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"Milano". 1893 (Jan 15) Cover with enclosed letter to Vienna, Austria 5k tied by Lussinpiccolo c.d.s, waterstained, the reverse with violet cachet "Aus dem am 16 Janner 1893 gesunkenen / Postdampfer MILANO geborgen", and a Vienna arrival c.d.s (Jan 28). The Lloyd Austriaco Paddle steamer "Milano" en route from Mitcovich to Trieste foundered after striking rocks at the entrance to Pola Bay on January 16th, the salvaged mail being treated at Pola eleven days later. Fine and very scarce, fewer than ten covers recorded from this wreck. Photo on Page 156. £400-500
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"Mexican". 1900 Covers from Cape Colony, posted from Petuka (Mar 29) to England franked 1d handstamped red "RECOVERED FROM / WRECK OF MEXICAN", or from Paarl (Apr 4) to Germany franked 2 1/2d, the reverse handstamped "Aus dermit dem / uniergegangenen Dampfer *Mexican* / beforderter Post aus Capstadt / Bahnpostamt No 15". The "Mexican" collided with the transport ship "Winkfield" in fog on April 5th, 80 miles from Cape Town, and sank. (2). Photo on Page 158. £180-220
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"Kenilworth Castle". 1918 (Apr 25) Registered cover from Potgietersrust to "The Chief Rabbi Dr Hertz, London", stained and the stamps washed off, both sides with violet boxed "DAMAGED BY IMMERSION / IN SEA WATER", arrival backstamps (June 10). From the "Kenilworth Castle" which sailed in convoy from South Africa but collided with an escorting destroyer in the English Channel on May 2nd setting off two depth charges. £80-100
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"Kenilworth Castle". 1918 (Apr 16) Long Registered cover from Port Louis to London bearing four Mauritius 6c stamps, waterstained, handstamped violet boxed "DAMAGED BY IMMERSION / IN SEA WATER", later ink note at left "Note Mauritius Mail Torpedoed 20.4.18". A scarce origin for mail from the "Kenilworth Castle". £100-120
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1930-45 Covers with 1930 Cover from Auckland to USA paid by a 1d meter, handstamped "Salvaged from / S.S Tahiti / Lost at sea", and World War Two covers comprising 1940 covers from G.B to Canada or South Africa with "SALVED FROM THE SEA" (one from H.M.S "Comorin" with three Officially Sealed labels all bearing the cachet), 1943 G.B (2) or India to South Africa with "DAMAGED BY SEAWATER / BESKADIG DEUR SEEWATER", and 1945 Canada to G.B with "DAMAGED BY FIRE & WATER. (7). £150-180
| CRASH COVERS
(Also See Lots 1121, 1129, 1143/5, 1147, 1167/73, 1342) | |
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USA. 1929-49 Covers recovered from plane crashes within the USA with cachets of Atlanta 13 Sept. 1929, Clearfield 26 April 1930, Kansas City 28 July 1933, Memphis 10 Feb 1944 or Washington D.C 12 Dec. 1949, the 1930 cover with some fire damage, the others all with stamps washed off, the 1929 cover to Haiti with Port au Prince arrival backstamp. (5). £110-130
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1934-86 Crash covers including 1934 Amsterdam to Batavia Uiver flight cover with Bandoeng explanatory slip "Aangetroffen in de beschadigde lucht- / post van de "UIVER"; 1940 (Feb 20) French Guinea Kindia to Kaukan first flight with "Courrier Accidente" and 17th January cover from Semarang to Australia with "RECOVERED FROM / LOST FLYING BOAT"; 1951 cover from New York to Bogata, the stamp washed off, with boxed "DEMORADA SU ENTREGA / por eccidente sufride en el Avion / N-9066Z de Panemerican World / Airways el 2 de Sepbre. de 1951"; 1955 (11 Feb) cover from Belgium to Belgian Congo with violet "POSTES ROME GARE AVION / Correspondance recouvree / dans le desastre d'avion du 13 Feb 1955", etc. (12). £220-260
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Gibraltar. 1933 (May 8) Cover from Gibraltar to Scotland, badly burnt, handstamped "CORRESPONDANCE AVION / retardee et deterioree / par suite de l'accident aerien / survenu le 9 Mai 1933" with Toulouse c.d.s (May 12). From the Cie Aeropostale Casablanca - Barcelona - Perpignon - Toulouse plane which crashed shortly after leaving Barcelona, unusual from Gibraltar. £100-120
