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1934 (Feb 7) Registered cover from Keetmanshoop to Windhoek franked 1/-, handstamped violet "PER / AERO SERVICES (PTY) LTD" and endorsed "7.2.34 Floods & Washaways, Pilot Gordon Store", backstamped at Windhoek (Feb 8). Flown by emergency flood airmail, after torrential rains caused all surface transport to cease, fine and scarce. Photo on Page 38. £120-150
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1934 Victor Smith South Africa - England Record Attempt. Cover from Windhoek (July 27) to England franked 10d, endorsed "West Coast Flight Victor Smith" and signed by Smith, a G.B ½d cancelled upon arrival at Ibstock (Aug 22). Smith attempted the Cape Town - UK flight via West Africa but abandoned his flight in Mauritania after making a forced landing near Port Etienne, from where the letters were flown by "Aeropostale" to Dakar and then carried by sea. Just 12 letters carried from Windhoek (entrusted as official mail by the S.W.A Post Office), eight being signed by Smith. Fine and rare. Photo on Page 38. £600-700
| South Africa
(Also See Lots 181, 238/9) | |
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1908-10 Picture postcards, comprising a real photo card of "Carters Aeroplane, the first flying machine designed and constructed in South Africa" depicting the aeroplane with an inset picture of Harry Carter; a French card depicting Albert Kimmerling, who made the first flight in South Africa; and 1910 real photo card (surface scrape at lower right) depicting Kimmerling in flight, written from Johannesburg. (3). £70-80
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1911 (Dec 27) "First South African Aerial Post" illustrated postcard to Cape Town, posted at Kenilworth (Dec 22), carried on the first flight on December 27th from Kenilworth to Muizenberg, piloted by E. Driver. Franked Natal ½d tied by the "FIRST SOUTH AFRICAN / KENILWORTH / Dec-27-11 / AERIAL POST" c.d.s with similar Muizenberg arrival c.d.s on the front, and datestamps of Kenilworth, Muizenberg and Cape Town. An unusually fine example of this card. Photo on Page 38. £350-400
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1911 (Dec 27) "First South African Aerial Post" illustrated postcard to the USA, with Cape 1d tied by the "FIRST SOUTH AFRICAN / KENILWORTH / Dec-27-11 / AERIAL POST" c.d.s, similar Muizenberg c.d.s and a standard Muizenberg c.d.s on the front, small tear at upper edge with tape marks, and small corner faults, but a scarce destination for a card carried on this first flight. £280-320
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1912 (Jan 3) "First South African Aerial Post" pictorial postcard to London franked Cape 1d, carried on the second flight from Kenilworth to Muizenberg cancelled by "FIRST SOUTH AFRICAN / KENILWORTH / Dec-30-11 / AERIAL POST" c.d.s with similar "MUIZENBERG" alongside, and a datestamp of Muizenberg (Jan 3). A couple of very small edge nicks at upper right corner, otherwise fine and uncommon to G.B. Photo on Page 38. £200-250
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1912 (Jan 3) "First South African Aerial Post" pictorial postcard to Poste Restante, G.P.O Cape Town, franked Transvaal ½d, carried in the second return flight from Muizenberg to Kenilworth cancelled by "FIRST SOUTH AFRICAN / MUIZENBERG / Dec-30-11 / AERIAL POST" c.d.s with similar "KENILWORTH" arrival c.d.s on the front, and datestamps of Cape Town and "CAPE TOWN / POSTE RESTANTE". Weather conditions prevented a landing at Kenilworth and the plane landed back at Muizenberg, and was then towed by road to Kenilworth, with the pilot E.F Driver and the mails. Very fine and scarce, only 179 cards carried on this return flight. Photo on Page 38. £280-350
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1918 (Oct 7) Red Cross "Make Your Sixpence Fly" card with large arms in blue carried on the first Cape Town flight from Wynberg to Green Point with KGV 1d tied by the Aerial Post c.d.s, a second strike on the front. Addressed to "Brigadier General J.H.W Pollard C.M.G, British Expeditionary Force, France", redirected to "106 Inf. Bde HQ" and then to England with "FIELD POST OFFICE / 121" c.d.s (Dec 4), the message describing the fund raising efforts for the Red Cross. Some edge faults, also a little creasing and minor staining, nevertheless a very scarce destination. Photo on Page 38. £160-180
