Palestine, were considered the first four. Only those used in Egypt and the western desert, which was considered to start just pass Alexandria, are shown with the dates used in those regions.

Army AM1 15.9.40 -.7.42 Cairo, Mersa Matruh..	Army PO AP1 12.9.41 -.12.41 Sidi Bisher, Cairo	Div HQ DM1 -.9.40 -.3.41 Cairo, El Amiriya..	1 Bge HQ PO M1 11.9.40 4.3.41 Cairo, Mersa Matruh..	2nd Bde HQ PO M2 21.9.40 -.3.41 El Amiriya, Alex..
3rd Bde HQ PO M3 -.1.41 -.4.41 El Amiriya, Mersa...	2nd Bde HQ PO P2 -12.40 8.10.41 Sollum, Tobruk	3rd Bde HQ PO P3 -.1.41 -.4.41 El Amiriya, Mersa...	Railhead PO RM1 -.1.41 -.3.41 Ikingi Maryut	Div Supply HQ PO SP1 3.12.40 18.3.41 El Amiriya, Mersa...
Div.Supply HQ.PO.SW1 -.1.41 -.3.41 Ikingi Maryut	3rd Bde HQ PO W3 29.11.40 19.3.41 Alex	Aust Base PO No1 4.7.41 26.12.42 Cairo, TeK	Aust Base PO No2 4.7.41 -.4.42 Cairo, Tek	Aust Base PO No3 -.7.41 -.9.42 Cairo, Tek
Aust Base PO No4 4.7.41 -.11.42		16.10.41 -.1.42 Cairo

With the build up of troops the twenth original post datestamps were insuffient so further datestamps were borrowed from from the British, see below, and from the Palestine Post Office being issued March 7, 1941. These were reserve skeleton types made up from a blank frame and loose type. Numbered 31 to 37 all saw service in Egypt or the western Desert and several were used at Tobruk.

AUS FPO 31 16.3.41 18.8.41 Ikingi Maryut, Tobruk	AUS FPO 32 16.3.41 -.4.41 El Alemain	AUS FPO 33 16.3.41 -.11.42 El Alemain	AUS FPO 34 16.3.41 -.11.42 El Alemain	AUS FPO 35 16.3.41 -.11.42 El Alemain
AUS FPO 36 16.3.41 -.11.42 El Alemain	AUS FPO 37 16.3.41 -.11.42 Sollum - Tobruk

Additional datestamps were brought from Britain, where Australian troops had been training, bringing with them the standard British FPO datestamps they had been issued with. These arrived January 2, 1941 and going to Palestine in March. Several Egyptian E-Series handstamps were issued in November 1940 and later march 1941 some of the EPP types.

Used: FPO 26 FPO 28 FPO 155 FPO 245 FPO 443 FPO 444 FPO 445 FPO 450

Used: E 601 E 602 E 603 E 604 E 605 E 606 E 607 E 608

Used: EPP 5 EPP 7 EPP 8 EPP 41 EPP 45 EPP 58 EPP 61

The borrowed datestamps shown are those issued to the Australian postal units. Not shown for the E-Series are those borrowed but not used in Egypt or the western desert. These are E 604, E 607, E 609, E 610 and E 611 and will better be dealt with in the section on the E-Series. Stobb's also includes in his list of EPPs those seen used with Australian stamps or used by Australian forces. Included in his list as well as the above are: EPP 16, EPP 17, EPP 18, EPP 21, EPP 22, EPP 25, EPP 26, EPP 30, EPP 31, EPP 34, EPP 37, EPP 40, EPP 42, EPP 55, EPP 64, EPP 66, EPP 72, EPP 80, EPP 85, EPP 93, EPP 103, EPP 137, EPP 143 and EPP 152.