ARMY POSTAL SERVICES

At the outbreak of war the Postal Services personnel for the Expeditionary Force were supplied from a Postal Section of the Royal Engineers (Special Reserve) composed entirely of G.P.O. staff and employees.

The authorized establishment was 10 officers, 40 warrant officers and sergeants, and 250 rank and file, a total of 300 men. This establishment was intended both to supply the personnel for the B.E.F. and to meet the wastages of a normal campaign.

As the size of the Army increased, and new theatres of war came into being, it was found necessary to form a home Postal Depot, both to act as a draft-finding unit and to handle the mails for all theatres of war. The Headquarters of the depot was at the G.P.O. and the personnel were drawn from amongst P.O. employees enlisted for the duration of the War.

It was decided in 1917 not to enlist any more men into the Postal Service, R.E.S.R., but to post them instead to the London Regiment and attach them to the Postal Service for duty—thus preventing men so enlisted from drawing Engineer pay in the army, in addition to their full civil pay. A Postal Company of the 8^th Battalion, London Regiment, was therefore formed, which was merged later into the Home Postal depot. The establishment of the depot was fixed in July of 1918 at 15 Officers, 72 warrant officers and sergeants, 1,113 other ranks, 140 civilians (ex-soldiers), and 1,120 women. The rank and file included a minimum of 250 men belonging to the Postal Company, who supplied drafts to theatres of war. The remaining R.E. personnel included in this total were intended to be gradually replaced by women in the, proportion of three to two, down to a workable minimum, and also sent overseas.

In September of 1914, it was decided to form an Army Postal Service, T.F., for the troops stationed at home.

In February of 1916, the D.A.P.S. (Home) recommended a reduction in the postal personnel allotted to formations at home. The reason given for this recommendation was the suspension of the parcel post, etc. Reduced establishments were accordingly approved in April of 1917.

The Home Army Postal Service underwent modifications from time to time in conformity with the changes in the formations considered necessary to be retained for home defence. In October of 1918, a nucleus establishment was laid down for normal working at home, which could be expanded in the event of an invasion or other grave emergency. The personnel to provide the expanded establishment were to be found from the Home Postal depot.

In October of 1918, the Director of Army Postal Services at home recommended the formation of a London Volunteer Postal Company. The object of this recommendation being to supplement the Postal Service at home in the event of an emergency, as the Home Depot, on account of the number of women who were being absorbed into the establishment, would be unable to find sufficient personnel. This unit was organized on an R.E. basis. Its personnel were drawn from men exempted from Army service and from men in the London Postal Service who were over the age fixed for liability for military service under the Military Service Acts.

The postal personnel required for the Expeditionary Force of 1914 was laid down in War Establishments Part I., 1914. The growth of this service was in proportion to the growth of the Armies generally, and as the number of Divisions overseas increased, so automatically did the Postal Service. Early in the War it was arranged that, as, each new Division was sent to France, an allotment of 11 other ranks postal personnel was despatched to deal with the corresponding increase in postal traffic on the L. of C.

In April 19I7, the Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief notified that the allotment of 11 all ranks for each British Division would not suffice to cope with the expected increase of extra-Divisional units, especially in those controlled by the Director of Transportation. It was therefore recommended that the necessary steps be taken to enlist in the R.E. Postal Service a sufficient number of men to raise the Divisional allotment from a total of 11 to 13 all ranks.

The War Office, in a letter dated 27^th May, 19I7, informed France that no more men could be spared for employment on postal work on Lines of Communication, and suggested that women be employed. France replied that as it would take some time to train women, men should be sent, and that 55 men be sent as early as possible. These were sent during June and July.

In February of 1918, the Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, France, forwarded proposals for the reorganization of the Postal Services in France. He stated that the method of basing the allotment of postal personnel on the number of Divisions in the country not satisfactory, owing to the large number of units the country, such as R.G.A. Batteries, Flying Corps units, Labour and transportation units, etc. The allotment of 11 men per Division did not furnish an adequate number to provide a satisfactory Postal Service and he suggested that the most satisfactory scale on which to base the allotment of Postal Service personnel was the total number of troops in the country. He also asked sanction for the attachment of 150 low-category men to meet the expansion in the Line of Communication area.

These proposals were approved with some very slight amendments, and are shown in Table A presented below:

Postal Units	R.E. Postal Personnel					Q.M.A.A.C.s			Attached Low Medical Category Men O t h e r R a n k s	Remarks
Postal Units	O f f i c e r s	W a r r a n t O f f .	S e r g e a n t s	O t h e r R a n k s	T o t a l s	F o r e w o m e n	O t h e r R a n k s	T o t a l s	Attached Low Medical Category Men O t h e r R a n k s	Remarks
Auxiliary Postal Company*	7	18	42	613	673	6	94	100	90	*This establishment was based on the strength of troops in France as on 1/12/17 calculated on a scale of 9 postal men per 20,000 in the country. For every 50,000 troops above or below the number as on 1/12/17, the establishment was increased or decreased by 10 other ranks, with Indian, Chinese, etc. being counted as one quarter of their actual number.
4 Base P.O.s	16	12	16	224	252	4	84	88	60
Cavalry Corps H.Q. and 15 Corps H.Q. (1 Imperial Corps has Overseas Personnel					16
Grand Totals	23	30	58	837	941	10	178	188	150
Which replaced the former Establishments										49 Divisions at 11 men per Division = 539 55 men sent out in June and July 1917 = 55 Total = 594
Divisional allotment	6	12	25	557	594
4 Base P.O.s	16	12	16	272	300
Cavalry Corps & 15 Corps H.Q. Clerks to D.A.D.A.P.S.					16
Grand Totals	22	24	41	829	910

It was decided very early in the War that it was inexpedient to pay Army Postal officers on a scale corresponding to their necessary military status, as they drew their full civil pay from

Post Office funds in addition. Thus an officer graded as Deputy Assistant Director of Army Postal Services held the rank of Acting Major, but drew the pay and allowances of a Lieutenant and officers in higher appointments were similarly treated.

In Italy the Directorate of Postal Services consisted of a Deputy Director, an Assistant Director, and seven other ranks, and there was an allotment of postal personnel per Division as in France.

There were also establishments of Army Postal Services in Egypt, Salonika, N. Russia and East Africa.

ADDISON, G.H. The Work of the Royal Engineers in the European War, 1914-1918. Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1926.