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1918 (Oct 7) Red Cross "Make Your Sixpence Fly" card with large arms in blue carried on the first Cape Town flight from Wynberg to Green Point with KGV 1d tied by the Aerial Post c.d.s, addressed to Penhalonga, Southern Rhodesia with arrival datestamps of Umtali (Oct 16) and Penhalonga both on the front. The message states the card is to be flown from Wynberg to Green Point, also that Spanish Influenza is very prevalent. A few edge faults with creases to all corners, nevertheless a very scarce destination, just two other Red Cross Aerial Post cards recorded to Rhodesia. Photo on Page 42. £180-220
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1918 (Oct 26) Red Cross "Make Your Sixpence Fly" card with large arms in blue, carried on the second Cape Town flight, addressed to England with KGV ½d coil pair tied by the Aerial Post c.d.s. Written from Salt River Station with a greetings poem, minor creasing and edge faults. £120-150
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1918 (Nov 27) Red Cross "Make Your Sixpence Fly" second type card with small arms in ultramarine, carried on the flight from Johannesburg to Pretoria with superb Aerial Post c.d.s, addressed to England, most exceptionally posted unpaid, handstamped octagonal "T / 20 / CENTIMES" with a "2" charge mark applied upon arrival and 1d postage due pair each cancelled at Chingford, very fine and unusual. Photo on Page 42. £220-260
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1918 (Nov 27) Red Cross "Make Your Sixpence Fly" second type card with small arms in ultramarine, carried on the flight from Johannesburg to Pretoria, with KGV 1d tied by the Aerial Post c.d.s, unusually with a Union Jack vignette applied to the front, addressed to Belfast, Ireland. Very fine and a scarce Irish destination. Photo on Page 42. £180-220
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1918 (Dec 1) Red Cross "Make Your Sixpence Fly" second type card with small arms in light blue, carried on the flight from Johannesburg to Benoni, with KGV 1d tied by the Aerial Post c.d.s, unusually addressed to Canada, with a South African Railways & Harbours "Big Push" 1d Governor General's Fund label affixed to the front, fine and rare. Photo on Page 42. £250-300
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1918 (Dec 1) Red Cross "Make Your Sixpence Fly" second type card with small arms in light blue, carried on the flight from Johannesburg to Benoni, with KGV 1d tied by the Aerial Post c.d.s, addressed to England, light vertical crease, otherwise fine. £100-120
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1918 (Dec 16) Red Cross "Make You Sixpence Fly" first type card with large arms in blue, written from Cape Town to Woodstock and carried on the Dingaan's Day Cape Town flight, with KGV ½d unusually cancelled upon arrival at Woodstock (and not with the usual Aerial Post c.d.s), presumably having missed being cancelled in error. Also a fine real photo of Lt. A.H Geering, Capt. Streeter and Sgt. Way in front of their aircraft, signed by Geering. (2). Photo on Page 42. £280-350
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Crash Mail. 1920 (Feb 14) Cover to Johannesburg endorsed "Per Aerial Mail", 2d postage + 2/- air fee paid by 2d + two 6d pairs all cancelled by Cape Town c.d.s, handstamped red "CARRIED BY / AEROPLANE" and violet circular "HANDLEY PAGE SOUTH AFRICAN TRANSPORT LTD / AERIAL / POST". The Handley Page aircraft "Pioneer" piloted by Major Meintjies left Cape Town for Johannesburg on February 15th, with 7 passengers and 422 letters, but crashed at Beaufort West, the mail being forwarded by rail. Minor creasing and flap missing but otherwise unusually fine, only about 20 cover from this flight believed to still exist. Photo on Page 40. £1,200-1,400
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1925 Experimental air service, February 28th cover franked 2d + air 3d carried on the first flight from Cape Town to Durban signed by pilot R.F Caspareuthus; and March 7th cover unusually franked by three 2d postage stamps, carried on the first flight from Oudtshoorn, signed by the pilot Lt. Burgher. Two scarce pilot signed covers, the first to The Postmaster, G.P.O Durban. (2). £150-180
