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  The French Navy in Djibouti

  By No one · Posted 1 hour ago

  Dear Gentlemen,   Historique des Relations Franco-Djiboutiennes jusqu’à l’indépendance (...) - La France à Djibouti (ambafrance.org)   (only the fist paragraph, translation Google)   History of Franco-Djiboutian relations until independence (1977) By the turn of the 1850s, the shores of the Red Sea were directly or indirectly under Ottoman sovereignty. Nevertheless, two regional states - Egypt and Ethiopia - coveted the outlets of the trade and pilgrimage routes that passed through their territories. A few enterprising Europeans, following Rochet d'Héricourt, were sinking inland, attracted by the fame and riches of the Abyssinian Empire. With the construction of the Suez Canal, competition between the European powers was revived. The British took a certain lead by a triple anchorage - the port of Aden occupied in 1839, the islands of Perim (1854) and Socotora (1859) - they sealed the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. The French government pursued a less maritime, less systematic policy, interested as much in commercial penetration in Ethiopia as in a relay to the Indian Ocean. In 1857 it fell to the Frenchman Henri Lambert, who had interests in the sugar plantations of Mauritius, to initiate the first contacts with the traditional chiefs of Tadjoura. This initiative was brutally stopped by his assassination in 1859. This murder prompted Napoleon III to intervene, entrusting Commander Fleuriot de Langle with the mission of punishing the culprits and making official contact with the sultans of the region. This mission was a success - the treaty, signed in Paris in March 1862, between Dini Ahmed Aboubeker and Jean Thouvenel, Minister of Foreign Affairs, recognized France's purchase of a concession around Obock, for the sum of 10,000 thalers. Although the tricolour flag flew over a hut, entrusted to a single native guard, Paris was in no hurry to consolidate its interests there, a phenomenon amplified by the defeat of 1870. Obock, left to his fate, nevertheless attracted a few adventurers, eager to enrich themselves by inserting themselves into the dynamic commercial networks (Soleillet, Arnoux, Barral, Chefneux, etc.) while others, such as Arthur Rimbaud, settled in Harar to trade coffee, ivory and hides, directly exported to Aden. Under the pressure of the international situation, France's disinterest came to an end. Indeed, in 1883, the French fleet, engaged in a conflict for the conquest of Tonkin, was unable to coal in British ports, including Aden; this decision was taken by London as a sign of neutrality in the Franco-Chinese conflict. In response, the Republican government reconsidered its policy in the Red Sea. Obock was to become the port demanded both by the imperatives of steam navigation and by the needs of colonial expansion in Asia and Madagascar. It was convenient for Léonce Lagarde, who had been appointed commander of Obock, to apply this policy. If in 1884, the advantages of the first French post seemed positive, the disadvantages turned out, in practice, to be shallow and poorly protected from seasonal winds, drinking water but too salty, a poor outlet for caravans which, in fact, stopped at Tadjoura. On the other hand, opposite Obock, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura, the madreporic site of "Gaboutus", devoid of any settlement, offered better prospects. From 1884 to 1888, Léonce Lagarde led a skilful and dynamic policy to establish France around the Gulf of Tadjoura, while forging ties of friendship with the King of Shoa who, under the name of Menelik II, became Emperor of Ethiopia in 1889. Similarly, he favoured the birth of Djibouti, which was to become the head of a railway penetration. By decree of May 20, 1896, the French colony of the Somalis, with Djibouti as its capital, which irretrievably dethroned Obock. In addition to its administrative activities, Djibouti was to combine port and railway activities. At the dawn of the twentieth century, apart from Ethiopia (at Adua, in March 1896, Ethiopia preserved its independence by defeating the Italians), the Horn of Africa had lost its independence. To the north of the CFS, in Eritrea, the Italians had settled; to the south, the British and Italians colonized Somaliland and Somalia respectively. By negotiations with the neighboring powers, France delimited the 23,000 km2 of her possession. This division of territories, the lands of the Issas and Afar pastoralists, remains fraught with threat. (for more see the link above)   Nowadays:   The French Naval Base of Djibouti, also known as the Heron Naval Base, is a planned naval base of the French Navy in East Africa, located in the capital city of Djibouti. The French military port is a support point for all the ships of the French Navy passing through the Horn of Africa and operating in the northern Indian Ocean theater, thus constituting essentially a naval support and logistics base.   The French Navy has two equipment transport barges (CTM) at all times, as well as navy commandos prepositioned on site (special forces).   -Note: The Heron maritime base would have been coveted by China. In 2015, the Djiboutian president reportedly asked the French to free the FFDJ base, on the Héron islet, so that the first Chinese contingent could settle there. Well, they got Obock instead: China’s First Overseas Military Base in Djibouti | Vivekananda International Foundation (vifindia.org) Accidental friction on the Belt and Road | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au) People's Liberation Army Support Base in Djibouti - Wikipedia   Presentation of insignia of the French Navy in French Somali Coast* Drago Paris: * Marine en Côte française des Somalis / Marine CFS       - no insignia for the French Territory of the Afars and Issas period   - presentation of insignia of the French Navy in Djibouti* (since independence) Drago Paris: *Marine Djibouti -Note: This badge was banned from wearing by the Djiboutian President because it reads TFAI in international maritime signal flags       - key ring:     To this day the only insignia related to Djibouti of the Navy:   - 21 F.* PATMAR** Artimon Daguet Segalen 1991 #162: *Flotilla 21F is a French naval aviation flotilla created on 27 June 1940 and still active  Flottille 21F — Wikipédia (wikipedia.org) **PATMAR = patrouille maritime = maritime patrol     - Opération Artimon: Opération Artimon — Wikipédia (wikipedia.org)  Operation Artimon is the name given to the participation of the French Navy in ship control missions following the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq by UN Resolution 661.   - Opération Daguet: Opération Daguet - Wikipedia Operation Daguet is the name given to the participation of the French army in the international coalition formed following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in the Gulf War in 1990-1991.   - Amicale des anciens marins et des marins anciens combattants de Djibouti /  Association of former sailors and veteran sailors of Djibouti pin's:     Your sincerely, No one
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  Enamel Time!

