I'm not sure who the expert is on post office numbers but the GBPS list only shows the 046 Aldershot Camp as being open from 1857. Being a collector of Crimean War postal history I have come across among some other letters one which is poatmarked barred oval 046 ALDERSHOT CAMP DE 15 1855. I can't believe that it is almost two years earlier than anything else but if it is I will do a short article with photographs for the magasine. I don't see the point of this if there are a lot of earlier ones known and it's just that the PO Numbers list hasn't been updated. Adrian.

The information I know is:
Brumell gives 046 in his list of 1857 but it was in use from EKD 17 Jul 1855
John Parmenter gives the 1st Aldershot Camp 046 postmark being proofed in Mar 1855
An exercise at Aldershot took place in 1853, that brought 25,000 troops to the area. It was clear that a permanent training camp was necessary and Aldershot was chosen as the site because of its excellent communications, dependable water supply and cheap land. A Wooden Camp was build and the first soldiers arrived in 1854, and numbers increased dramatically at the end of the Crimean War. By 1859, 1200 huts had been built in straight lines, housing 15,000 soldiers in North Camp and South Camp
By 1861, some 8000 acres was been acquired.
You are referencing the 1st Post Office building build in 1857 not the 1st postmarks usage for the camp.
Hope that helps
John

Hello John

Thank you very much for your prompt and detailed reply. I might not have a 'Find' but it's still an interesting entire. I hadn't realised that Aldershot was so closely related to the Crimean War until I found this letter. I've also contacted the Friends of Aldershot Military Museum and the Museum itself to ask about the opening of the Post Office there so we'll see what turns up. I'm tempted to put this on my list of planned articles.

Once again. Many Thanks.

Adrian.

Adrian

This may be of interest to you from my collection the cover is to Surgeon-Major Robert Templeton Royal Artillery who served in the Crimea War on and off from March 1854–1856, he must have been one of the last to leave the Crimean area
Belfast spoon cover dated 27 Jun 1856
What I know British troops leave in 1856
29 Feb The Armistice is signed
30 March The Treaty of Paris is signed
27 April Britain end's participation in the war
09 Jul Last forces start evacuating
Some time in Jul 1856 the Hospital closed
Last letter from Crimea was sent 12th Jun 56?
27 June to Crimea is this letter sent to the area?
Can you expand on this
John

Hello John
It's a super cover with the Belfast spoon cancel. I've copied some text from General Orders which relate to Dr Templeton and also the closure of the Balaclava post office.

I've also listed some of the late use covers that I have. I hope that you find them interesting. Adrian.
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GENERAL ORDERS. HEAD QUARTERS, SEBASTOPOL;
12th MARCH, 1856.

The following Officers have joined the Staff of this Army:–
MEDICAL STAFF – 1st Class Staff Surgeon Robert Templeton. From 6th March, 1856.

Dr. Templeton will take Medical Superintendence of the Troops stationed on the Heights around Balaklava.

GENERAL ORDERS. BALAKLAVA;
2nd JULY, 1856.

The following Soldier has been appointed Clerk in the Post Office, at
Balaklava: - Serjeant Rooney, 89th Regiment, at 2s. a-day, from 1st May, to 23rd May, 1856.
(this was presumably additional back pay which had been applied for AP)

GENERAL ORDERS. HEAD QUARTERS, BALAKLAVA;
10th JULY 1856.

The Post Office will finally close at 10 p.m. to-morrow, Friday the 11th inst., no letters will be received after that hour.

GENERAL ORDERS. HEAD QUARTERS BALAKLAVA;
12th JULY 1856.
The Russian Troops relieved the Main Guard of the English Army, composed of a Wing of the 50th Regiment, at 1 p.m. this day, at Balaklava.

The remainder of the English Army is embarked this day.

The Staff of the Army in the Crimea is broken up.

Head Quarters will be transferred to Constantinople till further orders.

The General Orders for the Army in the Crimea will cease this day.
(Signed),
W. J. CODRINGTON, GENERAL COMMANDING

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I’m still cataloguing my collection but here are some late use covers. It looks like some were sent by Dr Templeton to his wife. The covers below also show the transfer to the civilian postal rate.

Cover - From Commissariat Department?
Date sent 28/06/1856, Date received 10/07/1856
To Mrs Templeton, c/o General Slade, 24 Bloomfield Terrace, Harrow Road, London
3 x 1d stars on blue, large crown, perf. 14, die II, alphabet III, pl. 31.

Letter - From Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, H.M.S. Hannibal, Kazatch, Crimea
Date sent 29/06/1856 Date received 29/06/1856
To Middleton D.A.C., Crimea

Cover - From Commissariat Department
Date sent 05/07/1856 Date received 17/07/1856
To Mrs Templeton, c/o S Slade, West End, Hampstead, London
3 x 1d stars on blue, large crown, perf. 14, die II, alphabet III, pl. 31.

Cover - From Brighton, UK
Date sent 13/07/1856
To Howard J Barton, Purveyor's Staff, Post Office, Scutari, TURKEY
3 x 1d stars

Cover & Letter From Pera, Turkey Date sent 28/07/1856 Date received 06/08/1856
To Mrs W D Francis, Exeter
3 x 1d stars O*O
Letter from an officer in the Land Transport Corps describing the winding up operations following the war.

Entire From 2nd Earl Minto, London Date sent 06/08/1856 Date received 20/08/1856
To Hon George Elliot, c/o Odo Russell Esq, British Embassy, Constantinople
1 x 1d + 1 x 2d stars London numeral, ANGl 06/08/56, CONSTANTINOPLE 20/08/56 and others.
Noted as INSUFFICIENTLY STAMPED and surcharged 10d

There is an extremely rare postmark for the forces post office in Constantinople used for a short time after the transfer from the Crimea but I have only seen one up for auction and I didn’t realise the significance at the time.

Hi Adrian,
Thanks for the extra information and, the 12th July closure date, I knew it was sometime in July.
Any chance of posting images of the Templeton covers, I have one more cover to him, we find him 20 months later in my home City of Bristol.
John

Hello John, I'll make a note to send you photos of the letters when I find then. Unfortuately I am still cataloguing my collection. If you want to email me directly at adrians.pearson@virgin.net I can then put a reminder on the email though it may be some weeks before you get a response. Regarding my original query on Aldershot Camp I have received a response from the Chairman of the Friends of the Aldershot Military Museum which fits quite well with what you have told me though I think that there is scope for further research:

I regret I cannot give you an exact date for the opening of the Aldershot Army Camp Post Office. It cannot have been before May 1855, as that was when the first Army units took up residence in the new Camp. Very quickly there were thousands of soldiers stationed in Aldershot and so the use of postal facilities would have been essential. Although units were stationed in Aldershot from May 1855 the building work was not completed until 1856 for what were known as the ‘Temporary Barracks’, which were the first barracks and were wooden huts. The “History Gazette and Directory of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, 1859” includes a reference to the Camp Post Office run by Mr Charles Buckland. I think your date of December 1855 is plausible, being seven months after the first troops moved into Aldershot Camp. I cannot state with any certainty the first use, but doubt it would have been much before then.

As I said I think that further research would be very productive. It's just finding time.

Best Regards.

Adrian.