£360
WWII FRANCE & COLONIES RED CROSS POSTAL MESSAGE SCHEME - INCL. EXCEPTIONAL TOGO COVER: A superb collection of covers and Red Cross message/enquiry forms which formed the basis of David Trapnell's 2019 publication entitled "The Postal Message Scheme of the French Red Cross in France and its African Colonies", a copy of which is included in the lot. Includes most of the examples illustrated in the book, with examples of forms used within France incl. Paris and local committees, some with the detachable top part still present (scarce thus). Also examples of covers & forms from French North Africa incl. Algeria (8), Morocco (2) & Tunisia (4). The collection includes c.19 scarce forms to or from Committees in the French African Colonies. Examples from French Congo (forms to of from French Congo are scarce), Senegal, Ivory Coast, French Soudan, Chad, Cameroun, Gabon, Dahomey, Madagascar, etc. Of particular note is a 19 Apr. 1943 Regd. Air Mail cover from Lome, Togo to Dakar, Senegal. Endorsement across top of cover reads (in French) "Sender - Red Cross Togo/Messages for France". The cover would have contained replies to enquiry forms, which were first sent to Dakar for onward posting to ICRC, Geneva. It would seem that at the time, the French Red Cross had no suitably sized official printed envelopes. A very rare item, which illustrates the front cover of David Trapnell's 2019 book on the subject of the French Red Cross Postal Message Scheme. Lot also includes a series of commercial advertising cards illustrating the geography of French West Africa. (c.48 Red Cross items plus 8 advertising cards and 3 books) Cross Reference: WORLDWIDE MILITARY POSTAL HISTORY, FRENCH COLONIES, RED CROSS, MILITARY - WWII
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Free Registration
24% inc VAT*
