Bfpo.org.uk offers post office boxes for members of the British military
Title
Welcome to the Official British Forces Post Office Website
Description
As far back as 1799 a need for a Postal Service for troops in the field was considered to be essential. It was not, however, until 1808 during the Peninsular War that the First Army Post Office was put into operation. In 1840 another Army Post Office was put into operation during the first Chinese War. On the 22 Jul 1882 Queen Victoria authorised the formation of the Post Office Corps which was formed from the 24th Battalion Middlesex Volunteers for service in the Egyptian and Sudanese campaigns. The Post Office Corps was then followed by a second Army Postal Corps called The Royal Engineers Telegraph Reserve. In 1889 both Reserve Corps were reorganised into 2 supplementary companies to give an efficient Postal and Telegraph Service during the South African War. Nineteen Hundred and Eight saw a further reorganisation of the 2 reserve companies when they amalgamated into the Royal Engineers (Postal Section) - RE (PS).
The RE (PS) served during the First World War in France, Belgium, the Dardanelles, Egypt, Palestine, East Africa, Greece, Italy and North Russia. The ingenuity and resourcefulness of RE (PS) personnel was unlimited. As well as by conventional means mail was transported by mule, sleigh, trawler, mine-sweeper in fact any form of transport available at the time.
The Home Postal Depot was formed in London in 1914 to fulfil 2 functions. Firstly it served as a central sorting and distribution point for all Forces mails and, secondly, for the training of RE (PS) personnel.
