[2][3] Melville is a member of the American Philatelic Society's Hall of Fame and was a signatory to The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921.

[7] At that exhibition he met Edward Denny Bacon who handed him a copy of the Society's journal, The London Philatelist.

Fred was so embarrassed with the publication in later years that he bought up every copy that was offered for sale, with the result that it is now a very scarce item.

[5] Melville also contributed philatelic articles to The Daily Telegraph, Wide World Magazine, The Straits Times of Singapore, the Illustrated London News and John O'London's Weekly.

[4] Outside philately, Melville was editor of the Heartsease Library, Cosy Corner, Good Words and Sunday Magazine.

Melville's skill as a journalist has been partly attributed to the training he received from the press baron Sir Alfred Harmsworth, later Lord Northcliffe, founder of The Daily Mirror and The Mail.

[15] He appears in the 1938 Blue Book of Philately where his specialism is shown as philatelic literature and his address is given as 10a Ardberg Road, Herne Hill, London.

[17] In 1915 an exhibition titled War Stamps with Tango Teas was arranged by Melville at the Florence Restaurant in London.

In addition to the stamp exhibition, an orchestra played daily and Melville was reported as being "the only one who braved the intricacies of the Tango, the Boston, and the Maxixe".