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"Boadicea". 1936 (Sep 24) Cover from Oxford to Sudan, the stamps washed off, repaired with French Officially Sealed labels, handstamped red "SERVICE POSTAL FRANCAISE / Correspondance retardee par suite / du naufrage d'un Avion / Reconstitue par le Service Francaise / NE PAS TAXER", backstamped Sudan Air Mail El Fasher c.d.s (Nov 4). The London to Paris plane disappeared over the Channel and was never found; three mailbags were recovered, this cover being from the first bag which was washed up on the beach at Cucq one month after the plane disappeared. A very scarce destination for mail from this crash. Photo on Page 158. £200-250
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"Boadicea". 1936 (Sep 25) Water damaged cover from London to Sydney bearing five 1 1/2d stamps, eight other stamps washed off, bearing explanatory label "The accompanying packet which was / washed ashore on the Coast of England / was apparently conveyed by the Imperial / Airways Airplane "Boadicea" which left / Croydon on 25th September and failed / to arrive at Paris", with R.L.S Mount Pleasant ambulance envelope in which it was forwarded to Sydney (Nov 27 arrival backstamp) but then redirected back to England. From the second of three mailbags recovered, washed up at Dymchurch on November 10th. Photo on Page 158. £200-250
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"Scipio". 1936 Covers from Haifa or Tel-Aviv to Germany, the second with the stamps washed off, both bearing a Munich Post Office label explaining that they were recovered from a plane crash in Crete. Two fine covers from the Imperial Airways flyingboat "Scipio" which crashed and sank upon landing at Mirabella Bay killing two people. (2). £100-120
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Imperial Airways. 1936 Cover from Haifa to Germany franked Palestine 5m + 10m recovered from Imperial Airways flyingboat "Scipio" which crashed in Crete, with Munich Post Office explanatory label on the reverse; and 1937 cover from Melbourne to G.B franked 1/6, water damaged and a further stamp washed off, handstamped "DAMAGED BY / SEA WATER / IN AIRPLANE / ACCIDENT", from the Imperial Airways flyingboat "Cygnus" which overturned and sank when taking off from Brindisi. (2). £80-100
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Imperial Airways. 1936-39 Covers comprising 1936 "Scipio" cover with Ceylon 9c handstamped "DAMAGED - BY - / SEA WATER"; 1937 "Cygnus" cover from Singapore franked Straits 25c with violet boxed "DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER"; 1938 cover from Scotland to New Zealand, the stamp washed off, with violet "RECEIVED IN DAMAGED CONDITION / EX FLYING BOAT CALPURNIA"; 1939 cover from Germany to South Africa with Bremen meter mark and violet bilingual boxed "FLYING BOAT CORRESPONDENCE DAMAGED BY SEAWATER", from the "Challenger", all fine. (4). £160-180
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Argentina/France. 1937-38 Covers from Argentina, the first to Belgium franked 1p40 handstamped "Courrier Sinistre / reconstitue par les soins du / Bureau de Casablanca", from the Dakar to France service which disappeared off Cap Blanc, two mailbags subsequently found; and burnt 1938 cover to Paris franked 1p40 with violet "CORRESPONDANCE AVION / retardee et deterioree / par suite l'accident aerien / survenu le 23 Mars 1938", from the Air France plane which crashed in the Pyrenees. (2). £160-200
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Australia/Egypt. 1939 (Jan 9) Long cover from Cairo to Western Australia, the stamps washed off, the reverse with Perth explanatory label "The accompanying postal / article was salvaged from the / Mail Plane which crashed in / Katherine River on 18/1/39 / when en route with mails for / Australia, from England". Very scarce from Egypt, virtually all the mail on this flight from G.B. £150-180
