A Short Introduction To The Philately Of Palestine

Large parts of the Ottoman Empire were conquered and occupied between 1917 and the armistace of Kudros on 30.10.1918. British (Egyptian Expeditionary Forces, E.E.F.) and French forces occupied Palestine, then Syria and finally reached Cilicia.
Initially E.E.F. stamps were used. Eventually they were replaced by specific occupation stamps issued by British and French administrations. Though sale of E.E.F. stamps stopped consequently, they remained valid for some time.

Invalidation was decreed for all these territories for 1.05.1922.
Cilicia has a complicated history of occupation and reoccupation by various forces. The French initially produced local overprints ("T.E.O. Cilicie" on Turkish stamps), but withdrew them on 23.05.1919. Until new stamps were provided after the reoccupation (overprint "O.M.F. Cilicie" on French stamps) E.E.F. stamps were used.

work in progress

Commercial cover. SG no. 10 cancelled with HALEP / 3 / 23.7.19 to Moksdorf (Saxony) and redirected to Schweizerthal. On back censorship mark: LA CENSURE MILITAIRE / HALEP and censor's signature.	Overseas letter with SG no. 10. Cancellation: FIELD POST OFFICE / SZ 8 / NO 27 / 18, destined for Springfield, Ill., USA. Censor mark PASSED BY CENSOR / No 10 / ---. FPO SZ8 is believed to have been stationed in Beirut until the end of November 1918. On reverse transit marking PORT SAID / F / -6.XII.18.9-AM
Registered cover from Cilicia. SG nos. 5, 9 and 10 (in pair) cancelled with MERSINE / [?] / 15.9.19 to Liestal (Switzerland). Registration mark with pencilled-in 715 and additional registration label MERSINE / 715. On back arrival marks: LIESTAL / 12.X.19-7.	Registered letter from Damascus to Switzerland. SG no. 10 (twice) cancelled with DAMAS / 1 / 14 7-919*. Handwritten registration mark Damas / R N 722. On reverse transit mark PORT-SAID / R / 17JL 19 2 30 P und arrival mark BERN / BRIEFTRÄGER / 23.VII.19.
Eight copies (two blocks of four each) of SG no. 9 on postal form (piece of a money order). Octogonal postmark HOMS 1 / 29 11 19.
Turkish postcard, overprinted Cilicie (Mayo PC106) with additional stamps: 3m EEF (SG no. 7) plus three Turkish stamps overprinted T.E.O / Cilicie: 2x 5p (Mayo 134) and 10p (Mayo 119). Postmark: Tarsus 3.09.19. French censor handstamp: TERRITOIRES ENNEMIE / OCCUPES / Zone–Nord–Cilicie / TARSOUS – CENSURE Image: Ebay
Despatch note for a parcel, value 600 Piastres, from Adana to Constantinople. Franked with 10p "Typo" (S.G. no. 14). Postmarks: Adana 3, 22.10.1919, on reverse Constantinople Parcel Center Arrival "dersaadet mevrude paket dairesi", 28.10.1919.
Somewhat unattractive but interesting cover dating to February 1919: franked with SG no. 10 this letter was apparently directed to Ghalta (Galata). As far as I can read the markings the cover took a huge detour to arrive: the direct connection between Syria an unoccupied Turkey was surely blocked at the time, so Beirut was a logical next stage; but maybe the letter took a wholy wrong direction at one point.

Markings on the front side: double strike of HALEP / 3 / -2-2-19, an Egyptian censor mark (pi-shape), and a very light strike of a very large F. On the reverse side we find: BEYROUTH / 1[3?]-2-19- , PORT-SAID / E / 18 II. 19[...] -- AM, [GHALTA]?, [unclear], negative seal [MARKAS-AL-BARID] (= Mailcentre). Since I have very limited knowledge of the Turkish language and postmarks there's little sense I can make out of this letter. If you can decipher anything here, please do contact me (by e-mail)!

The following table lists Post Offices in the occupied territories (outside Palestine) for the period between the progressive advance of the allied troops and the end of usage of E.E.F. stamps. The list relies to a large extent on published information and is in need of further study. Where no inscription is given, the postmark contained only Arab script, sometimes as negative seal.