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1925-26 Alan Cobham London - Cape Town Survey Flight. Pictorial printed postcard to Johannesburg with South Africa 2d cancelled at Cape Town (Feb 24 1926) and oval violet "BY SPECIAL AIR MAIL / 16-11-25 / LONDON / CAPE TOWN", the reverse bearing red flight vignette tied by the violet flight cachet and a Cape Town machine, signed "Alan Cobham". Fine and scarce, about 90 postcards with vignettes (both produced by "Flight" magazine) were posted at various stops en route. (Also see lot 249). Photo on Page 42. £300-350
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1925-26 Alan Cobham London - Cape Town Survey Flight. Menu for a dinner given by the airmen of the Cape in honour of Alan Cobham and his party on the completion of their flight from London, held at the Junior Civil Service Club, Cape Town, on Saturday 20th February 1926. Signed on the front by Alan Cobham, Arthur Elliot and eleven others including Major A. Miller, Capt. C.T Black, Capt. Bradley of the "Cape Times", etc., a little staining and soiling but rare. £200-250
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1926 Cape to Cairo R.A.F. Survey Flight. 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 1½d 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, though probably just signed by Pulford on that day. 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. (Also see lot 250). Photo on Page 40. £1,100-1,400
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1929 (Aug 28) Union Airways Johannesburg to Cape Town registered first flight cover franked 1d + air 1/- pair, signed by the pilots G.W Bellin and Allister M. Miller, fine and scarce. 272 Covers carried but very few were signed by the pilots. £70-80
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1932-46 Post Office Notices comprising 1932 (Sep 28) air mail rate and despatch dates; 1935 (May 1) first mail despatch on the Imperial Airways London to Brindisi route; 1936 (Mar 9) alterations to S.A.A timetables; 1936 (Mar 27) alterations to Wilson Airways and R.A.N.A services in KUT and Rhodesia and to Imperial Airways and S.A.A services in South Africa; 1946 (Feb 4) detailed air mail rates and despatch dates. (5). £80-100
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Crash Mail. 1931 (Nov 12) Cover from Durban to London franked 1d (2) + air 4d and bearing an air mail label, severely fire damaged, forwarded within a bilingual O.H.M.S ambulance envelope which bears Cape Town c.d.s (Nov 19), Official Free cachet and two Postmaster-General cachets, also with enclosed explanatory letter "The Department of Posts & Telegraphs / of the Union of South Africa / tenders regret for the damage to the enclosed letter caused / through the crash and destruction by fire of the aeroplane / conveying the Air Mail between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town / on Friday November 13th 1931". The envelope folded at the end to fit into the ambulance envelope (which has the typed note on reverse "This is as it arrived for me in London, with the stamp turned over in order to fit the letter into the Government envelope"), the explanatory letter with some foxing and a little splitting at fold, otherwise fine and scarce, about 600 items recovered, all badly burnt. £180-220
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1931 Glen Kidston London - Cape Town Record Breaking Flight. Printed cover numbered "22" addressed to Cape Town, with typed dates of departure or arrival at each stop and "7500 miles in 6 days 11 hours", signed by the pilot Owen Cathcart-Jones, the reverse handstamped oval "STATION HEADQUARTERS / 1 APR 1931 / R.A.F. HELIOPOLIS", bearing G.B 1½d cancelled at Amesbury (Mar 30), KUT 5c + 10c cancelled at Kisumu (Apr 3) and South Africa 2d cancelled upon arrival at Cape Town (Apr 7). O. Cathcart-Jones and L. Johnson carried just 22 covers on their record breaking flight, of which just 56 hours was spent flying. Fine and rare. Also several contemporary news cuttings. Photo on Page 40. £1,000-1,200
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1931-41 Covers comprising 1931 Imperial Airways cover from Czechoslovakia intended to go by the Christmas flight but despatched by sea; 1934 (Apr 9) Cape Town to London first flight by the accelerated nine day service signed by the pilot of "Atalanta" R.F Caspareuthus; 1935 cover from London to H.M.S "Carlisle" at Simons Town with boxed "Diverted to Ordinary Mail. / Air Mail Fee will be refunded by / British Post Office on application" (due to Italian campaign in Ethiopia); 1936 (June 1) S.A.A Johannesburg to London cover franked 8d, to include the 2d late fee for posting at the aerodrome within ten minutes of the aircraft's departure; and a 1941 letter (cover with stamps torn out) written on the "Corsair" en route from Durban to Beira. (5). £120-150
