Field Post Office 20 -where was this in 1916 ?

[charlie962]

 

I came across a card from a British PoW of the Turkish that he had signed on the 11th July 1916 but had the Field Post Office 20 round stamp dated 12th July 1916. The fact that the soldier had used a British standard card suggests this was something organised in the first place. But how can a card, which I believe would have been signed in the Taurus/Amanus region, get postmarked by the British the next day ? Would these have perhaps been collected by an American Consulate perhaps, but surely they wouldn't have a stamp? Could the stamp be backdated ?

 

Thoughts please. It might help me identify more precisely where this ex-Kut PoW was located at a particular date.

Thanks

Charlie

 

Edit-  Just a possibility he was sick in Baghdad at the time. There may have been an exchange of post with some prisoners who finally reached allied lines in early Sept 1916. The FPO may have decided to stamp the post with the backdate that the cards were originally collected ? So perhaps FPO 20 was in Mespot ?

Edited 12 December , 2018 by charlie962

[seaJane]

I think the book you need is Edward B Proud, History of the British Army Postal Service, 1903-1927 (I am not sure if this is vol.2 of a series or comes in 2 vols.)

 

Either way it seems, from the searching I've done) to be the only source where the FPOs are listed by number.

[charlie962]

5 minutes ago, seaJane said:

the book you need....

Thank you very much for replying (and searching). I hope someone has access to this book because I'm a long way from any UK libraries ?

Charlie

[seaJane]

Might be worth trying https://www.worldcat.org in case a copy has strayed towards you.

 

Incidentally I can now confirm that it's vol.2 in a series.

[charlie962]

thanks but even worldcat would be no help to me (I'm more dog and stick)

 

Charlie