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Compagnie Maritime France-Afrique (Shipping company, France)

House flag of the CMFA - Image by Ivan Sache, 22 February 2004

History of the CMFA
House flag of the CMFA

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History of the CMFA

The Compagnie Maritime France-Afrique (CMFA) existed from 1929 to 1935. At the end of the First World War, Marius Valoussière founded with his associates Brignaudy and Lieutaud a shipping company operating a few small sailing boats. Valoussière purchased in 1922 from the French Navy SS Sarneio, Alsace, Mektoub, Pythéas and Albâtre, deemed obsolete and sold to private owners.

In 1929, Valoussière and his new associate, Arnaud, founded the Compagnie Marseillaise d'Armement, de Gérance et d'Entreprises Maritimes (CMAGERM), renamed the same year Compagnie Maritime France-Afrique (CMFA) since the lines of the company served Algeria.
In 1935, Valoussière and Arnaud founded the Société Nouvelle de Cabotage and extended their lines to the French coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Channel. In 1934, Arnaud alone maintained the company, which ceased to exist in 1950.

Arnaud's flagship, SS La-Macta, had a long and complicated life. Built in 1901 in Glasgow and named Seahound, the ship as subsequently renamed Freifrau and Faneronemi. Louis Sicard bought her in 1929 in Greece and renamed her Guercif. The ship was purchased in 1934 by Arnaud, who renamed her La-Macta. She was then sold in 1938 to a Greek shipowner, taking the successive names of Mykonos, Efterpi, Alexandros-A, Efterpi (back) and Liese. Eventually sold in Israel and renamed Elisa, the ship ended in 1951 a service of 50 years under 10 different names.

Source: Paul Bois. Armements marseillais - Compagnies de navigation et navires à vapeur (1831-1988), published by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Marseille-Provence [boi03].

Ivan Sache, 22 February 2004

House flag of the CMFA

P. Bois [boi03] shows the house flag of the CMFA as horizontally divided red-white-red with the black letters "CMFA" and a red star in the white stripe.

Ivan Sache, 22 February 2004