Kaišiadorys (1922 – early 1930s renamed Kaišedorys), with its important railway junction, is situated ca. 28 km east of Kaunas. It was a contested object both in 1915 and 1919. It was taken by units of German XXXX. Reserve-Korps on August 21, 1915 soon after the fall of the fortress of Kaunas on August 18.
After the German withdrawal from Russia at the end of 1918, in early 1919 Kaišiadorys (as Koschedary) was held by Saxonian Grenzschutz volunteers, especially Frw. Batallion 19, to prevent the Red Army’s advance on Kaunas. Because of its rail connections, Kaišiadorys remained an important base for Lithuanian troops during their expulsion of Bolshevik forces from Aukštaitija, also in late 1920 during hostilities with Polish formations.
In the czarist period, Kaišiadorys had had a post office (Koshedary). There was no postal civilian facility during the German occupation but a stationary Feldpost 142 was resident from June 1916 to November 1918.
A mandate, as įgaliotinis, to establish a Lithuanian P.O. was given to Boleslovas Gylys as early as January 27, 1919, though the volatile military situation may have delayed its opening and interfered with its functioning. A postman, Zigmas Malašauskas was appointed on August 1. On December 1 Boleslovas Gylys was transferred as postmaster to Šančiai (a suburb of Kaunas) and replaced by Jonas Žaldokas from Raseiniai, who on February 7, 1920 was in turn replaced by Konstantas Cipinas. On May 1, 1920 Zigmas Milašauskas was replaced by Petras Razanavičius.
For stamps, as an early P.O. Kaišiadorys may have been supplied with Vilnius Issues and Kaunas Issues but so far there is no surviving evidence. Its main stock consisted of Fourth Berlin Issue, followed by the Sėjėjas Issue etc. (For Second Berlin Issue, see explanation below.)
At some time in 1919, Kaišiadorys seems to have resorted to cancelling by means of a manuscript diagonal cross plus date. In the only one known instance the date shown is 18. VII. 19.
Some time, probably also in 1919, for cancelling Kaišiadorys is reported to have used a two-liner cachet with place and date but so far it is available only as a fragment.
Better known is a standard calendar-type postmarker inscribed “KAIŠIADORYS” with dates from May and early June 1919, whose strikes are found on stamps of Second Berlin Issue, both perforated and imperforate (including various printing and perforation errors). However, such cancelling-to-order was carried out in a quasi-legitimate manner at Kaunas, not Kaišiadorys.
For proper use, this postmarker was supplied to Kaišiadorys at a later time, with the earliest dates seen being various days of July 1919. Some subsequent postmarkers carried the altered spelling “KAIŠEDORYS”.
While already possessing a standard postmarker, Kaišiadorys did not yet have a formal registration cachet, so registration was indicated on the postal article by means of a hand-drawn imitation box (drawing ex Fugalevičius).
Known provisional markings:
Cancelling by a MS diagonal cross:
18 / VII/ 19 postcard to Šiauliai, Berlin IV 10 x2 [colln. Bubnys]Cancelling by a two-liner cachet:
Date incomplete single, Berlin IV 60 [colln. Doniela]Registration by means of an imitation box:
111 1. VII. 19 reg. card to Riga, Berlin IV 10 x2, 30 x2 [formerly Lindberg]
112 1. VII. 19 reg. card or cover to Riga, Berlin IV 20, 60 [formerly Lindberg]