Though perhaps not as well known as the other campaigns of World War II, the African theatre is no less worthy of study. In West Africa, the conflict centered on two German colonies – Togoland, and Kamerun.

Several factors conspired to leave both colonies in a precarious situation; not only were their defenses

German Prisoner from the Cameroon campaign.

weak, but they were surrounded on all sides by colonies of Germany’s enemies – the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium.

Kamerun, in particular, was defended by only 1,000 German soldiers, bolstered by a few thousand native Schutztruppe. Though an initial British attack from Nigeria was repelled, a combined Belgian/French incursion from the Congo in the south was more successful, eventually leading to the fall of the capital, Douala, in September 1914. A defeat of the garrison in Garoua followed in June 1915, while the last significant holdout, the city of Yaounde, was conquered shortly thereafter, when the remaining German troops retreated into neutral Spanish Guinea.

Brigadier-General F.J. Moberly recounts these events in his Military Operations: Togoland and the Cameroons. He writes:

“On the 17th of February, at the request of the Govenor-General of Fernando Po, General Dobell forwarded a telegraphic message from Ebermaier to the German Government, reporting that lack of munitions had obliged him to abandon the Cameroons and take refuse in the Spanish territory with the entire German force, including all his sick and wounded…the German numbers which passed the frontier…totaled about 945 Germans, of whom some 400 were non-combatants, and 14,000 natives.”

These troops were interred by the Spanish, and were moved throughout the following years

Price: $250

to prisoner camps in Spain. The card offered here is from just such a soldier.

An attractive picture postcard depicting the Entrance to the Audience Chamer inZARAGOZA, to OSNABRUCH from a German Prisoner of War from the Cameroons shipped to Spain, showing SPAINISH RED CROSS “croix rouge espagnole/correspondance des/prisonniers de guerre/franc de port” and “oficinas de la cruz roja/paseo del ebro, 85/zaragoza” hands tamps in red, as well as “Internation

ales Friedensbureau” handstamp in violet. Also bears French oval censor cachet and clear Berne transit cds.

A scarce card, ex-”Wilkin”

Price: $250

Pan American World Airways – Pan Am – was the most significant international player in the US airline industry throughout most of the twentieth century. Collectors are perhaps most familiar with the Clipper service, inaugurated in August 1934 with a flight from Miami to Buenos Aires, Argentina by a Sikorsky S-42 “Flying Boat.” Names like the China Clipper, Southern Clipper, and Caribbean Clipper would become famous throughout the 1930s.

Pan Am’s service, however, was not immune to the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour as the cover shown here exemplifies.

Rated $1.50 and tied by PENANG 2.DE.41 cds, this cover was to be sent by airmail to Montreal, Canada (as per typed notation at the left). It was not posted early enough to be carried on the Pan-Am Clipper flight of November 29, and no further flight took place before service was suspended on December 7, 1941. It appears the alternative route was to send the letter trans-pacific by sea, as it has a SAN FRANCISCO RESEALING TAPE at left over the brown MAYALA censorship tape (and violet CENSOR 6 handstamp). From San Francisco it traveled to its destination, where it received three MONTREAL STATION H arrival backstamps.

A clean, sound, and scarce cover. Available on eBay here.

To me, among the most fascinating areas of postal history are the colonial campaigns of the European powers.  While I have traditionally focused on the British (and German) colonies in East Africa, this particular find had me reading up on French colonial history.

The Spahis were light cavalry regiments of the French army, composed principally of native Algerians. They were active in the French rule of Algeria, the early days during which this cover was sent.  Guillaume Stanislas Marey-Monge (1796-1863) – the likely “Monsieur Marey” to whom this letter is addressed – was a significant figure in the French conquest of Algeria. A senior military commander during the 1830s, he was named Officier de la Legion d’Honneur in 1835, and was appointed to the rank of Colonel in 1837. Though he returned to France shortly thereafter, he found himself once again in Algeria in 1841 to take command of the 2e Regiment de Chasseurs d’Afrique in the Second Algerian Campaign. A nice clean cover to an influential figure in French colonial history.

Price: SOLD

Stampless folded letter, without contents, rated with 11 script notation. Postmarked with CHANTILLY cds, addressed to MONSIEUR MAREY the COLONEL OF THE SPAHIS REGULARS (Colonel des Spahis Reguliers) in ALGER, with clear ALGER / POST / F AFR cds arrival backstamp.

SOLD