From Gibraltar to Liverpool via the City of Cairo - June 1940

Frank and the rest of Regiment, consisting of 157th and 159th HAA Batteries returned to England from Gibraltar on 12 July 1940.  Frank sailed on the Ellerman's Hall Line ship the S.S. City of Cairo. Frank sent a post card home to his Dad which is posted marked Liverpool, 12.15am 13 July 1940. The franking mark says "HELP TO WIN ON THE KITCHEN FRONT".

The SS City of Cairo was sunk later in the war on 6 November 1942 by the the German U Boat, U-68 1000 miles west of southern Africa in the South Atlantic.  Six life boats, led by Captain Rogerson (Rogerson joined the ship in Southampton on 22 July 1940), made their way across the open ocean to St Helena and were rescued on 19 November 1942 creating one of the epic survival stories of World War 2.

The ship was built in 1915 in Hull by Earles Shipbuilding and Engineering Co Ltd and was part of the Merchant navy in the First World War.  The wreck of the SS City of Cairo was located in 2013 and in 2015 the huge cargo of silver Rupees were salvaged from the wreck.  A memorial marker was placed on the wreck by the salvage company 100 years after the launch of the SS City of Cairo.

Frank wrote and posted one card and kept a second card as a souvenir of his voyage from Gibraltar to England in July 1940

Postmark - Liverpool 12.15am 13 July 1940

Frank's message on the post card.

Ellerman's Hall Line SS City of Cairo

The Well Traveled Envelope - June to August 1940

This is the only envelope and letter that I have from the whole set of 1939 to 1940 letters .  It is also unusual as it is a letter from Frank's father, my Great Grandfather, William Faulkner.  Although his letters are always referred to in Frank's, this is the only one that survived.

This envelope is special as it clearly records the journey of the letter as it made its way around the postal system in search of Frank; remarkably, despite the Fall of France and the Battle of Britain, the Army Post Office eventually got the letter to Frank 2 months after it was posted.

The letter can be found under the 24 June 1940 link on the left of the blog page.

The front of the envelope with the stamps covered and originally addressed to Frank in Gibralter.  It was posted on 24 June 1940.

The back of the envelope.  Getting close - "try 157, not 159".

A Post Office franking stamp showing the letter passed through South Kensington London SW1, on the back of the envelope. 

Anti Aircraft Division HQ stamp showing the date the letter reached finally reached Frank.

The stamps were covered with a label but were a 1 penny and half penny stamp from the commemorative issue marking the centenary of the Penny Black.

"Please forward LAA DIV. AA", although Frank was with an HAA Regiment (the difference being Light and Heavy). 

The date on the letter, 24 June 1940, with the final date stamp on the envelope, 17 August 1940.