Postal History of Kenya

British troops serving aboard - Nairobi - Kenya 'Comcan' - RAF Eastleigh.

Nairobi
22/12/51
Kenya.

Cachet.
'Comcan'
22/12/59.
Signal Squadron

20c. 'Forces' concession rate to the United Kingdom.

Scan of reserve sender and address.
It is possible that P.O.4014 was for R.A.F. Eastleigh.

COMCAN, Signal Squadron (Royal Signals) were stationed at R.A.F. Eastleigh on the northern edge of Nairobi. They were responsible for the transmitting and receiving transmitters at Kahawa and Ruiru which controlled the radio messages between the United Kingom and Singapore, and Australia in the Far East.

Cover from the Kenya Regiment, The 'Territorial Army' of Kenya. They were re-formed in 1950 mainly from white Kenya conscripts to work with the Kenya Police during the emergency. They were eventually disbanded mid-1963.

Kenya Police - The main force during the emergency.

Seaford.
Sussex.
28/10/57.

Cachet.
Postal Frank.
Commissioner
of Police
Nairobi.

Reverse strike.
Nairobi.
29/11/57.

Incoming mail redirected to Kisumu using a Kenya Police 'Postal Frank'
Technically the frank was not needed as the postal rate covered the redirection.

Maragoli.
29/8/57.

Cachet.
Portal Frank.
Vihige Police
Station.
North Nyanza.

O.H.M.S. cover - postage free using a police postal frank.

The Kenya Police together with the Police Air Wing and the Kenya Regiment and the K.A.R. were the local forces used against the Mau Mau.

Member of the British Army seconded to the K.A.R. in Kenya.

Nanyuki.
19/3/55.

Cachet.
3^rd Bn. (Kenya).
K.A.R.
Quartermaster.

Cover inscribed 'Forces Air Mail' redirected to surface. The K.A.R. concession rate was 25c. and the
concession rate was for the country where the officer was domicile, this may have been South Africa.
However the surface rate to Natal - South Africa was 20c.

Scan of reverse showing the Officer a Major Topham and the P.O. Box address in Nanyuki.

Member of the British Army seconded to the K.A.R. in Kenya.

Nakuru.
30/11/57.

Cachet.
Orderly Room.
5^th Bn. K.A.R.

'Forces' air mail cover to the United Kingdom from a British officer in the K.A.R.
For some reason unknown to myself the concession rate for the British Military serving in East Africa was 20c.
and for commissioned and non-commissioned officers seconded to the K.A.R. 25c.

Scan of reverse showing Officer and Nakuru address where the 5^th Battalion was stationed.

Nakuru was in the heart of the Mau Mau area.

Member of the British Army seconded to K.A.R. in Kenya

Nairobi.
14/6/56.

Cachet.
Bn. H.Q.
K.A.R.
(23 (K)).

20c. 'Forces Mail' air mail to the United Kingdom. British commissioned and non-commissioned
officers were seconded to the K.A.R. The Regiment was used extensively together with the Kenya Police
to combat the Mau Mau threat.

Scan of reverse showing the officer and the Langata P.O. Box, Langata was the K.A.R. Camp alongside the Nairobi Game Park.

7^th (K) Battalion The King's African Rifles - Nanyuki.

Nanyuki. S.O.
(Sorting Office).
16/6/54.

Cachet.
7^th Bn. K.A.R.
Orderly Room.
12/6/54.

20c. for first oz. 'Forces concession rate to the United Kingdom.
It is interesting to note the 20c. rate in use here for the K.A.R.
compared to the 25c. rate of later years.

The K.A.R. together with the Kenya Police and the Kenya territorial unit, the Kenya Regiment were the main forces
used against the Mau Mau being assisted by the British Military. They were officered by British Commissioned
and Non-Commissioned Officers and conscripted local Europeans.

Scan of Reverse.

Introduction of Forces Post Office (F.P.O.) & British stamps from H.M. Forces.

	F.P.O. 256. 10/10/53. Kenya.
2 ^1/2d. for 1oz. H.M. Forces concession rate to the United Kingdom, using British Stamps at F.P.O.

Up until the introduction of British Forces Post Office (B.F.P.O.) & F.P.O. a 20c. concession rate was in effect using stamps of Kenya,
Military P.O. Boxes and the civil routes. This was to continue with F.P.O. being introduced where there was a need.

B.F.P.O. 10 was introduced for East Africa on 3/7/53 and F.P.O. 256 was introduced April 1953 and was to continue in use until 21/9/61 at H.Q.E.A.C. - Buller Camp - Nairobi.

British Military Hospital (B.M.H.) - Nairobi.

Nairobi.
2/7/54.

Cachet.
Military
Hospital.
Nairobi.

Forces Air Mail cover to belgium rated 1/20c. This in incorrect as the rate should have been 1/30c. this being the normal civil rate for the first ^1/2oz. The 20c. forces concession rate did not apply outside of the United Kingdom.

Scan of reverse sender and address. B.M.H. was west of Nairobi West.

Station Hospital - Nanyuki.

Nanyuki S.O.
20/3/54.

Cachet.
Orderly Room.
Station Hospital.
Nanyuki.

20c. 'Forces; rate for first oz, concession rate to United Kingdom.

The British Military Hospital (B.M.H.) Nairobi. The Army Health Unit (A.H.U.) had detachments in Niavasha, Nakuru and Nanyuki.
They were also with the K.A.R. and were operational up as far as the Somli border. There was also a hospital on R.A.F. Eastleigh.

Royal Air Force Eastleigh - Naiorbi - Kenya.

Nairobi.
5/2/51.

Cachet.
Post Office.
R.A.F. Eastleigh.

