Page 47 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

Bahrain and Sharjah - to Guadur in October 1932. On most occasions
from 1929 onwards first flight covers were despatched from Guadur on
each extension of Imperial Airways routes. Such covers arc all scarce
and some arc extremely rare — a typical example being a cover des­
patched on July 7th, 1933, by the extended route to Calcutta, and
thence by K.L.M. to Alor Star, in Malaya, where it was received on
July 13th.

REGISTERED’
if
cffSiHhiSfc o
^29 MAR 38 /— N W
D
xmn ovy

Type 12 Type 13

An unusual “killer” canceller appeared in 1938, possibly to
coincide with the introduction of the Empire Air Mail carried by
flying boats. This was inscribed, GUADUR AIR — MEKRAN COAST
(Type 12) and was, apparently, only used between March and May
that year.
The outbreak of war in 1939 had a marked effect on postal
business in Guadur. Civil airlines ceased to call there, and despatches
of mail by sea were uncertain. Such mail as there was went overland
to Quetta on camel-back. It thus became the custom for merchants to
send their letters, by hand of travellers, to be posted on arrival in India
and this custom persisted even after the war ended. As a consequence,
Indian King George VI stamps with Guadur cancellations are very much
less easy to find than those of earlier reigns.

Other postal markings include the Registration Cachet (Type 13),
on which the name (GWADUR) was entered in manuscript against
‘O’ (Office); ‘N’ stood for Number, ‘W’ for Weight and ‘D’ for Date.
This was in use before the turn of the century and was later re­
placed with blank numbered Registration Labels on which GWADUR
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