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1932 Amy Mollison London - Cape Town - London Flight. Cover from London (Nov 5) with ½d meter mark, addressed on the reverse to Mrs J. A. Mollison at Seapoint, Cape, carried on the flight to Cape Town with circular cachet "CAPETOWN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT / 18 NOV 1932 / WINGFIELD" (with "15.31 hours" added in manuscript) and a South Africa 2d tied by Cape Town c.d.s (Nov 23). The cover then flown on the return flight by Mollison, addressed to R.V Cholmondeley at Welshpool and redirected to London, backstamped at Welshpool (Nov 7). Mollison flew from Lympne to Cape Town in 4 days 6 hours 54 minutes, beating her husband's previous record by 10½ hours; the return flight took 7 days 7 hours 5 minutes. A rare cover, just a very few covers carried for personal friends. Also a photograph of Mollison possibly taken at Croydon Airport. Photo on Page 42. £1,700-2,000
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1934 (Nov 19) Cover to Simonstown endorsed "By Seaplane" with South Africa 1d cancelled at Simonstown, flown from H.M.S "Dorsetshire" to the naval base at Simonstown, therefore arriving a day earlier than the ship. Flap removed, otherwise fine and very scarce, very little mail carried. £80-100
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1935 (May 20) Cover from Cape Town to Queenstown franked Silver Jubilee ½d + 1d and bearing an Air Mail label, carried by emergency flood air mail, with Queenstown backstamp (May 22) and "Emergency landing due to / heavy rains at normal / stopping places". An emergency flight went from Durban to Cape Town via Queenstown and Beaufort West on May 18th returning on May 20th. Rare, very little mail carried. Photo on Page 42. £200-250
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1937 Cover to England bearing an uncancelled South Africa Coronation 1½d block of four with a Rotherham (May 25) rubber c.d.s alongside applied upon arrival, carried on a special African Air Services flight from Johannesburg to London chartered by Imperial Airways, who were unable to cope with the unusually large mail bearing the new Coronation stamps; and May 12th Hottentots Holland Pigeon Post cover bearing Coronation ½d pair tied by Strand c.d.s, with the flown pigeongram, blue slip with the pigeon number, message band and souvenir programme. (2+). £100-120
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1937 A.E. Clouston & Mrs Kirby Green London - Cape Town Record Flight. Covers carried on the outward flight from London to Cape Town, the return flight from Cape Town to London or on both flights, all bearing an explanatory label and circular "CAPETOWN MUNICIPAL AIR-PORT / 16 NOV 1937 / WINGFIELD", the outward flight covers with G.B 1½d cancelled in London (Nov 13) and a Cape Town arrival c.d.s (Nov 16), the return flight cover from Cape Town franked South Africa 1d, the two covers carried on this flight both also with a G.B 1½d cancelled upon arrival in London (Nov 21), the cover flown in both directions signed by both pilots. Also contemporary news cutting. Clouston and Kirby Green completed the flight to Cape Town in a record 45 hours 2 minutes, the return flight taking 57 hours 23 minutes. (Also see lots 189, 238). (3). £250-300
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1938 Seaplane "Mercury" Distance Record Flight. Covers posted from Dundee (Oct 3) to F/O I. Harvey at R.A.F Leuchars franked G.B. 1½d, redirected to Cape Town with arrival c.d.s (Oct 10), backstamped boxed "METEOROLOGICAL OFFICE / AIR MINISTRY / 6 OCT 1938 / LEUCHARS" and endorsed "Carried on RMA "Mercury" on Seaplane Record Flight Dundee to S. Africa 6-10-38 to 8-10-38, I. Harvey F/O"; and a cover from the Commissioner for the Union of South Africa in London, addressed to Cape Town bearing an uncancelled G.B 1½d pair, the reverse signed "D.C.T Bennett, "Mercury", Scotland to South Africa, 6th-8th Oct. 1938". Bennett and Harvey flew the Seaplane "Mercury" 6045 miles non-stop in 42 hours 5 minutes, a record that still stands. Just one official and 25 souvenir covers carried. A fine and scarce pair. (2). Photo on Page 44. £400-500
