Page 101 - Johnson_CapeOfGoodHope
P. 101
SERVICE SUSPENDED
Anglo - Boer War
France to Transvaal
October 1899
8ERVICF ·~ SUSP[ ~ · ' n,.. 11
l •. -· · ._,.. .,. .._ .... .. _ ~ - ...
Main feature
The use of the Cape Town 'MAIL SERVICE SUSPENDED' mark on a letter from France
to the French Consul~General in Pretoria. The place where the blue 'Service
suspendu' in manuscript was applied is uncertain but by the english style of
writing and the use of blue crayon it is likely to have been Cape Town. This
would have followed UPU regulations specifying the use of the french
language in explanatory marks in addition to the local language.
War was declared by Great Britain on the 11th October 1899 on Transvaal [ZAR] and the
Orange Free State. This letter was posted three days later on the 14th October 1899. Mail
services to the two Republics by British services were ipso facto suspended from the date
war was declared. Mail from third party countries then had to find a different mail routing
to the two Republics. 
