West Africa Study Circle

The West Africa Study Circle, formed in 1950, is the international specialist society for the study of stamps, postal stationery and postal history of West Africa.

It originated from small specialist groups which already existed and has undergone several expansions of scope.

The following philatelic areas are the ones covered in the most depth. The map shows where they are. From there, or from these links, you will find brief introductions to each area:

Ascension / Tristan da Cunha / Gough Is. Cameroons
Gambia Gold Coast / Ghana
Nigeria St Helena
Sierra Leone Togo

Additionally, several other areas are also included:
British Postal Agencies on Madeira, Tenerife. St Vincent (Cape Verde Islands) and Fernando Po;
airmails and sea-mails throughout the region.

Study dates from the earliest times and includes military campaigns, maritime, censorship and airmails.

There is an introductory article to the philatelic history of the Gambia (by Oliver Andrew). Further articles will follow.

If you wish to contact the Study Circle for information which does not appear on the site, please use this email address (remove spaces): wasc @ frankwalton. com

On the Publications page the tables from the article on "The Triangular Route" which appears in Cameo volume 9 number 4.
The booklist was updated in April 2009.
In October 2006 was added the text and table for an article from Cameo volume 9 number 5 on "Vessels at St Helena - 1826", available from the St Helena page.

Details of meetings were updated in October 2009.

An index to Cameo, all volumes 1-10 was added in January 2009, with a link from the Publications page.

Also added in 2009

West Africa Study Circle member John Wilson has made a superb job of transcribing Civil Aviation Authority records of World War Two. This has led to the document attached here which details Empire and Trans-Oceanic airline services during each of the war years. This will be of invaluable help to philatelic researchers, and not simply those of British West Africa. John wishes it to be made available to all readers whether members or not of the Study Circle. It is not to be used for commercial publication without his permission.

last updated: 21 November 2009