| Item | Description | Price |
| OHMS cover from the Political Agency | ||
| BPH6/01 | Extremely interesting 1944 registered OHMS foolscap cover (22mm x 10mm) from the Political Agency in Bahrain to Basrah, Iraq, addressed to Air Vice Marshall Commanding RAF Iraq and Persia. Reverse markings (view) include:
- two seals, in red wax, inscribed POLITICAL AGENCY / Royal Arms / BAHRAIN PERSIAN GULF in a double oval. - 1 Anna and 1 Rupee stamps of the 1940 issue, cancelled by strikes of the first BAHRAIN REG (Donaldson Type 9) handstamp, dated 27 DEC 43. - bilingual BASRAH cds receiver, dated 8. JAN 44. On the front (view): - handstamp THE POLITICAL AGENCY / BAHREIN, in violet and AIRMAIL and REGISTERED in the same ink. - pre-numbered registration label with a strike of the straight line BAHRAIN recorded by Donaldson as "type 19". - Iraqi handstamp Cross in small circle and censor identifier 13, both enclosed in a small circle, in negative, the whole surrounded by a double circle. | £ 90 Sold |
| APO Cancellations - Donaldson type 10 The American A.P.O. 816 was established at Muharraq from June 15th 1944 to late 1945 to serve the U.S. Air Force Unit which was operating from what is now the International Airport, and also to handle mail from U.S. naval vessels operating in the Gulf. A.P.O. 816 was previously in Basrah, Iraq, and was subsequently in Cairo by January 1946. Covers from the Bahrain period are scarce | ||
| BPH6/02 | 1944 American postal stationery airmail envelope to USA. This cover shows usage of the A.P.O. cancellation on SEP 8 1944 and proves that services were also extended to civilian workers employed on the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit which was a US Government project although built for the Bahrain Petroleum Company. Unusually, this cover is not censored. View . Harmers auction 18th Dec, 2001, lot #830 is similar but censored (as expected) and estimated at £150 (+ commission, etc) | £ 95 |
| BPH6/03 | Unrecorded by Donaldson. 1945 American postal stationery airmail envelope to Scotland. This cover shows an APO816 cancellation (JAN 10 1945) which is similar but different to the previous example..... larger diameter cds, APO number positioned in the lower arc, and posting time incorporated in the central datestamp. This is similar in layout to Donaldson's type 10A but has the circumference inscription of Type 10. View. The cover is opened and re-sealed by clear censors tape and carries the censors circular cachet. | £ 95 |
| BPH6/03a | 1985 cover from Bahrain School to US. U.S. Navy FPO 09526 was in place to support forces serving on the base at Jufair, Bahrain. Facilities were also available to civilians employed on Government supported activities. At that time, Bahrain School was partly funded by the US Department of Defence. View. | £ 15 |
| Indian FPOs - Donaldson Type 11 and 12
An Indian FPO arrived in Bahrain in 1945, began operation in June and left the island in February 1946. FPO R-22 was replaced by FPO 101 which arrived on February 7th 1946 and remained until the middle of April of that year. Indian FPOs were used by Indian and British forces but very few covers have survived. | ||
| BPH6/04 | A pair of forces covers mailed free but carrying the handstamp of FPO R-22.
The first is a genuine Forces Air Mail letter card, fully written inside, and dated 25 JUN 45, the earliest usage of R-22 recorded by Donaldson. View. The second is a plain envelope, inscribed On Active Service, and is the dated 16 DEC 45, the latest usage of R-22 recorded by Donaldson. View | Pair £ 350 |
| BPH6/05 | A pair of forces covers mailed free but carrying the handstamp of FPO 101.
The first is a plain envelope inscribed On Active Service, and is dated 9 FEB 46, the earliest usage of FPO 101 recorded by Donaldson. View. The second is again a plain envelope, inscribed On Active Service, and is dated 9 APR 46 the latest usage of FPO 101 recorded by Donaldson. View | Pair £ 350 |
| British FPOs
Mail from British Army, Air Force and Navy personnel serving on Bahrain initially carried Bahrain stamps and was despatched via Iraq where it was postmarked either FPO 756 (Shaibah) or FPO 171 (Habbaniyah). Then in late 1949, FPO 518 was established in Bahrain. | ||
| BPH6/09 | Airmail cover from MELF27 (Bahrain) to London. KGVI 2½d GB stamp cancelled by a light strike of the FPO551 cds dated 2 DE 52 which shows that this FPO was erving in Bahrain earlier than originally thought | £ 18 Sold |
| BPH6/10 | FPO 518 on Silver Wedding low value (cancelled 30 JUL 48) and on a small O.H.M.S. piece dated JU 9. 2 items, not covers | £ 8 |
