The stamps used by troops who are fighting outside their own territory are probably the most valuable of war labels. The British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium was at the outset provided with ordinary English postal adhesives. These adhesives, when bearing such postmarks as "Army Base Post Office, France," or the ordinary cancel marks of Ostend, Boulogne, Paris, etc., are extremely valuable. When the British stamps ran short, letters were franked by postmarks alone, and these are well worth collecting. The circular and rectangular marks bearing the word "Passed by Censor" are also interesting.
Communications coming from the Fleet bear cancel marks formed by a number of concentric rings. The varieties of this postal mark should be prized.
In all cases the complete envelope or card must be placed in the collection intact, and not just the cut-out postmark.
Probably the most carefully planned army postal service is that possessed by our Indian troops. Adhesive stamps are generally used on correspondence, the ordinary Indian issues, overprinted with the letters I.E.F. being employed.
From a Field Service Manual[5] on "Posts and Telegraphs," we have been able to glean a few details respecting the organization and establishment of the Indian military post offices. In times of peace a stock of tents and equipment, sufficient for the supply of three base post offices, fifty first-class field post offices, ten second-class field post offices, and for the supervising staff, is kept in store at Lahore in the charge of the Postal Department of the Punjab.
[5] Quoted from Stamp Collecting, December 5, 1914.
On the outbreak of war the military postal service is organized by the Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs in India according to the requirements of the Army authorities.
The supervising staff is selected by him from a roll of European volunteers for such service maintained in his office, the full war establishment consisting of six Directors or Deputy Directors, eighteen Assistant Directors, twenty-four Inspectors, and fifty Postmasters. The rest of the establishment is selected by the Postmaster-General of the Punjab.
One Director or Deputy Director, two Assistant Directors, and four Inspectors constitute the normal postal personnel of an expeditionary force. They wear the ordinary field service uniform of the Indian Army according to their respective ranks, distinguished by the word "Post" on the shoulder straps.
