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EFM Texts – C&W Fiji 1944

25 Aug 20
Martyn Greg
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EFM (Expeditionary Force Messages) were used by members of the Armed Forces & civilians serving overseas, during wartime, with their families in both World Wars.

As part of our research for the September 2020 OTVA Newsletter, a copy of the EFM TEXTS from Cable and Wireless in Fiji, Suva from August 1944 were discovered in our archives.

To aid researchers, who may be interested in EFM Texts, the text of this Table of Codes of EFM’s are listed below.
The graphic of the EFM Texts is here.  [Link: EFM TEXTS. Site OTVA.com]

E. F. M. TEXTS

FOR USE BY BRITISH AND AMERICAN ARMY, NAVY AND MERCHANT MARINE
FROM THE 1st AUGUST, 1944
ANY THREE OF THE UNDERMENTIONED TEXTS MAY BE USED.
PRICES FROM FIJI: 47 CENTS OR 2/6 PER MESSAGE.
IF UNABLE TO LODGE AT CABLE OFFICE MESSAGES CAN BE AIRMAILED TO
CABLE AND WIRELESS LTD., SUVA, FIJI.

A – CORRESPONDENCE.

  1. Letter received many thanks.
  2. Letters received many thanks.
  3. Telegram received many thanks.
  4. Parcel received many thanks.
  5. Parcels received many thanks.
  6. Letters and parcels received many thanks.
  7. Letter and telegram received many thanks.
  8. Telegram and parcels received many thanks.
  9. Letters sent.
  10. Parcels sent.
  11. Letters and parcels sent.
  12. Many thanks for letter.
  13. Many thanks for parcel.
  14. Many thanks for telegram.
  15. No news of you for some time.
  16. Writing.
  17. Urgent.
  18. Please write or telegraph.
  19. Please write,
  20. Please telegraph,
  21. Please reply worried.
  22. Airgraph letter received many thanks.
  23. Letters arriving regularly.
  24. Have you received letters.
  25. Your letters not received.

B – GREETINGS.

  1. Greetings.
  2. Loving greetings.
  3. Fondest greetings.
  4. Love.
  5. Darling.
  6. All my love.
  7. All my love dearest.
  8. All our love.
  9. Fondest love.
  10. Fondest love darling
  11. Best wishes.
  12. Greetings from us all.
  13. Loving greetings from all of us.
  14. Best wishes from all of us.
  15. Fondest wishes from all of us.
  16. Best wishes and good health.
  17. Kisses.
  18. Love and kisses.
  19. Fondest love and kisses.
  20. Well.
  21. All well at home.
  22. Best wishes for Christmas.
  23. Best wishes for Christmas and New Year.
  24. Loving wishes for Christmas.
  25. Loving wishes for Christmas and New Year.
  26. Loving Christmas thoughts.
  27. Happy Christmas.
  28. Happy Christmas and New Year.
  29. Good Luck.
  30. Keep smiling.
  31. My thoughts are with you.
  32. Many happy returns.
  33. Birthday greetings.
  34. Loving birthday greetings.
  35. Happy anniversary.
  36. You are more than ever in my thoughts at this time.
  37. Best wishes for a speedy return.
  38. Good show keep it up.
  39. Best wishes for New Year.
  40. May God grant you a year of happiness.
  41. God bless and keep you safe.
  42. My thoughts and prayers are ever with you.

C – HEALTH.

  1. Family all well.
  2. All well children evacuated.
  3. All well children returned home.
  4. All well and safe.
  1. Are you all right?
  2. Are you all right worried about you.
  3. Please don’t worry.
  4. Hope you are improving.
  5. Please telegraph that you are well,
  6. Are you ill?
  7. Have you been ill?
  8. Illness is not serious.
  9. Illness is serious.
  10. I have left hospital.
  11. In bad health.
  12. Health improving.
  13. Health fully restored.
  14. Son born.
  15. Daughter born.
  16. Am well and fit.
  17. Delighted to hear you are safe and well.
  18. So glad to hear you are better.
  19. Have not been ill.

D – PROMOTION.

  1. Congratulations on your promotion.
  2. Very pleased to hear of your promotion.
  3. Delighted hear about your promotion.
  4. Have been promoted.
  5. Have been decorated.
  6. Have received commission.
  7. Congratulations on your commission.

E – MONEY.

  1. * Please send me £…
  2. * Please send me….dollars
  3. * Have sent you £…
  4. * Have sent you.. dollars
  5. Can you send me any money?
  6. Glad if you could send some money.
  7. Have received money.
  8. Have you received money?
  9. Have you sent money?
  10. Thanks for money received.
  11. Have not received money.
  12. Unable to send money.
  13. Sorry cannot send money.
  14. Do you need money.
  15. * Have paid £……..into your banking account.
  16. I do not need money.
  17. Can you make me daily allotment.

F – CONGRATULATIONS.

  1. Congratulations on anniversary best wishes.
  2. Congratulations lasting happiness to you both.
  3. Glad and proud to hear of your decoration everybody thrilled.
  4. Loving greetings and congratulations.
  5. Good luck keep it up.
  6. 1 wish we were together on this special occasion, all my best wishes for a speedy reunion.
  7. Very pleased to hear you have passed examination.
  8. Best wishes to all at home.
  9. Our thoughts are with you.
  10. Love to all the family.

H – MISCELLANEOUS.

