Boxer Rebellion Cover 1

[Colin Tabeart]

The cover shown has a KDMS No 66, that Crusemann tells us was allocated to the Hapag liner PALATIA from 3 Aug 1900 to 16 Oct 1900, after which it passed to another trooper in the Far East. She sailed from Bremerhaven with troops for Taku, where she disembarked her troops on 16 Oct 1900. Postal Concession applied. This cover was clearly posted at Colombo on an unreadable date in the KDMS stamp, arriving at Marburg in Germany on 14 Oct 1900. My questions are: What is the wording of the rectangular stamp top left - what I can discern is "IS/EXPED/REGMT", unfortunately struck over the Hapag logo. Can anyone tell me what else it says and where struck please? Secondly can anyone enlarge on the endorsement on the back of the cover "4 Comp 5 Ost Asiat ? Rgt"  etc? Probably carried from Colombo by the P&O liners Victoria and Isiis via Brindisi. Will have to send images in two whacks as website only allows up to 800 k. best to all our readers! Colin

[Colin Tabeart]

Further scan of back attached. Colin

[akennedy]

Sender's details on flap:
Hinneburg [surname] 4 Comp 5 Ost Asiat[ische] Inft Rgt
zur zeit Colombo
= 4th Company 5th East Asian Infantry Regt
for the time being at Colombo

The rectangular cachet has S B at top [presumably Soldaten Brief = Soldier's Letter].
The other two lines would be the unit, probably abbreviated similar to the sender's details but including EXPEDITION (i.e. East Asian Expedition).

This cachet would have been applied on board by a unit officer to authenticate entitlement to free postage.

Alistair

[Colin Tabeart]

Brilliant - many thanks Alistair. Colin