| BPH6/11 | Forces Rate cover ex Sharjah, via Bahrain. Sender's Name and address written on the reverse, "RAF Sharjah, c/o RAF Bahrain, MEAF 24". KGVI 2½d GB stamp cancelled by a light strike of the Bahrain small killer (Donaldson type 26) dated 13 AP 52. | £ 22 Sold |
| BPH6/12 | Cover from RAF Bahrain BAFPO63 to UK. QEII definitive overprinted BAHRAIN and cancelled F.P.O. 551 dated 14 OC 56. | £ 12 |
| BPH6/13 | Cover from BAFPO64 (Sharjah), roughly opened at top left. Postage paid by QEII 2½ As value only surcharge, cancelled F.P.O. 551 dated 27 NO 56, more than a month later than recorded by Donaldson (book p200, supplement p35) | £ 25 |
| BPH6/14 | A Bridger cover. I know nothing about F/Sgt Bridger but I have seen many curious covers addressed to him. This attractive cover is no exception. Addressed to Bridger at RAF Khormaksar in Aden with postage paid by six different low values of GB QEII not overprinted, cancelled F.P.O. 941 dated 5 FE 59. On the reverse, the senders address is RAF Bahrain, BFPO63 | £ 15 |
| BPH6/15 | Local cover with 9 Paisa (SGL6) cancelled by FPO 941 cds dated 10 NO 58. | £ 8 |
| BPH6/16 | Forces Airmail cover to UK. Postage paid by unoverprinted QEII 4d, cancelled double ring cds of FPO 218 dated 9 NO 67. On reverse, sender's name and address "RAF Muharraq, BFPO63" | £ 15 |
| BPH6/17 | Forces Airmail cover from UK to Bahrain and redirected using RAF label inscribed RAF POST ROOM BAHRAIN B.F.P.O. 63. (View.). This is scarce postal service marking. On the reverse a strike of an FPO cds dated 22 JAN 64. The FPO number is illegible but the device is the same style as FPO 1040. | £ 75 |
| BPH6/18 | Forces Air Mail cover from RAF Muharraq to UK. GB Cathererals 5d stamp cancelled by FPO 186 cds dated 23 JU 69. | £ 15 |
| BPH6/19 | Forces Air Mail cover from RAF Muharraq to UK. GB QEII 5d stamp cancelled by machine mark of "FPO C" dated 30 JNE 1969 (View.) | £ 20 |
| BPH6/20 | Forces 1st Class mail from Bahrain Garrison to Scotland. QEII 5d GB stamp cancelled FPO 1040 cds dated 20 AP 70. | £ 15 |
| BPH6/21 | Forces 1st Class mail from Bahrain Garrison to Scotland. QEII 2p GB stamp cancelled FPO 170 cds dated 4 JU 71. | £ 15 |
| BPH6/22 | Curious cover. Not a date to be seen anywhere and a number of apparently contradictory notations.
The envelope has the typed endorsement "Forces Air Mail" but the sender's address pre-printed as GOVERNMENT OF BAHRAIN / MEDICAL DEPARTMENT (How is that "Forces" ? ) and the cancellation is a very fine strike of "POST OFFICE / MARITIME MAIL" (How is that "Air Mail" ?). (View) On the reverse the sender's address is handwritten as "HMS Flockton". | £ 30 |
| BPH6/23 | An unusual forces item. A business cover from the manager of the Bahrain NAAFI to the NAAFI headquarters in London.
Official NAAFI envelope, addressed in manuscript to London. No stamp was required but a strike of the FPO 941 cds dates the mailing as 20 NOV 57. Sender's address cachet "FOR AND ON BEHALF OF N.A.A.F.I. / NAVY, ARMY AND AIR FORCE INSTITUTES. / INSTITUTE MANAGER. Cachet annotated BAHRAIN and signed. (View.) Reverse unmarked. | £ 45 |
| BPH6/24 | Service envelope from the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf, based in Bahrain, addressed to H.M.S. Dryad in UK. (what is/was HMS Dryad ?).
O.H.M.S. envelope with adhesive Air Mail etiquette, stamped with unoverprinted GB KGVI 2½d stamp, cancelled by a weak strike of FPO 518 double-circle cds with an illegible date slug. 39mm double-ring cachet in red, dated 13 MAY 1951 and carrying the inscription SENIOR NAVAL OFFICER / PERSIAN GULF. (View.) | £ 55 |
| BPH6/25 | Service envelope from HMS Jufair, addressed to the Political Agency in Bahrain.
O.H.M.S. envelope addressed to Officer in Charge of Accounts, British Political Agency, Manama Local postage paid by 2 x 5np Bahrain stamps cancelled by a single strike of the MANAMA 1 cds dated 27 MR 65. Cachet of the BASE SUPPLY OFFICER / HMS JUFFAIR dated 25 MAR 65. (View.) HMS Juffair is the permanent land base of the British and American Naval Force in the Arabian Gulf | £ 40 |
| The Gulf War opened another chapter in the story of Forces Mail in Bahrain - The R.A.F. was back on the island of Muharraq. | ||
| BPH6/30 | British Forces Mail Aerogramme, addressed to UK, carrying the boxed cachet OP GRANBY / 11 FEB 1992 / RAF DET MUHARRAQ / BAHRAIN. Cds of FPO 768 dated 12 FE 91. (View.) | £ 25 |
| BPH6/31 | March 1991. A printed mailbag tag addressed to BFPO 647 in Muharraq (View) with various shipping details annotated on the reverse. (View) | £ 15 |
| BPH6/32 | February 1991. A printed mailbag tag addressed to the frigate GRANGE in Bahrain (View) with various shipping details annotated on the reverse. (View) | £ 15 |