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1939 (Nov 11) Covers franked 1d flown by emergency flood air service from Johannesburg to Barberton, or on the return flight on November 13th, both with arrival backstamps, fine and scarce. (2). Photo on Page 44. £180-220
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"Challenger"Crash. 1939 (Apr 19) Cover from Chicago to Durban "via S.S "Aquitania" by air from London", bearing a 35c meter label, recovered from the Imperial Airways flying boat "Challenger" which crashed upon landing in Mozambique, with violet boxed bilingual "FLYING BOAT CORRESPONDENCE DAMAGED BY SEAWATER", probably a unique origin for a "Challenger" crash cover. £130-160
| Rhodesia & Nyasaland
(Also See Lot 209) | |
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1929 Emergency rail strike air mail. Cover from Victoria Falls (Mar 25) to USA franked 1d strip of three, flown to Bulawayo by Aircraft Operating Co. emergency flight piloted by Capt J.D Mail during the 10 day Rhodesia Railways strike, with three enclosed letters written on Victoria Falls Hotel notepaper which include: March 16th - "Last night the rail road hands struck, so waiting to see how soon we can get a train"; March 20th - "We are held up here by a rail strike. Mrs Lucas is leaving this morning by air plane for Bulawayo, from there the trains run south"; and March 25th - "We are still here due to the strike, the only people who have gotten away went in a little air plane, open & no bags at all. This mail leaves by the plane at 2pm, our only communication with the outside world". Extremely rare emergency air mail from Southern Rhodesia, exceptional with the original letter confirming the flight. Photo on Page 44. £1,000-1,200
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1931 Statement of air mail correspondence handled by the exchange office at Blantyre for the week ending 8th March 1931, showing 1,715 letters posted to Africa and Australasia, 123 to Asia, 1,754 to Europe and 47 to the Americas, with 3,639 letters received; 1932 Northern Rhodesia postal notice announcing the new weekly England - South Africa service calling at Broken Hill; 1933 R.A.N.A letter advising that the company does not issue air mail labels or operate an air mail service; and R.A.N.A leaflet signed by George I. Thompson, Operations Manager and Chief Pilot, 1933-37. (4). £80-100
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"City of Basra"/"City of Delhi". 1932 (Jan) First flight covers from South Africa to England (5) or Southern Rhodesia (and reposted from Salisbury to Kenya franked 1/6) all carried on the Imperial Airways "City of Basra" which crashed near Salisbury (two with signs of water damage and air mail labels washed off), and five further covers carried on the subsequent service from South Africa, South West Africa (2), Nyasaland or Southern Rhodesia, all eleven covers then flown from Salisbury on the "City of Delhi" which was forced down in a storm 55 miles from Broken Hill, the mails taken into Broken Hill seven days later and subsequently flown on the "City of Baghdad". (11). £200-240
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1933 (May 24) Picture postcard to Cape Town posted at the temporary Post Office opened for Nyasaland Air Week with 1d strip of three tied by two strikes of "CHILEKA NYASALAND" double ring skeleton datestamps (recorded 23/24 May), blue Air Mail label and a Cape Town (June 3) arrival c.d.s, carried by Imperial Airways from Salisbury. A scarce cancel, very little flown mail posted at the temporary P.O. Photo on Page 44. £200-250
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1937 A.E Clouston & Mrs Kirby Green London - Cape Town Record Breaking Flight. Cover to "C.L Scott, Wireless Station, Broken Hill" bearing Northern Rhodesia Coronation 1½d pair tied by a Cape Town machine (Nov 17) but then ringed as invalid, handstamped "T/3d" with a 3d postage due stamp cancelled at Broken Hill (Nov 20), endorsed "Carried by Flying Officer Clouston and Mrs Kirby Green from Broken Hill to Cape Town during their record breaking flight, November 1937" and signed "A.E Clouston, A. Bargain". With an article illustrating this cover and describing its interesting history - Laurie Scott worked at Broken Hill Airport where he talked down Clouston's aircraft which was on its record breaking flight to Cape Town; he prepared four covers which he asked Clouston to carry for him and post upon arrival, which Clouston agreed to do if Scott bought his breakfast the following morning. Scott replied "It's a bargain" to this proposition, and Clouston duly carried and posted the letters, adding "A Bargain" below his signature, the covers being charged as unpaid as Scott had stamped them in Northern Rhodesia, forgetting Northern Rhodesia stamps would be invalid when posted at Cape Town. Very rare, just four carried, only this cover having the stamps actually cancelled in Cape Town. (See lots 189, 230). Photo on Page 44. £800-1,000