  1. What things do you need most urgently.
  2. Have done as you asked.
  3. Rumour not true.
  4. No.
  5. Very happy to hear from you dearest am fit and well.
  1. Hearing your voice on the wireless gave me a wonderful thrill.
  2. Hope to see you soon.
  3. Hope.
  4. Your telegram not received.
  5. Yes.

I – BEREAVEMENT.

  1. The Lord bless and sustain you in your loss.

J – SUPPLEMENTARY CORRESPONDENCE.

  1. Please address letters home.
  2. Have you received telegram.
  3. No parcel for some time.
  4. Write same address.
  5. Parcel sent.
  6. Writing regularly.
  7. Your parcels not received.
  8. Have you received parcel.

K – SUPPLEMENTARY GREETINGS.

  1. Love and best wishes for New Year to all at home.
  2. Best love from daddy.
  3. God be with you till we meet again.
  4. God bless you.
  5. Love to daddy.
  6. My love and greetings on Mothers’ Day.
  7. My love and greetings on Father’s Day.

L – SUPPLEMENTARY HEALTH.

  1. Hope you will soon be better.
  2. Have not been well.
  3. Injury not serious.
  4. Anxiety unnecessary.
  5. Going into hospital.
  6. Operation over, condition satisfactory.
  7. Hope children all well.
  8. Both well.
  9. Twins born.
  10. How are all the family.
  11. Injury is serious.
  12. I am in hospital.

M – SUPPLEMENTARY MONEY.

  1. Have sent money.
  2. Can you increase the allotment.
  3. Are you receiving allotment.
  4. Business very bad grateful financial assistance.
  5. Expect to be able to send you money next pay day.

N – SUPPLEMENTARY MISCELLANEOUS.

  1. Father } These can be inserted
  2. Mother } in front of texts 354
  3. Wife } 355 and 356 and those
  4. Fiance } marked x hereunder.
  5. x Writing telegraphing frequently.
  6. x Writing weekly.
  7. x Writing regularly receiving no reply.
  8. x Anxious welfare no news recently.
  9. x Receiving letters regularly.
  10. x Receiving letters occasionally.
  11. x Well receiving allotment.
  12. x Recovering operation returning home.
  13. x Is entering hospital.

O – NOTIFICATION OF PERSONAL BROADCAST.

  1. Hope to broadcast greetings from BBC listen … (Day of week to be added by filer).
  1. Repatriated to England, My address is….
  2. Have arrived safely in Middle East hope to be home soon.

ADDITIONAL PHRASES

  1. Writing in detail.
  2. Letter you mentioned not received.
  3. Parcel was just what I wanted Many thanks.
  4. Letters coming in fine.
  5. Send me love by V-mail.
  6. Received your nice letter.
  7. Tell….. to write.
  8. V-mail letter received. Many thanks.
  9. Regards to the gang.
  10. Greetings from the gang.
  11. Love to my Valentine.
  12. I hope you are still my Valentine.
  13. Love to all at home.
  14. Best wishes for a happy Easter.
  15. Best wishes for Thanksgiving.
  16. Love to the best mother in the world.
  17. Greetings to the best of fathers.
  18. Regards to everyone.
  19. May you be inscribed in the Book of Life.
  20. May the Passover bring new hope and courage.
  21. Am getting along all right.
  22. Received news of birth of…..
  23. Expecting blessed event.
  24. Very happy in receipt of good news.
  25. How is…..
  26. Have received decoration…..
  27. Can you make me an allotment.
  28. Put money I sent in Savings Account.
  29. Shall I increase allotment.
  30. To what address was money sent.
  31. Buy War Bonds with money.
  32. Do not purchase….
  33. Buy……at best price without delay.
  34. Sell…..at best price obtainable.
  35. Will send money in…… days.
  36. Receiving allotment regularly.
  37. Congratulations on your decoration.
  38. We are all very proud of you.
  39. Congratulations on your graduation.
  40. Congratulations.
  41. Tell children about me.
  42. Tell me about children.
  43. Send me a late photograph.
  44. Hospitality of people here wonderful.
  45. Be happy and brave.
  46. Consult lawyer before taking action.
  47. Wait instructions in my letter.
  48. An sending legal papers to-day.
  49. Have acted as you requested.
  50. Will keep you fully advised.
  51. Let me know when you find out.
  52. Wish I could be with you.
  53. Please send duplicate.
  54. ….has been sick x
  55. ….much better x
  56. …in good health x
  57. Expect to be home soon Do not write further.
  58. Will contact you on arrival.
  59. Plans to return home changed STOP letter follows.

NOTE: x Texts 354 to 356 inclusive can be inserted following selection of items in Texts 176 to 179
Texts 319 and 320 for Jewish New Year.
Necessary additional information to be inserted by senders in texts where blank space provided.
Only one item can be inserted in Blank space of Texts 332 and 333.
* The amount in words to be inserted immediately following the text number.
TEXTS BELOW FOR USE BY BRITISH FORCES ONLY

G – WAR DAMAGE.

  1. … injured and in hospital.
  2. Injured and in hospital.
  3. Sorry to hear of damage hope all well.
  4. Sorry to hear of injury and hope not serious.
  5. Sorry to hear of injury and hope soon be better.

I. – BEREAVEMENT.

141. Sorry to tell you …. died.
142. Sorry to hear …. died.

 

This transcript is published for research of this little known method of telegraphy to keep defense forces in touch with home during WWII. The compression of the text into a simple 3 numeral code, allowed many more messages to be passed than would have been able using full telegraphic code. Note: Morse code would have been in normal use at that time. GM.

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