Today in Postal History

Australian-New Zealand Army Corps
Fieldpost - Egypt
March 16, 1916

This registered cover was given two nice HEADQUARTERS FIELD P.O. CDS.
It was censored and marked with a triangular censor mark and the signature of the censor.

The envelope is a regular 2d registry envelope.
No additional postage is indicated.

The envelope also was given an Australian Imperial Force registration label.
The addressee was a Lieutenant A. J. Gatt R.A.O.C.
(is this really Rear Area Operations Center?) at the Ferry Post
in Ismailia (now Al-isma 'iliyah) midway on the Suez Canal.

The  Australian-New Zealand Army Corps had quite a history in World War I.
It's worth looking at.

It has been suggested that R.A.O.C. stands for Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
However, this page says, "[in] 1918  Royal Army Ordnance Corps [was] formed by
amalgamation of Army Ordnance Department, and Army Ordnance Corps."
If so, the cover predates that event by 2 years.
I did search the internet and found a number of citations
which used the RAOC for Rear Area Operations Center.
In some obtuse way, that might fit a unit posted to Ismailia at the strategic center of Suez.

Jim Whitford-Stark also found some interesting material
concerning the RAOC at the public records office.
Includes a member standing trial for murder with a "bombay dagger".
Another referred to a captain who was pressing a claim for his money
which was removed while being arrested by MP's.

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