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British Forces Post Office

Logo: British Forces Post Office, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

British postal service for the armed forces

The British Forces Post Office (BFPO) provides a postal service to HM Forces separate from that provided by Royal Mail in the United Kingdom. BFPO addresses are used for the delivery of mail in the UK and around the world. BFPO moved from its original base at Inglis Barracks, Mill Hill to its current base at RAF Northolt in west London in 2007.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1882Founded1

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1957 Christmas Island BFPO postmark on British Wilding stamp
Photo: British Government, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons5

The British Forces Post Office (BFPO) provides a postal service to HM Forces separate from that provided by Royal Mail in the United Kingdom. BFPO addresses are used for the delivery of mail in the UK and around the world. BFPO moved from its original base at Inglis Barracks, Mill Hill to its current base at RAF Northolt in west London in 2007.2

The story

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle make mention of messengers being sent by King Edward the Elder (899–924) to recall members of the Kent fyrd, but it is generally regarded that the origins of the postal services stem from the King's Messengers (Nuncii et Cursores) of medieval times. In particular the Royal Post established in the reign of King Edward IV (1461–1483) to support his troops engaged in a war against Scotland.

A dedicated military postal unit, the Army Post Office Corps was formed in 1882. In 1913 it was subsumed into the Royal Engineers as the Royal Engineers (Postal Section) and in late 1990s became the BFPO. Today, all services are provided by BFPO.

From Wikipedia’s article on British Forces Post Office, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1882Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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