The Woermann
shipping line set up an
African base on the Kamerun River
and by 1882 was running a mail boat service (Hamburg-Westafrika).
This led to a German protectorate of the coastal area around Duala (now
Douala).
Germany expanded their interests in the area up until World War I.
The Allies began a campaign for Kamerun
with the capture of Duala on
September 27, 1914.
It took until February 18, 1916, for the last German Post Office
in
Mora inland south of Lake Chad to be captured.
The colony was divided between Britain and France on March 4, 1916.
After the war, mandates were granted to the two nations
by the League of Nations
based on the de facto
partition line.
The British mandate, Cameroons, was a narrow strip along
the
northwest boundary of the former German colony.
The remainder became the French mandate, Cameroun.
Cameroon was reunited after a plebiscite in 1961.
The stamps of Nigeria were used in Cameroons from
some time in 1920.
This is an example of mail posted from Victoria on the coast of the
Gulf of Guinea.
Victoria was a settlement of English Baptist missionaries on Ambas Bay.
There are two CDS with VICTORIA-CAMEROONS | UNDER BRITISH MANDATE.
As the CDS didn't strike the stamps, someone cancelled them with two
pen slashes.
The cover is franked with two King George V stamps.
The ½d green was issued in 1921 (Scott 18) and
the 1½d
orange was issued in 1931 (Scott 20).
The destination was Old Hill.
There are a couple of Old Hills; however, it has been suggested that
this one
is just north of Halesowen in the West Midlands west of Birmingham.*
There are no transit or arrival marks.
*Thanks to Dave Parsons for correcting the destination and locating Old
Hill for me.
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