WW2 Redirected Cover To A9958 Raf APO 5095 ?

I have just got this cover principally for the two handstamps on the reverse. The cover is addressed to a Canadian, possible named Pilot Officer J. V. Manzerolle service number J17430 originally with 296 squadron - an airborne forces squadron



But I am curious about the redirection on the front that I cannot decipher.



The red pencil reads A9958 RAF APO 5095. and there is a circled 326 which is probably? his new squadron. 326 - a Free French fighter squadron - was not formed until December 1943 which is after the dates of the handstamps on the reverse. The original date of posting is not readable. 326 was formed by the "take over" of the French unit GC/II/7 "Nice" which had taken place in April 43 with the official name change in December.

The letter was sent by Adrienne Mazerolle ? so the connection with a French squadron makes sense.

Any suggestions are most welcome. I will also look at the relevant ORBs when I have time. I have not found anything about APO 5095 yet.

AQ

The 326 could be referencing the USAF 326 Bombardment Squadron.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/326th...ent_Squadron

So he went from flying transport aircraft to flying Spitfire Vc (trop) ?

The redaction on the front reads "Canadian Pacific Hotels".

Shippagan is in the Acadian (French) peninsula in New Brunswick.

The only reference to the APO 5095 I find in the Forte/Helbock book on APO cancels of WWII is that 4911 to 9298 were temporary numbers during WWII, but no other information.

I did wonder about that as it seemed unlikely but he could well have been admin / liaison for the amalgamation of the French into the RAF. Pilot officer after all was only a rank not a flying position.

AQ

Would that not leave the top line "A9958 RAF APO 5095" even harder to explain

Yes, it would! After looking at the cover again and maybe grasping at straws I note that "squadron" was redlined out as well instead of only the number. Maybe the 326 has nothing to do with the unit but was a PO reference?

I raise the bomber squadron only because it was the only unit I could find that fit the dates.

MANZEROLLE, Valmont J.—J17430,
RCAF, WW II. Dec. 4, 2012, age 91.
Riverside Br., Windsor, Ont.

296 was a special squadron. I'm guessing he was an intel officer. In 1943 the squadron was deployed to North Africa. So may be transferred later to 326 with a France's unit. 300 serie squadrons were for allied overrun countries.

Canadian Squadrons overseas were all from 400 serie.

hornet785
Thank for the info on Manzerolle. I had not seen that. Using his full name for a search I found this web page
https://www.familiesfirst.ca/memori...-details.php
with this memorial part of which which shows that we was air crew after all

91 Years. Passed away peacefully on December 4, 2012.

Born in Shippagan, N.B., Val would later become a student at the Universite de St. Joseph, in Moncton, N.B., where in 1940, he made the decision to join the R.A.F./R.C.A.F. In the following two years and eight months of air operations over Britain, Sicily, Malta, Lybia, Egypt and Tunisia, Val survived 54 missions totaling 405 hours, part of the time as rear gunner and later with tactical units. In 1943, in recognition of outstanding service in several theatres of war, Flight Lieutenant Valmont Manzerolle, was awarded the golden wings with bar and thus joined a very limited number of Canadians so decorated.

Now I have to find out what the "Golden Wings" were.
AQ