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"Corsair" - Nyasaland. 1939 (Mar 14) Cover from Blantyre to Gold Coast bearing Nyasaland 1d pair + 2d, handstamped "Damaged by Water when the / Imperial Airways Aircraft forced / landed near Juba, Sudan". Redirected from Koforidua to Tafo, backstamped at Khartoum (Mar 16), Koforidua and Tafo. The "Corsair" was bound from Durban to G.B but got lost and made a forced landing on the River Dungu in Belgian Congo, hit a rock and sank. One of the rarest of all Imperial Airways crashes, probably unique from Nyasaland. Photo on Page 158. £1,500-1,800
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"Challenger". 1939 (Apr 25) Cover from Brussels to Port Elizabeth bearing Belgian 25c, other stamps washed off, with violet boxed bilingual "FLYING BOAT CORRESPONDENCE DAMAGED BY SEAWATER", reverse with an Officially Sealed label bearing a Durban c.d.s. A very scarce origin for mail from the "Challenger" crash. £140-160
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"Challenger". 1939 (Apr 19) Cover from Chicago to Durban "via S.S "Aquitania" by air from London", bearing a 35c meter label, violet boxed bilingual "FLYING BOAT CORRESPONDENCE DAMAGED BY SEAWATER", probably a unique origin for a "Challenger" crash cover. Photo on Page 158. £160-180
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Ethiopia/Eritrea. 1941 (Nov 2) Stampless O.A.S Cover to South Africa with India F.P.O 90 backstamp of Asmara, some fire damage at the edges, both sides handstamped "DAMAGED IN AIRCRAFT FIRE", with the South African ambulance envelope in which it was forwarded bearing "E.A / A.P.O 60" c.d.s (Dec 11) of Addis Ababa. From a South African Air Force plane that crashed in Sudan; most recovered mail was dealt with in Nairobi in mid November, but this cover seems to have been recovered at a much later date, and was forwarded from Addis Ababa in mid December. Very scarce. £200-250
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1944 (Mar 11) Canadian armed forces air letter from Fort Frances, Ontario, to an R.A.F Officer in 265 Sqn (then at Kipevu in East Africa), stained and the stamp washed off, handstamped violet "SALVAGED FROM / AIR CRASH". Most covers from this crash are from Canada to forces in Italy, where the crash possibly occurred; this cover to Kenya probably a unique destination for mail from the crash. £140-160
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Kenya. 1944 Stampless O.A.S cover addressed to Mbalala, Uganda, senders details on reverse, with typed inscription "Salvaged from the wreckage of B.O.A.C Loadstar "Lyndhurst" (G-ABW) which crashed in the Kinangop Peak (12,000ft) on the flight from Juba to Nairobi on 29 Nov. 1944. No survivors" and "Wrecked plane found five weeks after the accident and a small quantity of salvaged mail delivered in Nairobi on 8th and 15th January and 6th March 1945", a little soiled, no postmarks, scarce. £120-150
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India/Hong Kong. 1951 (Nov 20) Cover to Tokyo franked 3r6p, handstamped violet boxed "SALVAGED NIGHT AIR MAIL / DUM-DUM CRASH 21ST. NOV. 51"; and 1953 (Apr 30) cover from Hong Kong to England franked 50c pair with violet "SALVAGED MAIL / "COMET" CRASH NEAR CALCUTTA / 2nd May 1953". (2). £160-180
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1951 (Dec 20) Cover from New York to Germany franked 15c, reverse with signs of singeing and violet "Aus dem Unfall des Flugzeuges / New York - Mailand von 23. Dez. 1951 / geborgene geschadigte Korrespondenz", from the New York - Shannon - Milan flight which crashed 8km short of the airport; and 1952 (Mar 17) cover from Brazil to Holland, water and fire damaged, recovered from the KLM Johannesburg - Frankfurt - Rome - Amsterdam flight which crashed near Frankfurt, with explanatory label "Amsterdam C.S / Het bijgevoegde stuk is / beschadigol in verband met / vliegtuigongeluk bij / Frankfurtmain". Two uncommon crash covers. (2). £150-180
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Canada / N. Borneo. 1954-70 Covers to Canada, the first from Amsterdam (5 Apr. 1954) franked 45c, handstamped "SALVAGED FROM / T.C.A WRECK"; the second from Sabah (29 June 1970) franked 10c strip of three handstamped "SALVAGED FROM / AIR CRASH JULY 5", the last a very unusual origin. (2). £120-150
