Operation TAAF 

a progress report on what happened to a souvenir sheet that was broken into 5 parts

Episode I - Iles Éparses 

Episode II - Crozet

Episode III - Iles Australes - Cover received 13SEP22

Another piece of the souvenir sheet arrived yesterday... I'm making good progress! 😃

I confess that before I had started to prepare Operation TAFF, I had never heard of the Iles Australes - St. Paul et Amsterdam, so, as usual I went searching for information and what I always  suspect, seems to once again be true: it was a fellow countryman who first set his eyes on the tiny island of St. Paul, in 1559. The crew of the Nau S. Paulo, commanded by Rui Melo da Câmara, discovered it while on their way to India, on one of the many such ventures that took place after Vasco da Gama had proved the possibility of navigating from Lisbon to India in 1498.

Amsterdam was discovered by Elcano during the circumnavigation that Magellan started in 1519 and he finished  in 1522, exactly 500 years ago, but was christened after the name of the ship of a Dutch sailor - Anthony van Diemen - who sighted it in 1633 and gave it the name of his vessel - Nieuw Amsterdam.

The French took possession of the two Islands in 1843 and from then on, the two extinct Volcanoes erupting from the Indian Ocean have remained French territory, although both islands are only inhabited by scientists - 25 to 50 at most - who stay mostly at the  Martin de Viviès Base, in the Island of Amsterdam, although short study stays can also be made at St.Paul.

These islands are important biodiversity sanctuaries and harbour substantial colonies of seabirds and seals.

Monsieur  le Gérant Postale of the St.Paul and Amsterdam Islands, M. Christophe Bouchet, whom I most sincerely thank for his attention and care, was very generous with his stamps on my cover which took exactly 8 moths on its round trip from the very same desk I'm typing on right now, the return leg having started on the 18th March, and finished yesterday, that is to say  about a week short of a six month journey.

On the front of the cover we have no less that 4 different stamps: the regular Martin de Viviès - St. Paul - Ams. TAAF postmark, dated of 18-03-2022, plus The  stamp of Mission 73, comprising the outline of Amsterdam Island with what looks like an albatross, plus a western rockhoper penguin and a sea lion.

The second large stamp on the front of the cover is what I presume to be the stamp of the Mission's Doctor - Dr. Morgane David-Lefèvre - even though I could not find any mention to her  in the Amsterdam Blog (again, a very interesting resource). It comprises the outline of the Island and an albatross with a red cross badge on the wing.

and, as usual with TAAF covers the coordinates for the place  - Martin de Viviès - Long. 77º 32E; Lat. 37º 41S.

Monsieur le Gerent Postal also applied to large stamps on the back of the cover plus a sticker.

Left to right we have  a stamp of the local chapel - Notre Dame de l'Océan  (Our lady of the Ocean) with the outline of the island and the image of the chapel building;

A sticker evocative of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of Amsterdam Island, that is taking place this year;

and finally the Gérant Postal’s own "Tampon" with a western rockhoper penguin, an orca, a sea lion and M. le Gérant own signature.

All in all, a truly interesting addition to my collection. Again, thank you so much, M. le Gérant Postal des Illes de St. Paul et Amsterdam!