CONGO FRANCAIS / CONGO BELGE - ISSUE in 1960 of... Lot 85

CONGO FRANCAIS / CONGO BELGE - ISSUE in 1960 of an AERIAL POST TIMBER in LEOPOLDVILLE (mentioned in Yvert et Tellier). History: during the 2nd week of independence of "CONGO-LEO", in view of the looting & violence perpetrated against Europeans, there was a massive flight of Belgian citizens and the postal services in Leopoldville were completely disorganized. To compensate for the lack of stamps, the first issue of the former French Congo's independence stamp "CONGO BRAZZAVILLE" (effigy of the Republic in the form of a black laurel girl) was overprinted with "COURRIER AERIEN FRANCAIS LEOPOLDVILLE JUILLET 1960". The franked letters were flown by private plane to Brazzaville and re-mailed by the Congolese post office. Text after Yvert & Tellier and article from "L'Echangiste Universel", May 1974. CONGO BRAZZA - Independence PRECURRENT AERIAL POST - Stamp no. 135 with provisional overprint "COURRIER AERIEN FRANCAIS LEOPOLDVILLE JUILLET 1960. cancelled.