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Sudan. 1954 Piece from a parcel addressed to Port Sudan, bearing the explanatory label "This item was amongst mail / salvaged from B.O.A.C Comet / GALYY which came down in the / sea north of Stromboli on / 8th April 1954", with a Khartoum Air Mail c.d.s (Apr 29). The Comet aircraft from Rome to Cairo crashed in the sea near Sorrento killing all 21 on board; two bags of mail to Sudan were recovered from the sea. Also a news cutting about the crash. £80-100
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Uganda/Bermuda. 1954 (Dec 18) Cover from Kampala to Bermuda bearing KUT QEII 5c, 20c and 1/-, handstamped violet "SALVAGED MAIL / PRESTWICK 25-12-54". The London to New York B.O.A.C plane crashed on landing at Prestwick killing 28 people. A unique origin and destination for a cover from this crash, with the "loose type" cachet. Photo on Page 158. £150-180
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Kenya/Tanganyika. 1955 (May 17) Registered O.H.M.S cover from Dar-es-Salaam to Tabora with "POSTAL / SECRETARIAT / FRANK" and "BY AIR MAIL" cachets, a registration label applied, datestamps of Dar-es-Salaam (May 17) and Tabora (June 2) and violet boxed "SALVAGED MAIL, AIRCRAFT CRASH / TANGANYIKA, 18/5/55". From the East African Airways DC3 Durban to Nairobi via Dar-es-Salaam flight which crashed into Mwenzi Peak near Mt. Kilimanjaro killing all 20 passengers and crew. A fine and rare crash cover, unrecorded by Nierinck. Photo on Page 158. £240-250
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Kenya/Tanganyika. 1955 (May 17) Window envelope with red "POSTAGE PAID / 15 CENTS / DAR ES SALAAM" c.d.s, violet boxed "BY AIR MAIL / PAR AVION" and "SALVAGED MAIL, AIRCRAFT CRASH / TANGANYIKA, 18/5/55", fine and rare, unrecorded by Nierinck. £200-240
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Nigeria/Libya. 1955 (Sep 20) Long registered cover from Manchester to Kano franked 6d + 1/3, at least one other stamp unfortunately torn out of the corner, handstamped violet "SALVAGED AIR MAIL FROM / AIRCRAFT G - ALHL TRIPOLI LIBYA" with a Nigerian Officially Sealed label bearing a Kano c.d.s (Sep 29). The B.O.A.C plane crashed upon landing at Tripoli killing 15 passengers and crew. Also two news cuttings. Very scarce, this cover illustrated by Nierinck. £80-100
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Nigeria. 1956 (June 22) Long registered cover from Oultsha to England bearing five Nigerian stamps, a little fire damage at both ends, bearing a label regretting damage or delay with manuscript "Salvaged from B.O.A.C Argonaut Crash. L.B680 refers" and bearing an Inland Section London Postal Region c.d.s (June 3), with the ambulance envelope bearing a London Registered datestamp and Letter Branch Mount Pleasant handstamp and wax seal. The Kano to London B.O.A.C plane hit a tree upon take-off and crashed killing 26 people; a small part of the mail was recovered in damaged condition. £160-200
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1968 (Apr 18) Cover from Swakopmund to Germany franked 15c, a little singed, with explanatory slip from the Windhoek Postmaster "The accompanying postal article/s was/were included in the mail despatches which were despatched with flight SA 228 (BOEING : "PRETORIA") and accordingly damaged in the crash in which the forementioned aircraft was destroyed near J.G Strijdan Airport on April 20, 1968"; and 1974 (Nov 18) cover from Holland to Pretoria franked 90c, soiled with bilingual red cachet "RECEIVED FROM AIR CRASH ON 20 / NOVEMBER 1974 AT NAIROBI". (2). £120-140
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Sierra Leone/Swaziland. 1974 (Nov 16) Cover from Freetown to Swaziland bearing Sierra Leone 5c + 10c (2), handstamped violet bilingual "RETRIEVED FROM AIR CRASH ON 20 / NOVEMBER 1974 AT NAIROBI". From the Lufthansa flight to Johannesburg which crashed when taking off at Nairobi killing 59 people. A unique origin and destination from this crash. £100-120
