KGV Overprint N. W. Pacific Islands

From Neville Threfall https://pngaa.org/site/blog/2015/09...le-threfall/

"... It begins in 1914, with the outbreak of World War 1. The British Government asked Australia to find and destroy the German Far East Cruiser Squadron.... At that time Germany held a large colony under the title of 'German New Guinea'.... The Acting Governor signed a surrender document on 17 September, ending all resistance in German New Guinea.... They took with them a quantity of Australian stamps overprinted 'N.W. Pacific Islands' for use in the islands...."

The stamps never actually made it and went to Rabaul instead.

"This is a rare example of stamps being overprinted for use in one region bet never getting there and being used in another region.... So the overprint intended for use in Micronesia, 'the North-West Pacific Islands', was never used there but was instead used..." by the inhabitants of German New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Nauru primarily.
This includes the north-eastern quarter of the island of New Guinea, the Bismark Archiplago (New Britain, New Ireland, Manus and lesser islands) and Bougainville, the island territories (several Micronesian island groups, the Carolines, the Marianas and the Marshalls, and also Nauru.

The overprints fall into the following general categories:

Type 6 - the P of PACIFIC falls in line with the S of ISLANDS:

Type 6a - both S in ISLANDS normal;
Type 6b - first S in ISLANDS long tail;
Type 6c - both S in ISLANDS long tail

Type 11 - the P of PACIFIC falls between IS of ISLANDS (both S of ISLANDS normal)

Playing around in an excel spreadsheet having a look at possible displays for my overprints for KGV N.W. Pacific Islands stamps. I have a few more but just wanted to mock-up one page. Currently missing various information including shades, compartment lines, errors, etc. I suppose just trying to get a feel for it.

I Will also add separate images for individual stamps to see if we can make a more complete listing as per the Australian KGV 1d stamps. With the 'varieties' that show up on the overprints they are an interesting study. Could be quite interesting....

My current mock-up page (types may be in wrong positions - oops)-

Very interesting, Castor. Many thanks. I never reallised that there was such a variety in this overprint.

Itma
Thank you for your reply. I could be wrong but I get the feeling that, if any sorting of sheets occurred, "lesser' sheets, if that's a good way to put it, were sent and so there are quite a few 'rare' varieties. For example have a search on my die II sub-cliche - they have quite a nice value and I have found a few varieties (even in my small 60 odd stamps) that make them an excellent addition to the standard KGVs of Australia. More looking to be done....

In regard to the actual overprint, I think it goes further... these are the general types (6,11).

I'm going to look further into numbers that were sent... over what period (most likely only in the first 6 years).

PS. Thrilled to have the two joined 'wattle line' as that is only one of two stamp pairs I have!

A couple of examples of 'heavier' compartment lines -




Corner of sheet showing watermark lines -

For the record, N. W. Pacific Islands were also used in Nauru, after Australia captured the island from the Germans during WWI.

Thanks BeeSee, I had a feeling I'd read that somewhere before so I've done a bit more searching and came up with these pages. "During WWI, Australian Forces captured German holdings in the Pacific, and hence "N.W. Pacific Islands" overprinted Australian stamps were used by the inhabitants, primarily in German New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Nauru." (from Big Blue) -
http://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.co...Islands.html
and on a specific cover from Australian Postal History -
http://www.auspostalhistory.com/articles/326.shtml
New to actually researching my stamps I can see more study is required. I have edited the original post to include Nauru - thanks again!

Digital page mock-up for Australian KGV overprinted 'N.W. Pacific Islands'

Any additional information would be appreciated -

- Anything known in regard to aniline usage in NWPI as S.G. has no listing in Commonwealth Stamp Catalogue Austrlia?;

- Anything known in regard to 'wattle line' in NWPI as S.G. has no listing in Commonwealth Stamp Catalogue Austrlia? Listed are: substituted cliché, dot before 1, secret mark, flaw under neck, RA joined, (die II) and (die II) substituted cliché but not the wattle line. Is it known by any other name? for example under Australian KGV rusted or substituted cliche joining pairs - note, the full flaw actually covers two adjoining stamps.

Watching with interest.
Completely out of my depth, both in knowledge and wallet.

If I recall, our member "Tony Mac" here, is a big collector of NWPI.
Hopefully, he shall chip in.

Keep up the good work.

For interest.
NWPI Cover Prestige Auctions Feb 2012 Res $750

NWPI cover from http://www.auspostalhistory.com/articles/326.shtml

KGV 1d red 'secret mark' overprint N.W. Pacific Islands (SG 103ac carmine-red)

Aniline

KGV 1d red 'wattle line' (joined pair) overprint N.W. Pacific Islands

No SG Commonwealth Stamp Catalogue Australia listing.

Aniline

KGV 1d red die II overprint N.W. Pacific Islands (SG 103b)

KGV 1d red die II sub-cliche overprint N.W. Pacific Islands (SG 103ba)

Identification of Postmark please

Most of my NWPI stamps are all postmarked Rabaul or New Britain but there are a few others and this one in particular has me stumped. You can read MARAI E and maybe add an A in front of that (and maybe a D in front of that).
There are other areas with individual postmarks, for example Pleasant Island but I've had no luck with this one.
Any help appreciated. Please note, you can't discount it being an Australian postmark.

Note: this stamp has a compartment line down the left frame and just inside the left frame is a white streak running the full vertical length.

Excellent information Castor.

Castor.

The Postmark is SAMARAI
The troubling bit, is the following "E"
I cannot see Samurai East, there was a North and South.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samarai

This will knock your socks off !

https://issuu.com/gino-bartali/docs...ft5b-colour5

Still no SAMARAI listed
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From another forum.