GERMAN FOREIGN POST OFFICES
TURKEY
FELDPOST
The first German troops despatched to support the Ottoman Army in 1914 and 1915 were mostly Pioneers, who assisted in the construction of roads in Sinai. In Dec 1914, a Tropical Medical expedition was sent to work with Ottoman sanitary units in Palestine to combat epidemics of typhoid, typhus, dysentery and cholera.
Following the defeat of Serbia, large quantities of equipment and munitions were sent along the Danube River and the Balkan Railways to support the Ottoman Armies. A detachment of specialist troops, the Asia Korps, was assembled to increase the Ottoman Army's effectiveness and provide much needed training. In March 1916, the "Pasha I Expedition" set out for Palestine.
Quick Links: Special usage cancels; Jilderim Cancels
MILITARY MISSIONS
Below is a list of Military Mission cancellations tied to the German troops operating in the region. In addition to the 26 listed there are others such as BAGDAD, BATUM and HEERESGRUPPE OST which are ficticious. There are others that are philatelicly inspired and are generally found on blank cards and covers as well as retroactively cancelled and these are referred to as 'Weigel-Machwerke'.All dates below are the best known dates and should only be used as a guide.
(1)
ALEPPO
13th Apr 1916 to 20th Oct 1918
ALEPPO
13th Apr 1916 to 20th Oct 1918
(2)
A.O.K.2
from 14th Apr 1917 ?
A.O.K.2
from 14th Apr 1917 ?
(3)
A.O.K.4
20th May 1916 to 10th Jul 1917
A.O.K.4
20th May 1916 to 10th Jul 1917
(3) was used at Bir-es-Seba from 20th to 30th May 1916
(4)
A.O.K.5
28th Nov 1915 to 16th Nov 1916
A.O.K.5
28th Nov 1915 to 16th Nov 1916
(5)
A.O.K.5
6th Feb 1916 to 5th Nov 1918
A.O.K.5
6th Feb 1916 to 5th Nov 1918
(6)
A.O.K.6
11th Sep 1916 to 9th Jul 1917
A.O.K.6
11th Sep 1916 to 9th Jul 1917
(4) can be found in both black or violet ink.
(6) used in Bagdad from 11th Sep 1916 to 26th Feb 1917 and at Mosel from 19th Apr to 9th Jul 1917.
(7)
ARGHANA MADEN
6th Jul to 5th Oct 1918
ARGHANA MADEN
6th Jul to 5th Oct 1918
(8)
BIR-ES-SEBA
6th Oct 1916 to 1st Nov 1917
BIR-ES-SEBA
6th Oct 1916 to 1st Nov 1917
(9)
BOZANTI
9th Jul 1916 to 24th Jan 1917
BOZANTI
9th Jul 1916 to 24th Jan 1917
(9) can be found in either blue or violet ink.
(10)
BOSANTI
4th Feb 1917 to 30th Oct 1918
BOSANTI
4th Feb 1917 to 30th Oct 1918
(11)
DAMASKUS
7th Feb to 29th Oct 1917
DAMASKUS
7th Feb to 29th Oct 1917
(12)
DEUTSCHE MILITAR-MISSION
10th Oct 1915 to 14th Apr 1917
DEUTSCHE MILITAR-MISSION
10th Oct 1915 to 14th Apr 1917
(12) was used in Constantinopel from 10th Oct 1915 to 18th Mar 1916 (Cancels can be found in either black or violet) and at Mosul from 18th Aug 1916 to 14th Apr 1917 (Cancels can be found in either blue or violet).
(13)
DIARBEKIR
17th May 1917 to 8th Sep 1918
DIARBEKIR
17th May 1917 to 8th Sep 1918
(14)
ESKISCHEHIR
10th Oct to 8th Nov 1918
ESKISCHEHIR
10th Oct to 8th Nov 1918
(15)
EXPEDITIONKORPS
20th Jun to 2nd Oct 1916
EXPEDITIONKORPS
20th Jun to 2nd Oct 1916
(16)
GLEISSPITZE BAGDADBAHN
21st Mar 1917 to 4th Nov 1918
GLEISSPITZE BAGDADBAHN
21st Mar 1917 to 4th Nov 1918
(17)
JERUSALEM
11th Jul to 31st Oct 1917
JERUSALEM
11th Jul to 31st Oct 1917
(18)
KONIA
11th Oct 1916 to 8th Nov 1918
KONIA
11th Oct 1916 to 8th Nov 1918
(19)
KONSTANTINOPEL
5th Feb 1916 to 19th Oct 1917
KONSTANTINOPEL
5th Feb 1916 to 19th Oct 1917
(20)
KONSTANTINOPEL
20th Oct 1917 to 23rd Sep 1918
KONSTANTINOPEL
20th Oct 1917 to 23rd Sep 1918
(21)
KONSTANTINOPEL
23rd Sep to 14th Nov 1918
KONSTANTINOPEL
23rd Sep to 14th Nov 1918
(22)
KUTAHIA
10th Jun to 2nd Nov 1918
KUTAHIA
10th Jun to 2nd Nov 1918
(23)
MAMURE
11th Jul 1917 to 11th Oct 1918
MAMURE
11th Jul 1917 to 11th Oct 1918
(24)
MARDIN
28th Apr 1917 to 7th Oct 1918
MARDIN
28th Apr 1917 to 7th Oct 1918
(25)
MOSSUL
10th Jul 1917 to 25th Oct 1918
MOSSUL
10th Jul 1917 to 25th Oct 1918
(26)
SMYRNA
2nd Sep 1916 to 28th Oct 1918
SMYRNA
2nd Sep 1916 to 28th Oct 1918
SPECIAL USAGE CANCELLATIONS
Back to Top
(1)
'MILITAR MISSION | KONSTANTINOPEL'
(with half moons)
'MILITAR MISSION | KONSTANTINOPEL'
(with half moons)
(2)
'FELDPOST | DER DEUTSCHEN MILITAR-MISSION'
'FELDPOST | DER DEUTSCHEN MILITAR-MISSION'
(3)
'Feldpost der Militar-Mission | ANDRIANOPEL'
13th Apr to 29th Sep 1916
'Feldpost der Militar-Mission | ANDRIANOPEL'
13th Apr to 29th Sep 1916
(4)
'Feld-Post | Armee'
from Jan 1916?
