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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: dave the tyke on Thursday 30 March 06 11:03 BST (UK)

Title: BFPO 10 where was it in 1909 and who was there?
Post by: dave the tyke on Thursday 30 March 06 11:03 BST (UK)
Hi I have a postcard with barely discernable writing. The post mark is BFPO 10 and the date I think is Sept 1909. The writer mentions Cotswold hills, at a place called Winch....?, Gloster and preparing to march to Sailsbury next week.
Any ideas about who might have been there at that time ?
regards
Dave
Title: Re: BFPO 10 where was it in 1909 and who was there?
Post by: manmack on Thursday 30 March 06 11:31 BST (UK)
dave,its the british field post office No10,sounds like he in training on salisbury plain,mack
Title: Re: BFPO 10 where was it in 1909 and who was there?
Post by: manmack on Thursday 30 March 06 12:04 BST (UK)
dave,it sounds like he been on furlough and visited a few places in gloucestershire,the cotswold hills are north east of bristol and the winch.....,could be winchcombe north east of cheltenham,neither are anything to do with the military,they are beauty spots,i think hes in camp on salisbury plain and is checking out the local places,mack
Title: Re: BFPO 10 where was it in 1909 and who was there?
Post by: dave the tyke on Thursday 30 March 06 12:14 BST (UK)
Yes I figured as much Mack, it was a long shot to try and ID the writer of the postcard.
Was Salisbury plain an army training place at that time?
Did  BFPO 10 include Salisbury?
Postcard attached please excuse the funny colour I've been playing around to try and enhance the writing.
Title: Re: BFPO 10 where was it in 1909 and who was there?
Post by: dave the tyke on Thursday 30 March 06 12:33 BST (UK)
Right, at that magnification I can see there is a name at the bottom that could be George - I have a George who was in the Scots Guards early 1900's and his mother's family was Hutchinson. So most of it is sorted thanks.
Title: Re: BFPO 10 where was it in 1909 and who was there?
Post by: manmack on Thursday 30 March 06 13:42 BST (UK)
dave i got this
stuck in the cotswold hills at the present
wrote to ???? the week before we came
its a lenghthy place to march to salisbury
?????????????
george
the address looks like
mrs hutchinson
191 cullen heights lane
dudley hill
bradford
yorks
mack
Title: Re: BFPO 10 where was it in 1909 and who was there?
Post by: dave the tyke on Thursday 30 March 06 14:10 BST (UK)
Mack,
I've got
??? thought you'ld think
?? daft addressing
??????? ??   ??????
?? ?? an other we are stuck
?? ?? the Cotswold
hills in Gloster
at a place called Winch-
 ?? combe?
I wrote to J.H.
the week before we came 
?? here ? we start? to
march to Salisbury
Plain ? on Sat? for?? (possibly) manouvres
George
The address is as you said except Cuttler Heights
regards
Dave
Title: Re: BFPO 10 where was it in 1909 and who was there?
Post by: Picea on Sunday 07 May 06 17:40 BST (UK)
Dave,

The BFPO system did not come into force until after the Second World War.  The postcard is from a series of exercises held before the First World War.  The datestamp impression is from a date stamp held by the Army Base Post Office 17 which accompanied the exercise.  The number 10 was the identification number of the date stamp issued by the General Post Office on 5 Aug 10.

Army Post Offices were run by the Army Post Office Corps, which was first rised in 1882, but was transferred to the Royal Engineers in 1913.

More information can be sought from:

http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_special.htm

Hope that helps

Simon
Title: Re: BFPO 10 where was it in 1909 and who was there?
Post by: dave the tyke on Sunday 07 May 06 20:00 BST (UK)
Great Simon
Thanks. I should have said APO not BFPO, my own service history taking over   ;)
regards
Dave