  By VtwinVince · Posted 3 hours ago

  Here is one of my favourites, an SEHO1 in 750 gold.
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  1939 EK1 with screw back Opinion needed

  By Bernd_W · Posted 5 hours ago

  I dont think so. There are people with hole fake collections and they will never know because they dont show it of. Look at the eBay fakes thread, plenty of fakes are pumped out every week. Most sell for market prices.   Can you please elaborate this? Are you talking about WW1 or WW2? Don't know about WW2, but WW1 postcards are IMO one of the last safe harbors. Some Sanke Cards are faked, because they are also period mass-produced, so it's easy to sell plenty of fakes. But for postcards you can technically only sell one or a few (when using several markets like Europe, US and SEA) fakes of an unpublished postcard you own. If you sell more, especially at niche markets where higher prices are paid, collectors will notice, because most postcards are not mass-produced, they show 4 people there are likely only 4 copies. And It's very unlikely these 4 cards are popping up on eBay in a few months. Also, you need the real card, which cost you some money, so it's not a worthwhile Business. 
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  Help with Canadian MKII with unit insignia and camouflage

  By joaobr · Posted 6 hours ago

  I recently found this very interesting Canadian MKII with a painted emblem that I need help identifying. I'm happy with my colleagues' opinion   It is marked G.S.W, therefore manufactured by "General Steel Wares of Toronto". It is also marked "MKI" and "1941" on the shell. The liner, as all Canadian helmets were, has the Viceroy manufacturer's marking from the year 1940.   It has a nice sand-colored camouflage paint job brushed over the original paint. Typical of the helmets used in the Mediterranean theater.   It is also interesting that on the inside, there is a white ribbon bordering the liner.   Thanks
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  Review - South African 6th armored division MKII helmet

  By joaobr · Posted 6 hours ago

  Hello gentlemen, This is a South African MKII that I found a few years ago. It features the typical sand-colored livery and triangular livery of the 6th South African Armored Division. The liner is dated 1949. Along with the chinstraps on the hull, there is a wire wrapped around each side, I don't know what they could be used for. I appreciate any thoughts on the helmet and observations on the insignia paint job. I received some opinions that it may have been done post-war Thanks