Somerset & Bristol Postal History

RAF Locking was opened in January 1939 just before the start of WW2 as a training camp providing training in aircraft trades including flight mechanics, airframes, engines, parachute training and air gunnery. There were satellite camps near Banwell at Knightcott, on Summer Lane and at Hill End. During the war RAF Locking became a huge hutted encampment where it was not unusual to have 6,000 personnel on parade at the same time. Four years after opening the school had trained 30,682 tradesmen for the RAF and Fleet Air Arm. 

In 1950 the ‘No. 1 Radio School’ moved to Locking to provide training for radio and radar technicians, and as radar became an important part of the RAF the site became a specialist school for electronics. The Radio School moved to RAF Cosford in 1998, and RAF Locking closed on 31st March 1999 sixty years after it had opened. The RAF finally left the site in 2000.

See http://www.lockingheritage.org/raflocking.html for more details.

The following sheets illustrate Locking Camp cancellations, from 1958 to 1986.

Here are two further receiving house handstamps used in the Cross Penny Post, starting with a boxed "No.10" handstamp.  The receiving house is believed to be in East Brent, where ths entire below was written.  This is a late example from 1849 (well after the end of the Penny Posts in 1840).

The final example is an unboxed "No.12" receiving house handstamp used in February 1839 (so during the actual Penny Post period).  It was written in Hutton Vicarage and it is likely that the receiving house was either in Hutton or in nearby Locking.

The Air Mail letter card below was sent from Field Post Office 724 to Weston-super-Mare in December 1943, and received an RAF Censor handstamp.

The last of my Climax Rubber cancels ... almost.

Locking had three "LOCKING / WESTON-SUPER-MARE" Type Ib handstamps, the first issued in February 1895, the second known from September 1911 and the third from May 1921.  These were followed by a "LOCKING / WESTON-SUPER-MARE / SOMERSET" Type 2 handstamp known used from September 1930.  The example below is from July 1911.

Milton had four "MILTON / WESTON-SUPER-MARE" Type Ib handstamps, the first issued in August 1896, the others known used from July 1912, June 1913 and December 1913.  The example below is from August 1914.


Charlton Musgrove initially came under Bath and was issued with a "CHARLTON MUSGROVE / BATH" Type Ib handstamp in April 1898.  It then moved to come under Wincanton and was issued firstly with a "CHARLTON MUSGROVE / WINCANTON S.O. / SOMT." Type 2 handstamp in September 1904, then with a "CHARLTON MUSGROVE / WINCANTON S.O. / SOMERSET" Type 2 handstamp in August 1911, and finally with a "CHARLTON MUSGROVE / WINCANTON / SOMERSET" Type 2 handstamp known used from August 1914.  The examples below are of the last two handstamps, from November 1911 and April 1914.

Cucklington also initially came under Bath, being issued with a "CUCKLINGTON / BATH" Type Ib handstamp in May 1898.  It then moved to come under Wincanton and was issued firstly with a "CUCKLINGTON / WINCANTON S.O. / SOMT." Type 2 handstamp in September 1904 and then a "CUCKLINGTON / WINCANTON / SOMERSET" Type 2 handstamp known used from October 1911.  The example below is of this last handstamp from September 1915.

Like the above, Yarlington initially came under Bath and was issued with a "YARLINGTON / BATH" Type Ib handstamp in November 1898.  After the move to Wincanton a "YARLINGTON / WINCANTON S.O. / SOMT." Type 2 handstamp was issued in September 1904 and a "YARLINGTON / WINCANTON / SOMERSET" Type 2 handstamp is known used from December 1909.  The examples below are both of this last handstamp, from August 1910 and June 1914.

Chipstable was intially issued with a "CHIPSTABLE.WIVELISCOMBE / SOM." Type Ic handstamp in November 1899.  This was follwoed by a CHIPSTABLE / WIVELISCOMBE" Type Ib handstamp, known used from December 1908 and then by a "CHIPSTABLE / WIVELISCOMBE / SOMERSET" Type 2 handstamp knwon from March 1912.  The example below is of this last handstamp, being from June 1918.