20c. per 1oz. 'Forces' concession rate to United Kingdom.

Nairobi.
9/6/53.

Cachet.
Station Post Office.
R.A.F. Eastleigh.
9/6/53.

1/30c. per ^1/2oz. civil air mail rate to United Kingdom
(Probably from a civilian working on the camp).

COMCAN on R.A.F. Eastleigh.

Nairobi.
9/11/51.

Cachet.
COMCAN
9/11/54.
Signals
Squadron.

Forces air mail cover to United KIngdom from R.A>F. Eastleigh in Nairobi.

COMCAN Signals Squadron (Royal Signals) was stationed at R.A.F. Eastleigh between 1954 & 1956.
The unit was responsible for the communications between G.C.H.Q. U.K., Singapore and Australia,
presumably at the transmitting and receiving transmitters at R.A.F. Kahawa and Ruiru just outside of Nairobi.

Scan of reverse address and cachet.

20c. Forces Concession Rate.

R.E.M.E. L.A.D. - Kabete
74. Field Pr. Squadron. 39 Corps Engineer Regiment - Nyeri.

	F.P.O. 1056. (Nyeri) 10/11?/54.
2^1/2d. per oz. 'Forces' concession cover to United Kingdom.

Scan of reverse, sender and address.

F.P.O. 1056 operated in Kenya 30/9/53-1/9/56. Presumably it was at Nyeri during that period.

From the address it would appear that this solder was in the R.E.M.E. stationed at Kabete and
attached to the 74 Field Squadron who were stationed at Ellis Camp - Nyeri. The latter were
engaged in building and maintaining roads in the Abderdare Forest and on Mount kenya.
Nyeri is situated between the two.

Member of the British Army seconded to the K.A.R. in Kenya.

Used copy
10c. stamp.
Normal colour.

Nairobi.
12/12/58.

Cachet.
11^th Bn. K.A.R.
Orderly Room.

25c. K.A.R. Forces concession rate to the United Kingdom.
Note: the colour of the 10c. K.U.T. stamp it is much darker and of a different shade to the normal colour.

Scan of reverse Officer ad P.O. Box address.

Royal Air Force Eastleigh

Nairobi.
19/12/54.

Cachet.
R.A.F. Eastleigh.
18/12/54.

Forces air mail cover to United Kingdom from R.A.F. Eastleigh in Nairobi.

Before the F.P.O. were opened on camps mail was sent through the civil route with a 20c. forces concession rate.
Mail had to be marked as such and have the military cachet for the authority.

Scan of reverse address showing that the sender was from the 'Signals centre'.

Member of the British Army seconded to the K.A.R. in Uganda.

Jinji
Uganda
29/5/59.

Cachet.
4^th Bn. K.A.R.
Uganda.

O.H.M.S. cover to the United Kingdom from a British Officer seconded to the K.A.R.
It would appear from evidence presented that the concession rate to the United Kingdom for the K.A.R. was 25c. Where the rate for British military posted to East Africa was 20c.

Scan of reverse showing British Officer and address.

Members of the British Forces were seconded to the K.A.R.
The 4^th K.A.R. (Uganda) was used during the Mau Mau emergency in Kenya.

R.A.F. Eastleigh - Nairobi - Kenya.


Nairobi Kenya. 9/8/54.	Cachet. Station Orderly Room. 9/12/54. R.A.F. Eastleigh.

40c. K.U.T. Registered Letter (Size 'H') sent by the concession rate of 80c. representing 3-4 ozs. at 20c. per oz.

During the period before the F.P.O. it was normal for mail to be sent by civil routes at the concession rate.

Scan of reverse render and address.

At the time the R.A.F. were heavily involved in the fight against the Mau Mau,
this consisted mainly of bombing areas of suspected Mau Mau terrorists movement on
Mt. Kenya and the Abderdare mountain range.
Unfortunately they killed more elephants than Mau Mau and lost aircraft into the bargain.

Incoming mail to members of her Majesty's Forces in Kenya.

	Hereford. 5/3/61.
Air letter to R.A.F. Eastleigh.

	York. 13/9/60.
3d. concession rate to H.M. Forces addressed to H.Q.E.A.C. (Buller Camp - Nairobi).

Royal Air Force Eastleigh


Nairobi. 9/8/54. Kenya.	Cachet. Station Orderly Room. 9/12/54. R.A.F. Eastleigh.

40c. K.U.T. registered letter (size 'H') sent 'Forces Mail' to United Kingdom. 80c. would represent a weight of 3-4 oz. (a pair of nylon stockings).

Scan of reverse Airman and address.

In the time before F.P.O. were introduced it was normal for mail to be sent by civil mails at a concession rate.

British Forces stationed in East Africa Post War

'Kenya'
Machine canceller.
Nairobi. 16/9/47.

F.P.O. 154.
Palestine.
20/9/47.

D.D.G.S.I.
Meaning not
Known.

15c. Forces concession rate to Palestine.
F.P.O. 154 Canceller applied on re-direction to England.

	Transit Camp. Mombasa. 17/6/48.
15c. Per ^1/2 oz. Forces concession rate to England.

Moshi.
Tanganyika.
10/11/47.

Army Signals.
S.A. 10/11/47.

Immediately after the war the concession rate was 15c. per ^1/2 oz. Air Mail.
This changed to 20c. during late 1947 or early 1948.

	Gilgil. Kenya. 13/12/49.
20c. Forces concession rate to England. To qualify for the concession the cover had to be clearly marked 'Forces Air mail' and have the units cachet. At this stage all military mail used the civil services.

Reverse strike.
Command Ammunition Depot. (E.A.)
13/12/49.

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