Allied troops, P.O.W. and workers in Great Britain during WW2.
If you post you will get information back which you can then put into your collection. It doesn't have to be perfect until the final home run! A professor once asked me 'When is a poem finished?'. I didn't know but his answer was, 'When the poet dies.'! Learn and adjust as you live, one day it will be too late and the philatelic world may have missed what you had to say!
If you are going to read what I put up early in the morning does that mean I have to start getting up earlier? - I wish we had another hundred like you!
Regarding the machine cancellations why don't you start to post a couple of items and let people see what you are about and then sit back see what come in? It might surprise you.
As the war progressed so does my collection: Something different everyday. Someone mentioned machine cancellations so I have thrown one in today, they were a good way for the post office and the government to get their 'propaganda' out to the public. In this case, the government with, 'HELP TO WIN ON THE KITCHEN FRONT'.
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I remember as a child being guided around piles of bomb rubble in Birmingham's New Street. Marks and Spencers with smoke still rising, the land mine money box in what was left of the Old Fish Market. The railway stations and the bombed out houses alongside of the railway track; being intrigued by the colours of the exposed bedroom walls.
Troops marching in the streets on 'Wings for Victory Day' and 'Ships with Wings Day'. The shaken money boxes as troops collected pennies towards a new Spitfire. Military trailers with bits of aircraft on the back with a notice saying 'Beware 72 Feet Long'. The island at the bottom of Bridge Street in Stratford-on-Avon being dug up and a machine gun emplacement being built there to cover Clopton Bridge. Just some of the memories that come rushing back as I look through today's pages. Oh yes and the Boston Bomber parked on the forecourt of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, us kids being allowed to climb up and through the plane. "Got any Gum Chum?".
One last memory, that of visiting Montgomery's Caravan with side tent which was on show outside of the Hall of Memories in Birmingham. That must have been just after the war.
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Today, besides the military aspect I post a whole wealth of philatelic interests, rates, post office cachets & manuscript comments and instructions plus Economy labels. Of particular interest are the Royal Engineer's postal depots at Mount Pleasant? and Nottingham.
While putting this collection together I have been impressed with the way that the government took over every facility available. Hotels, racecourses (firstly as military camps, later used for P.O.W.), houses, tented camps sprung up in fields. I witnessed a searchlight just inside a farmer's field with an asbestos lined hut. My father was stationed in Mosely Cricket Clubhouse with his barrage balloon parked at the rear.
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Today a change in direction. I start with the protection of the British Isles against enemy aircraft and finish with the Royal Air Force which by pure coincidence is appropriate as today is the 15th September - Battle of Britain Day!
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Today is Battle of Britain Day. I would like to post this small piece as a tribute to my father who served in the R.A.F. and all of the other Brylcream boys.
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I am attempting to build up a study on South American involvement in World War II. I have found what I thought was an 'Under Cover Address' at River Plate House. Which now appears to be not so much under cover as normal as it uses the Volunteer Committee name and gives service personal's rank and number. Any information would be appreciated.
Also British service numbers. On this cover the number has only 6 digits as far as I can make out these numbers usually had 7. Any comments?
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Today, I continue with the Royal Air Force.
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Today I continue World War II on the 'Homefront'. Sadly, with these five pages of the R.A.F. this will be the last posting of the 'Homefront' story. Tomorrow I will move onto the Royal Navy.
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As promised, the Royal Navy with a couple of pre-war pages to 'set the scene'.
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