Welcome to Rainer's Overland Mail Baghdad-Haifa Pages

The following extract from 'THE JOURNAL OFFICIEL' announces the acceptance of mail for conveyance by the overland mail route:

The Postmaster-General announces that with effect from the 24th instant only ordinary and registered correspondence for Iraq will be accepted for transmission via Haifa-Baghdad by the weekly special motor car service.

Correspondence intended for despatch by that route must bear in red ink in the upper left-hand corner of the envelope or address label the words "By Overland Mail Haifa-Baghdad".

Insufficiently prepaid, correspondence will be despatched by sea from Port Said. The departure and arrival of such correspondence will be as follows:

Departure: From Alexandria every Wednesday at 4pm: Cairo Wednesdays at 6.15pm: Port Said Wednesdays, at 6pm. Arrival: at Baghdad on Saturday at 10pm; from Baghdad every Thursday at 3pm, arriving at Qantara on Sundays at 8pm.

Responsibility for registered correspondence is accepted within the usual limits applicable to lass thereof during transit.

The following extract is from the Egyptian 'Journal Officiel', indicating the issue of the 'Motor Mail' labels (Label Type L13).

According to postal regulations, letters for Mesopotamia intended for despatch either by the Service Air Mail or by the overland Motor Mail route should bear annotations to that effect in red ink on the top left-hand corner of the envelope in addition to the regular postage and special fee.

As such endorsements often escape the notice of the postal staff owing to their illegibility or inconspicuousness, the Postmaster-General announces that special gummed labels have been printed, far affixing to letters destined for conveyance by the Service Air Mail or the Overland Motor Mail route as the case may be.

The labels for the Air Mail are blue, while those for the Overland Mail Service are red. Each category is printed in Arabic and English in white bold characters and will be supplied gratis on application to the Sale of Stamps window.

Senders of letters for transmission to Mesopotamia by either of the above services are therefore requested in their own interest to apply for these labels and affix them to the envelopes in lieu of the annotation hitherto made by them.

Correspondence which is not regularly prepaid (ordinary postage and the special fee) will be despatched by the ordinary route even though bearing one of the above-described labels.

Turkey announces that military censorship applies in the following towns, and that all correspondence should be written exclusively in Turkish: Diari-Bekir, Mardine, Malatia, Mamouret al Azize, Ourfa, Mouche, Van, Vartou, Houms, Boulanik, Moutki, Aadeldjevaze, Bache-KaIe, Tcholemerek and their suburbs.

Iraq authorities say that the Tuesday motor despatch of Overland Mails from Baghdad for Egypt, via Haifa will be temporarily suspended during July, August and September. The date of resumption will be notified.

From July 1, letters, postcards and other articles will be despatched daily to Iraq and Persia by the Overland Route (Motor Car) via Baghdad. Special charges: 12 mills per 20 gm or fraction for letters and postcards; 4 mills per 50 gm or fraction for other articles (newspapers, printed matter, business papers and samples). The above in addition to the ordinary foreign rates of postage chargeable for the category of mail.

The routes: Wednesdays, via Haifa and Baghdad. All: other days, (excepting Saturday), via Haifa-Beyrout-Baghdad.

Baghdad-Basra Air Mails will leave Wednesday January 12. Articles which are insufficiently prepaid will be despatched by sea from Port Said, unless the amount of postage be equivalent to that due for their conveyance by motor-car. In this event, they will be carried by motor-car overland route, if the locality of destination is admitted to the reception of correspondence by this route.

The total weight of correspondence despatched to Iraq and Persia by motor car across the desert via Damascus and Baghdad was 7283 kilograms compared with 4443 in 1929, an increase of 66 percent .

The total weight of correspondence despatched in 1931 to Iraq and Persia by motor car via Damascus and Baghdad was 4508 kilograms compared to 7382 in 1930, being a decrease of 39 per cent.

1932

L.P. 1934. Page 12.

Egyptian Annual Report 1932.

The correspondence for Iraq and some places in Persia, which was usually sent by train to Damascus and thence by motor car to Baghdad, is now sent by train to Jerusalem and thence by motor car to Baghdad. This change of route shortens the journey by a whole day.

1934

L.P. 1936. page 197.

Egyptian Annual Report 1934.

The weight of mails in the Iraq and Iran services (by autobile) as far as Baghdad via Jerusalem or Damascus was 5775 Kg. (+1201 Kg.).

The above report is interesting as it confirms that there were two overland routes operating in 1934, the Jerusalem - Amman - Baghdad route of British Administration and the one by French authorities, competing with each other.

If some readers are aware of addition information, i am happy to receive such information.

