Morocco was in the hands of France. That does not mean they wanted the expense and danger of occupying the whole thing. Sounds like a way for a second string empire to expand. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
I like the visuals of todays stamp as it puts you back in time. The vision of a brave Arab warrior on horseback. It might seem a strange colonial stamp as wouldn’t he be presumed to be opposed to the Spanish colonials. Not always. In fact during much of the Spanish Civil War, many of Franco’s forces were just such warriors. In fact this issue of stamps contained a postal surtax that supported disabled African veterans of the Spanish Civil War.
Todays stamp is issue PT2, a 10 Centimos postal tax special delivery stamp issued by Spanish Morocco in 1941. This was a 4 stamp issue in various colors but with the same denomination and image. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used. The stamp also exists as an imperforate, and that ups the value to $15.
France acquired Morocco in 1905. There was a measure of self government through a local sultan. There had long been Spanish enclaves to the North near Gibraltar and Tangier and to the south near the bordering Spanish Sahara. France maintained ultimate sovereignty over these areas but felt right to divest administration to the Spanish. This was also favored by Great Britain who had interests in Gibraltar and Tangier and by Imperial Germany that also had economic interests. A lessor European power to police the area but not be a military threat to anyone was advantageous to all Europeans.
Well perhaps not so beneficial to Spain. There was a rebellion of Moroccans that attempted to break away from Spain by attempting to form the Republic of Rif. This was put down but at the cost of over 10,000 Spanish troops killed, most locally recruited. This was a discrediting factor of Spain’s home government that lead to the Spanish Civil War. General Franco made much use of Spanish Moroccan soldiers during the Spanish Civil War. The Republican Socialist side offered Spanish Morocco independence if they won in the hope of Franco’s Moroccans changing sides. They later backed off this offer at the demand of their ally the French.
In 1956 most of French and Spanish Morocco united to form a united independent Morocco under the old Sultan who now becoming King. Over the objections of Morocco, Spain tried to hold on to the Spanish Enclave of Ifni. The Moroccan army attacked but was beaten back by the Spaniards in 1958. These battles saw the last combat use of German World War II era Heinkel He-111 bombers that had been made in Spain post war and many built with Rolls Royce Merlin engines. With the Heinkels bombing and Junker Ju 52s dropping paratroopers, it must have seemed to the Moroccans like the German Africa Corps last battle. The war ended with Spain still in Ifni but it was eventually turned it over to Morocco after a UN resolution in 1969. They gave up the Spanish Sahara to the south after Franco died in 1976.
Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast the British pilots who downed so many Heinkel He 111s during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. I bet they would have never guessed the Heinkel would eventually acquire Rolls Royce Merlin engines. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.