'Feld-Post | Armee'
from Jan 1916?
(1) can be found in both violet or black ink.
(2) was used in Constantinopel.
(4) in red ink.
(5)
'Deutsches Reich | Ausmarttges | Amr'
(eagle with shield and crown)
31st OCt 1914 to 1st OCt 1918
'Deutsches Reich | Ausmarttges | Amr'
(eagle with shield and crown)
31st OCt 1914 to 1st OCt 1918
(5) was used on diplomatic mail via the foreign office in Berlin.
JILDERIM (YILDRIM)
Back to Top
Following the capture of Baghdad by British troops in Mar 1917 the Turkish Fourth Army was re-organised and a new combined Turkish-German force, Army Group Jilderim (also known as Thunderbolt Army or Army Group F) was created with the main objective to recapture Baghdad. This second expedition of German troops (Pasha II) came under the command of Major General Werner von Frankenberg. The Jilderim forces were defeated at the Battle of Beersheba (Oct 1917) and then again at the Third Battle of Gaza (Oct 1917) causing the diversion of the Jilderim group to protect Palestine. Despite further reinforcements being sent from Germany Army Group Jilderim was again defeated at Jerusalem (Dec 1917). (1)
No. 663
15th Aug 1917 to 5th Nov 1918
No. 663
15th Aug 1917 to 5th Nov 1918
(2)
No. 365
2nd Jan to 3rd Aug 1918
No. 365
2nd Jan to 3rd Aug 1918
(3)
No. 371
26th Jan to 29th Jul 1918
No. 371
26th Jan to 29th Jul 1918
(4)
No. 372
25th Nov 1917 to 28th Jul 1918
No. 372
25th Nov 1917 to 28th Jul 1918
(1) Was used in the Feldpost dispatch office at Constantinopel, Aleppo, Jerusalem, Nablus, Nazareth, Damascus and Adana-Bosanti.
(2) was used at the feldpost station in Haifa
(3) was used at the feldpost station A.O.K 8 near Gaza, also at El Tine and Tull Kerim.
(4) was used at the feldpost station at Damascus from 25th Nov 1917 to 29th Feb 1918 and at the Branch station in Amman from 26th Mar to 28th Jul 1918.
(5)
No. 372
27th Mar to 24th Sep 1918
No. 372
27th Mar to 24th Sep 1918
(6)
No. 372
25th Jan to 21st Jul 1918
No. 372
25th Jan to 21st Jul 1918
(7)
No. 373
14th Oct 1917 to 7th Sep 1918
No. 373
14th Oct 1917 to 7th Sep 1918
(8)
No. 374
1st Dec 1917 to 10th Aug 1918
No. 374
1st Dec 1917 to 10th Aug 1918
(5) was used at the Damascus feldpost station.
(6) was used at the Damascus branch station.
(7) was used at feldpost station A.O.K.7 at Hebron and Nablus.
(8) was used at the feldpost station at Aleppo.
(9)
No. 510
3rd Oct 1917 to 15th Oct 1918
No. 510
3rd Oct 1917 to 15th Oct 1918
(10)
No. 511
1st Oct 1917 to 24th Sep 1918
No. 511
1st Oct 1917 to 24th Sep 1918
(11)
No. 512
10th Oct 1917 to 27th Sep 1918
No. 512
10th Oct 1917 to 27th Sep 1918
(12)
No. 2216
17th Aug 1917 to 26th Nov 1918
No. 2216
17th Aug 1917 to 26th Nov 1918
(9) was used at the Aleppo feldpost station.
(10) was used at the Dera'a feldpost station.
(11) was used at feldpost station at Mosel.
(12) was used at the feldpost station at Constantinopel.