Page 62 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

The first ‘killer’ cancellation (Type 6) was in concurrent use with
Types 5 and 5A, and was the only other canceller to be introduced
before the overprinted stamps were issued; it had a very long life,
being known as late as 1948. Type 6A was not introduced until 1940
and, consequently, is found only on the overprinted stamps; it is
illustrated here for comparison.

From 1923 the Nairn brothers operated their overland routes
which carried mail from Baghdad to Damascus, Beirut and Haifa (and,
thence, by train to Port Said). Such mail usually bore a cachet, applied
by the Post Office in red or violet, “OVERLAND MAIL/BAGHDAD
HAIFA’’: and covers from Bahrain may occasionally also be seen with
a similar inscription in manuscript.
The Imperial Airways service between Cairo and Basrah was
opened in 1927 and covers from Bahrain - sent by sea up the Gulf —
bear the blue cachet “BASRAH—CAIRO/AIR MAIL”. The service
was extended to Karachi in April 1929.

BASRAH-C IRQ.
AIR MAIL.

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The BY AIR in double circle cachet was used on air mail covers
sent from Bahrain between 1928 and 1936.

Flights to Karachi originally followed the Persian Coast, but were
changed to the Arabian side in October 1932. First flight covers were
postmarked in London (postage 6d.) on October 1st or Baghdad
(postage 28 fils) on October 5th, and back-stamped on arrival in
Bahrain on October 7th or 8th. The official return flight to London
left Bahrain (postage 854 Annas) on November 2nd; but there had been
at least one earlier despatch of air mail westwards from Bahrain, 17

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