9th August 1935
Ost-Afrika Linie

Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie (inc. the Woermann-Linie)

Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie (German East Africa Line, or DOAL) was a shipping line, established in 1890 as an alternative to the existing shipping services to East Africa, including German East Africa (1891–1919), then dominated by United Kingdom shipping lines.

A year after the Nazi Party was elected, German shipping was reorganised in 1934, in which the large shipping groups were divided. HAPAG and NDL had to surrender their shares in Woermann Line and DOAL to the German Reich.

Postcard depicting the DOAL passenger liner 'Ussukuma'. This ship sailed alongside to other ships from the Ost-Afrika line, the 'Pretoria' and 'Windhuk'. Ref: 12.06.1937

To the reverse of the postcard depicting the 'Ussukuma', the caption states 'Woermann-Linie'. The Woermann-Linie was a German shipping company that operated from 1885 to 1942. The company was founded on 15th June 1885 by Adolph Woermann and developed as one of the leading shipping companies between Europe and Africa. From 1899 the company was headquartered in Afrikahaus, in Hamburg.

For decades it transported contract laborers to various places on the African continent, for instance, workers from Liberia and Nigeria to Spanish Guinea. The Woermann family sold it to Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie in 1916.

In 1942, during World War II, the Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie line and the Woermann-Linie were taken over by John T. Essberger of Nazi Germany.

Both fleets were lost in post-war reparations.

Source: Wikipedia

'Paquebot' mail

At the Vienna conference in 1891, the Universal Postal Union established special handling regulations for mail posted on the high seas aboard ocean-going vessels. The rules were further clarified a the Washington, D.C. conference of the UPU in 1896.

Such mail might originate with passengers or crew, or it might be picked up at a port of call lacking postal facilities for onward transportation to the next port having postal facilities.

Mail posted at sea is generally held by the ship's purser or postal officer, if it has one, until the next port with postal facilities is reached.

When the ship reaches the next port, the purser or postal officer delivers all mail received during the voyage to the post office serving the port. The mail is then marked 'Paquebot' or the equivalent and is postmarked by the post office and entered into the mailstream for delivery.

The cover could have received a handstamp aboard ship, but that handstamp is not a postal marking.

Covers and cards mailed at sea are generally referred to as 'paquebot' covers. 'Paquebot' is French for 'packet boat', and postal administrations use paquebot hand-stamps to mark mail received from a seagoing vessel that has no on-board post office.

Source: Linn's Stamp News

Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page