| WORLDWIDE AIR MAILS
(Also See Lots 166/84, 1341/2, 1537/9, 1591/5, 1688, 1713, 1882, 1998/2005, 2020/22) | |
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1911-85 First flight and commercial covers and cards including 1911 First U.K Aerial Post card to Cape Town (arrival c.d.s, faults), 1926 S.S "Homeric" to New York seaplane flight by Alan Cobham initialled "AC", 1930 Algiers to Clermont-Ferrand flight, 1931 USA ship to shore airship flights (2), 1931 Manila to Katsuura flight signed by Francis Chichester, 1935 Liechtenstein Vaduz-Altenrhein-Innsbruck first flight, commercial 1937-38 Deutsche Lufthansa flight covers from Germany or Austria to Argentina or Austria to South Africa, etc. (39). £200-250
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c.1922-87 Worldwide first flight covers, picture postcards and ephemera including luggage labels, timetables, tickets, advertising labels and postcards for Sabena, Air France, Lufthansa, KLM and various other airlines in Europe, Central and South America, USA, etc. (128). £250-300
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1923-57 Covers from G.B or British Empire countries, some partly flown with the air mail inscriptions or labels obliterated in transit when diverted to surface mail (33), others with explanatory handstamps showing the route to be flown or how far the cover was to be carried by air mail (25), also 1923 G.B covers with boxed "NO FLIGHT / SENT BY / ORDINARY SERVICE" (2, one also with scarce circular unframed "AIR / MAIL" in violet), mixed quality with some faults, an interesting lot. (60). £300-350
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1924-52 Covers from South or Central America with explanatory cachets showing the route to be flown or how far the cover was to be carried by air mail (31), and covers partly carried by air with the air mail inscriptions or labels obliterated in transit when diverted to surface mail (20), quality a little mixed with some faults. (51). £250-300
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1930-68 First flight covers including 1930 Canada cover from Lac La Rouge to Christopher Lake bearing Cherry Red Airlines 10c stamp; 1938 first 1 1/2d rate flights from G.B to Cook Islands, Nauru, Solomons or New Guinea; 1947 Canton Island to Sydney; 1964 Tonga to Fiji or return (12) or Fiji to Gilberts or return (22); 1965 Tonga-Penrhyn-Tahiti experimental flight (8); 1965-66 illustrated first flight covers by BOAC (42), QANTAS (9) or Air New Zealand (11), etc. (122). £120-150
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A.V.2. c.1947-52 Covers from Thailand (4) or Libya (2, one with B.M.A Tripolitania stamps) all handstamped "A.V.2", to USA or various countries in Europe. (6). £100-120
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Aviation ephemera, including 1919 (Oct) Air Ministry "Report of American Aviation Mission" (H.M.S.O, 21 pages), 1930 I.A.T.A Aerial time-table, 1934 Railway Air Service air mail notices (2), various post war route maps, magazines, 1949 Handley-Page Ltd 96 page hardbound book for the 40th Anniversary of the company, etc. (55). £200-240
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Aviation ephemera, mainly timetables including Italy 1934 Navigazione Aerea S.A, 1936 Sweden Aerotransport and Imperial Airways Europe, 1939 American Airlines and TWA, etc., also Imperial Airways "Visit Switzerland" leaflet, tickets, etc. (34). £200-240
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Aviation ephemera, including 1930 I.A.T.A Aerial time-table, 1930 Short Bros aircraft publicity photo, c.1932 AA Libya flying maps, 1933 Amsterdam to Java "Pelican" flight leaflet, c.1935 G.P.O Anglo-Palestine Air Mail leaflet, other 1946-1970s G.P.O air mail leaflets, also F.J. Field pamphlets, etc. (113). £200-240
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Lufthansa/Zeppelin. 1934 Deutsche Lufthansa fold up summer timetable and route map including Zeppelin services to South America and Catapult services from the ships "Europa" and "Bremen"; and 1936 Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei illustrated leaflet giving the timetable for flights by the "Hindenburg" to the USA, both fine and scarce. (2). £160-180
