Page 187 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

the old treaty was discarded and Kuwait became a fully independent
State. However, the new arrangement still entitled Kuwait to call upon
British assistance if her sovereignty was threatened, an arrangement
which was, in view of subsequent events, just as well!

Within a fortnight the Iraqi dictator Qasim announced that Kuwait
was, and always had been, a part of the Basra Liwa of Iraq and he
proposed to incorporate the State within the Republic. The Ruler
promptly invoked the agreement of two weeks before. The order for
British intervention was received in Nairobi at 8 p.m. on June 30th
and within 24 hours the first British troops were in defensive positions
in the north of Kuwait. The next 48 hours saw a massive airlift
bringing in the main British Force.

/Q4-U

Type 42

Three British Field Post Offices came into Kuwait in the early days
of July; No. 941 (Type 42 of Bahrain) came from Bahrain, and Nos.
1039 and 1040, both using cancellers as Type 42, probably came from
Kenya. They were established at the Airport, at Brigade Main H.Q. (at
Jahara at the western head of Kuwait Bay) and at Brigade Rear H.Q.
(at the Technical College west of Kuwait Town).
Until about July 10th the troops were on an “Active Service”
basis and their mail was free of postage but thereafter their mail was
required to be prepaid with G.B. 3d. stamps. However, a cover bearing
a 3d. G.B. stamp cancelled F.P.O. 941, 1039 or 1040 between about
July 10th and October 3rd, 1961, must have come from Kuwait.
Further, any cover marked “ACTIVE SERVICE” and date-stamped,
without any postage stamp, by the same F.P.Os. between July 2nd and
10th is a pretty rare item, for the troops were far too busy during those
first few days to take much advantage of free postage!

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