British Army S. Africa FIELD POST OFFICE
I bought this grubby One Penny Postage British Letter Card recently and it arrived a few days ago. It is cancelled with a pretty neat strike, if a bit faint in parts, of the BRITISH ARMY S. AFRICA FIELD POST OFFICE 14 datestamp. It is headed '17 dec, Arundel, Rietfontein, Field force South africa'. It is presumably a proving piece for FPO 14 (showing where in South Africa it was on that date).
I guessed this was early but I didn't realise just how early.....
The letter itself is interesting. The sender , 'F L', is writing to apologise to his 'Dear Mother and Father' that he "could not write before. I dindt have time". (It was coming on Christmas time.) He says "we are having a hot time of it at present, but so far we are alright, only two men wounded.... I hope you won't fret about me as I am alright .... send tuck by return post.... 2nd Batt Mounted Infantry".
Peter Prime, an authority on British Army Postal Cancellations of the South African War, describes the 2nd Cavalry Brigade leaving the UK after the war had started in late October to December 1899. His FIRST location listing for FPO 14 of this datestamp is:
Dec 17 99 Arundel (1 Cavalry Brigade formed)
ie. this is the earliest recorded date of use of the FPO 14 datestamp. WOW! And I bought it just for the postmark!
Also of interest is the address it is being sent to, "Mrs M Longman, Mission House, Lock Street, Worcester". The letter was received in Worcester with a fine strike of its small single circle datestamp on 'JA 8 00' at 4 am and presumably delivered that morning. I have googled 'Mission House, Lock Street, Worcester' but nothing relevant came up. I wonder who the 'Mission' was to? Given that the house was in Lock Street, perhaps it was a mission to canal boatmen, much like the Mission to Seamen in Cape Town and Durban.
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