| AFRICA AIR MAILS | |
R.A.F Flights | |
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1925 Cover to "S/L Coningham, R.A.F Hilwan" endorsed "By Special Air Mail Kano - Cairo" bearing Chad 75c with red manuscript "By Air Tchad Cairo" tied by Fort Lamy c.d.s (Nov 3), backstamped at Hilwan (Nov 20). Fine and very scarce, about five covers recorded. Photo on Page 164. £250-300
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1925 (Nov 3) Cover posted from Kano to London bearing two Nigeria 1d stamps, address panel with typed heading "Experimental Flight, Cairo to Kano", initialled "AC" by Sqn. Ldr. Coningham. Approximately 65 official covers carried on the R.A.F first West African flight from Egypt to Nigeria. £120-150
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1925 (Nov 3) Cover posted from Kano to England endorsed "By Aeroplane", reverse with inscription "Letter carried by the first aeroplane that carried mail to and from Kano Nigeria on Nov. 11 1925". Very light central fold, otherwise fine and scarce; only about six privately posted covers carried on the flight from Cairo to Kano in addition to the 65 official covers (which had typed addressed and heading, and were initialled by Coningham). Photo on Page 164. £140-160
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1926 (Jan 9) Cover with Egypt 5m cancelled at Abu Suwer, addressed to Khartoum endorsed "By kind permission of OC flight" and initialled by V.E Stoner, with violet "Special Flight / Cairo to Khartoum" and "Khartoum 11/1/26", very fine. 65 Private letters and five official letters were carried on this R.A.F test flight. Photo on Page 164. £150-180
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1926 (Jan 15) Stampless cover to Abu Suwer, carried on the R.A.F return flight from Khartoum, initialled by V.E Stoner, handstamped "By Return of / Special Flight / Cairo to Khartoum", "Khartoum 15/1/26" and "17 JAN 1926", very fine. Just 35 covers carried on this return flight. Photo on Page 164. £180-200
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1926 Cairo to Cape Town and return survey flight, cover to England carried on the return flight from Kenya to Cairo and on to Lee on the Solent, bearing KUT 10c vertical pair tied by Kisumu datestamps (May 17) and a G.B 1 1/2d tied by Lee on the Solent c.d.s. (June 21), endorsed "Per kind favour of Cape - Cairo Flight". No official mail was carried on this flight but the Commanding Officer, Wing Cdr. Pulford, is known to have carried a few covers privately for friends; we know of one other flown cover with KUT and G.B stamps (sold in our 9th March 2018 auction, lot 5, for £1,500). The cover a little roughly opened at upper edge, otherwise fine and rare. Photo on Page 164. £1,000-1,200
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1926 Cover from Athens to England with "BRITISH LEGATION / ATHENS" cachet and seal, signed by the Consul and endorsed "By Kindness of OC Cape to Cairo flight R.A.F", apparently flown on the entire journey to the Cape and back to Cairo and England, signed "C. Pulford Wing Cdr 12/3/26", the R.A.F flight then at Kisumu in Kenya, franked by Greece 3L and GB 1 1/2d both cancelled by Lee on the Solent c.d.s (June 22). Two pressed vertical folds, otherwise fine and a unique cover from Greece flown to the Cape and back. With 1932 Francis Field letter of authenticity which states it originated at Kisumu on March 12th. Also the 50 page booklet "Royal Air Force Cape Flight March 1st to June 21st 1926" published by D. Napier & Son Ltd (manufacturers of the aeroplanes engines) with maps and photos. Photo on Page 164. £1,400-1,800
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Nyasaland. 1933 Covers franked 1/-, carried on the R.A.F flights from Zomba to Lilongwe with "FIRST NYD AIRMAIL" skeleton c.d.s (may 30) or Limbe to Fort Jameson with "NYD NRHOD AIRMAIL" skeleton c.d.s. (2). £70-80
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