		Welcome to Rainer's Overland Mail Baghdad-Haifa Pages

		Route Information Egypt
		1923 The following extract from 'THE JOURNAL OFFICIEL' announces the acceptance of mail for conveyance by the overland mail route: Oct 23 (102,5): The Postmaster-General announces that with effect from the 24th instant only ordinary and registered correspondence for Iraq will be accepted for transmission via Haifa-Baghdad by the weekly special motor car service. Correspondence intended for despatch by that route must bear in red ink in the upper left-hand corner of the envelope or address label the words "By Overland Mail Haifa-Baghdad". The rates of postage ·are as follows: The usual postage chargeable for the class of mail despatched; A special fee of 15 milliemes per unit of 20 grammes or fraction of 20 grammes, irrespective of the class of postal matter carried. Insufficiently prepaid, correspondence will be despatched by sea from Port Said. The departure and arrival of such correspondence will be as follows: Departure: From Alexandria every Wednesday at 4pm: Cairo Wednesdays at 6.15pm: Port Said Wednesdays, at 6pm. Arrival: at Baghdad on Saturday at 10pm; from Baghdad every Thursday at 3pm, arriving at Qantara on Sundays at 8pm. Responsibility for registered correspondence is accepted within the usual limits applicable to lass thereof during transit. 1924 The following extract is from the Egyptian 'Journal Officiel', indicating the issue of the 'Motor Mail' labels (Label Type L13). Mar 27 (29,4): According to postal regulations, letters for Mesopotamia intended for despatch either by the Service Air Mail or by the overland Motor Mail route should bear annotations to that effect in red ink on the top left-hand corner of the envelope in addition to the regular postage and special fee. As such endorsements often escape the notice of the postal staff owing to their illegibility or inconspicuousness, the Postmaster-General announces that special gummed labels have been printed, far affixing to letters destined for conveyance by the Service Air Mail or the Overland Motor Mail route as the case may be. The labels for the Air Mail are blue, while those for the Overland Mail Service are red. Each category is printed in Arabic and English in white bold characters and will be supplied gratis on application to the Sale of Stamps window. Senders of letters for transmission to Mesopotamia by either of the above services are therefore requested in their own interest to apply for these labels and affix them to the envelopes in lieu of the annotation hitherto made by them. Correspondence which is not regularly prepaid (ordinary postage and the special fee) will be despatched by the ordinary route even though bearing one of the above-described labels. 1925 Extract from Journal Officiel 1925 June 15 (60,5): Turkey announces that military censorship applies in the following towns, and that all correspondence should be written exclusively in Turkish: Diari-Bekir, Mardine, Malatia, Mamouret al Azize, Ourfa, Mouche, Van, Vartou, Houms, Boulanik, Moutki, Aadeldjevaze, Bache-KaIe, Tcholemerek and their suburbs. Iraq authorities say that the Tuesday motor despatch of Overland Mails from Baghdad for Egypt, via Haifa will be temporarily suspended during July, August and September. The date of resumption will be notified. June 22 (62.11): From July 1, letters, postcards and other articles will be despatched daily to Iraq and Persia by the Overland Route (Motor Car) via Baghdad. Special charges: 12 mills per 20 gm or fraction for letters and postcards; 4 mills per 50 gm or fraction for other articles (newspapers, printed matter, business papers and samples). The above in addition to the ordinary foreign rates of postage chargeable for the category of mail. The routes: Wednesdays, via Haifa and Baghdad. All: other days, (excepting Saturday), via Haifa-Beyrout-Baghdad. 1927 Extract from Journal Officiel 1927. Jan 10 (3,4): Baghdad-Basra Air Mails will leave Wednesday January 12. Articles which are insufficiently prepaid will be despatched by sea from Port Said, unless the amount of postage be equivalent to that due for their conveyance by motor-car. In this event, they will be carried by motor-car overland route, if the locality of destination is admitted to the reception of correspondence by this route. 1930 L.P. 1931. page 377. Egyptian Annual Report 1930 The total weight of correspondence despatched to Iraq and Persia by motor car across the desert via Damascus and Baghdad was 7283 kilograms compared with 4443 in 1929, an increase of 66 percent . 1931 L.P. 1932. page 426. Egyptian Annual Report 1931 The total weight of correspondence despatched in 1931 to Iraq and Persia by motor car via Damascus and Baghdad was 4508 kilograms compared to 7382 in 1930, being a decrease of 39 per cent. 1932 L.P. 1934. Page 12. Egyptian Annual Report 1932. The correspondence for Iraq and some places in Persia, which was usually sent by train to Damascus and thence by motor car to Baghdad, is now sent by train to Jerusalem and thence by motor car to Baghdad. This change of route shortens the journey by a whole day. 1934 L.P. 1936. page 197. Egyptian Annual Report 1934. The weight of mails in the Iraq and Iran services (by autobile) as far as Baghdad via Jerusalem or Damascus was 5775 Kg. (+1201 Kg.). The above report is interesting as it confirms that there were two overland routes operating in 1934, the Jerusalem - Amman - Baghdad route of British Administration and the one by French authorities, competing with each other. If some readers are aware of addition information, i am happy to receive such information.