Chapter IX

The Great War of 1914-1915. Check-List of New Stamps.

At New Year, 1915 it is too early to show more than a few of the first philatelic signs of the great world war which is being waged between

But the developments are already full of significance, and the stamps of each of the countries at war acquire a new interest in the occasions for their extra-territorial use as the armies invade the territories of their opponents. At the beginning of August the Germans invaded France and Belgium, accompanied, or followed shortly, by field postal organisations, of which few particulars are yet available. By the middle of August the French had entered Alsace and German Lorraine, and the Russians having invaded East Prussia set up posts there in which they used the current Russian stamps. The British Expeditionary Force, with its well-equipped Army Postal Service, was in France by the 16th. About this period the Germans invaded Cape Colony. The Tsar's promise of autonomy to Poland may ultimately demonstrate its fulfilment in the issue of new stamps for Poland. France issued its first Red Cross stamp, and similar war charity stamps have since appeared in Monaco, French Morocco, Russia, Austria, Hungary, and Bosnia. Japan's declaration of war, and successful attack on Kiaochow, probably led to the use of Japanese soldiers' stamps ([Figs. 201, 202]) by the forces engaged, possibly along with Indian stamps overprinted C.E.F. (China Expeditionary Force, [Fig. 61]), for the use of the co-operating British land forces. On the 26th the British along with the French took Togoland, and have already issued stamps of the Anglo-French occupation of that former German colony ([Figs. 384-386]). Prior to their issue the British Gold Coast stamps were used in Togo for a time ([Fig. 370]). Towards the end of the month the bombardment of

Malines destroyed the Belgian State Stamp-printing works, rendering it necessary to create an entirely new series of Belgian stamps when the Government finds itself in a position to do so. On the 29th Samoa was taken by the New Zealand forces, and English stamps have been used there ([Fig. 371]), and already a provisional and a definitive set of British Samoa stamps have appeared ([Figs. 382, 383]).

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