Overprinted Gold Coast Stamps from Togo

I was very excited to find an exhibition in Trinity College Oxford this afternoon, featuring a collection of overprinted British Gold Coast Colony (now Ghana) stamps sent from Lome, the capital of the West African German Colony of Togoland.

It is fascinating that these were sent on the 8th August 1914, on the first day of occupation of Lome - just 4 days after the declaration of War. It is probable that the envelope was prepared in the Gold Coast and carried across the border by a member of the British invading force, who secured the surrender of the German Colony and posted at its capital Lome post office.

This was the first British victory of the First World War and the Gold Coast forces then advanced on the new high powered German Wireless Station at Kamina, which the Germans destroyed in the 25 August. The Colony formally surrendered on 26 August. The German Navy's commerce raiders and merchant marine had relied on the Wireless Station. This victory was secured by the Gold Coast Regiment and Constabulary who waded the Volta River with their bicycles!

I feel a particular affection for this Region since 35 years ago I studied the development of cocoa farming in Volta Region, where there were still remains of the German occupation.

At the Treaty of Versailles German Togoland was partitioned as two mandates between Britain and France.