52nd Evacuation Hospital 1943 Censored Cover

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hello everyone,

couple of questions on the cover, where was apo 928? I can only find info for new guinea as an answer but info on the hospital lists new caledonia?

i havent yet found another cover with the 52nd hospital stationary, would there have been many printed?

i have a couple of other covers from the same person but not on the printed stationary.



thanks

The War Cover Club's "Geographic Locations of U.S. APOs, 1941-1984", 5th ed (yeh quite old, but the copy I found first), lists:
APO 928 in the postmark at Milne Bay, New Guinea, and
APO 712 in the return address also at Milne Bay, although not activated until July 17, 1943.
Regardless, the same answer.
(I also considered the APO as "212", but that was not operational until 1944.)

As for the printed "Evacuation Hospital", do remember how people pick up hotel stationery and use it some time later in their travels. So unless an enclosed letter states "I am writing this from ....", one would have to put more weight on the APOs than the stationery. Military personnel would not have passed up a chance for free writing supplies, or conversely, asked a fellow soldier "hey do you have an extra envelope I can bum?". Bottom line, I would be reluctant to connect the APO and the "Evac..." unless you can document a strong connection not now obvious.

Thank you for the reply John,

this is another cover from the same person , he writes the 52nd evacuation hospital although I cant read this apo.

sorry, he's listed it as 502 I meant to say I cant read it on the cancel

this is info I found on areas of operation,

Veterans History Project Service Summary:
War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
Branch of Service: Army Nurse Corps
Service Unit/Ship: 52nd Evacuation Hospital
Location of Service: Fort Custer, Michigan; California; New Caledonia; New Hebrides; New Zealand; Pacific Theater
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant

The APO 502 is for Noumea New Caledonia which makes sense as the hospital is listed, although it also lists the pacific theatre I can find no mention of new guinea.

I think you just confirmed John's point with those additional details.


If that APO 502 cover is postmarked 1942, you can see where the soldier was in New Caledonia where he picked up some "52nd Evacuation Hospital" stationery, then later used it in 1943 from APO 712 in New Guinea.
The 1942 cover implies the "52nd Evacuation Hospital" had representation New Guinea, but does not prove it.

i guess I would have to identify who Captain Parkhurst was, I know that New Caledonia were taking casualties from New Guinea amongst other places with a very rate of malaria, im pretty sure from what I've read the 52nd didnt have a place there.

Apologies, I see what you mean now, he was in New Caledonia, grabbed the stationary and went on to New Guinea.

The FindAGrave page for Leonard Woods Parkhurst is here. He is writing to his father.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial...ds-parkhurst

Interesting to see an additional cover which has a more direct (but earlier) connection to the EvacHosp. It may be impossible to recreate an exact itinerary for his assignments and travels, but the simplest answers are usually the best place to start, which would include using up his stash of old envelopes as one scenario.

(By coincidence of researching WWII correspondences, last night I was Googling about an African American WAC Lt who went through Personel Administration school at Purdue in the summer of 1945. An unusual combination.)

wow nice, the research on the background of this cover was very interesting to read about. Thank you for posting this. .