My Postcards & Covers

GERMAN COLONIES
OST-AFRIKA
My POSTCARDS & COVERS

Quicklinks: Official Postcards, Private Postcards

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OFFICIAL POSTCARDS

MICHEL P13

Michel P13
3 PESA green

MICHEL P14

Michel P14
5 PESA carmine

MICHEL P16

Michel P16
Reply Card
2x 5 PESA carmine

MICHEL P18

This used Michel P18 postcard was sent from Kilwa to Leipzig on 3rd Aug 1905 and detoured via Dar-Es-Salaam along the journey.

Michel P18
4 HELLER green

Below is another used, Michel P18 Postcard, this time sent from Kilimatinde to Berlin. The postcard was sent on the 9th Dec 1907 and arrived just over a month later on 17th Jan 1908

Michel P18
4 HELLER green

PRIVATE POSTCARDS

PRIVATE 1
KOLONIALKRIEGERDANK
(COLONIAL WARRIOR THANKS)

This patriotic private postcard depicts an African Askari holding the German Empire flag ready to defend the colony for Germany.

Private Postcard 1

Askaris were Sudanese and native soldiers recruited by the Germans to defend the colony from both internal and external forces. The Askari above is wearing the typical khaki uniform which dates from the original Sudanese troops of the Anglo-Egyptian army. He is wearing a distinctive 'tarbush' headgear which was worn by the Askaris of German East Africa, Togo and the Kamerun. The large symbol on the front of the tarbush is an imperial eagle dating from 1896. The tarbush was made of a light wicker frame with a khaki cover and neck curtain to protect the neck from the sun (not shown here).

The Askari is also wearing a standard issue 5 button tunic, with a stand-and-fall collar, shoulder straps and without pockets. The uniform is finished off with trousers, putees and boots.

His weapon is likely the newly introduced Gewehr 98 (G98, Gew 98 or M98), a German bolt action rifle made by Mauser, firing cartridges from a 5-round internal clip-loaded magazine, which was in service with the German Army from 1898 to 1935.

PRIVATE 2
KOLONIALKRIEGER SPENDE
(COLONIAL WARRIOR FUND)

German troops on horseback supported by Askari's transfer a couple of disassembled canons through the rugged East African terrain. Although this postcard is a colonial postcard it was cancelled in Berlin on 29th Jan 1920 and destined for a local Berlin address.

Private Postcard 2

PRIVATE 3
KOLONIALKRIEGER SPENDE
(COLONIAL WARRIOR FUND)

Askari's pull a large canon into position whilst two German officers look on. This canon doesn't seem to be of the same type as the postcard above as it is much larger. More research is needed into the type of weapons available to the colonial forces in East Africa.

Private Postcard 3

PRIVATE 4

Private Postcard 4

PRIVATE 5

Askari troops under fire from native forces, possibly during the Abushi Rebellion (1888-1890) but more likely the HeHe Rebellion (1891-1898) or the Maji-Maji Rebellion (1905-1907).

Private Postcard 5

Dar es SALAAM

This locally printed private postcard depicts two scenes from the city of Dar-es-Salaam. The card has three cancels which were added along the journey from Dar-es-Salaam to Brussels in Belgium (Dar-es-Salaam, Ujiji and Brussels). The stamp is no longer present and the original postmark is not readable.