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1938 (Dec 30) Cover from Johannesburg to Mongu-Lealui, backstamped at Lusaka (Jan 2) and Mongu-Lealui (Jan 3), carried on the joint R.A.N.A / S.A.A Johannesburg to Lusaka service and then on the first flight of the R.A.N.A Barotseland service from Lusaka, signed by the pilot H.R Kirkman. Fine and scarce, just seven covers from South Africa carried on this first flight. Photo on Page 44. £150-180
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1939 (Jan 2) Cover to England with two 1d stamps cancelled at Mongu-Lealui, inscribed "By first air mail service, Mongu Lealui, Barotseland to Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia", signed by the pilot H.R Kirkham, backstamped at Lusaka (Jan 4), a couple of closed opening tears at upper edge, otherwise fine and scarce, just 20 covers flown. £140-160
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1939 (Jan 3) Cover flown from Lusaka to Fort Jameson on the first flight of the R.A.N.A Barotseland air service franked 1½d, arrival backstamp, signed by the pilot A. H Downing. Very fine and scarce, 40 covers flown. Photo on Page 44. £120-150
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1939 (Jan 3) Similar cover flown on the first return flight from Fort Jamerson to Lusaka, arrival backstamp, pilot signed. Very fine and scarce, 36 covers flown. £120-150
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"Corsair" Crash. 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. An example of this cachet on a cover from Northern Rhodesia sold in our May 2012 auction for £3,200. Photo on Page 44. £1,400-1,600
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"Challenger" Crash. 1939 (Apr 25) Cover from Nairobi to Salisbury, the stamp washed off, endorsed "By Flying Boat Challenger sunk at Lumbo Bay Mocambique 8.20am 1/5/39 forwarded by F.B Canopus". A scarce origin and destination for mail from this Imperial Airways crash, the endorsement presumably applied by the Salisbury Post Office. Photo on Page 46. £160-200
| Seychelles | |
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1939 (June 20) Seychelles 20c F size registration envelope posted at Victoria, bearing an uncancelled KUT 15c stamp, self addressed to "J. Percival, Flying Boat Guba, Seychelles". Flown from the Seychelles to Kisumu by the Flying Boat "Guba" on its Indian Ocean Survey Flight, fine and scarce. £130-150
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1939 (June 4) Indian Ocean Survey Flight in the Flying Boat "Guba", illustrated cover with a photo of the crew attached, signed by the pilots P.C Taylor and J. Percival, bearing Australia 1d cancelled at Port Hedland, Netherland-Indies 5c cancelled at Batavia (June 6), Seychelles 6c cancelled at Victoria (June 19) and KUT 15c cancelled at Mombasa (June 23), initialled at Chagos, "12 JUN 1939 / J.S Clunies-Ross" cachet and "C&W LTD / 18 JUN 39 / COCOS" backstamp both applied at Cocos Island, fine and scarce. (Australian Air Mail Catalogue 866, $950). Photo on Page 46. £250-300
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1938 (Mar 4) Cover to Seychelles franked KUT 20c tied by Uplands c.d.s, sent on the first flight from Kenya to Seychelles at the "all-up" rate, with arrival backstamp (Mar 22), carried by Imperial Airways to Karachi via Alexandria and then by sea. Also a letter from the Nairobi Sorting Office to the sender in Uplands informing them of the departure on March 5th from Nairobi of the first "all-up" service, going to Bombay to reach Seychelles on March 22nd. (2). £100-120
| Kenya, Uganda & Tanganyika
(Also See Lots 182/4, 220, 223, 245/7) | |
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1921 (Jan 21) Front from London to the Governor of Kenya franked 10d, endorsed "By Air Mail to Paris to catch East African mail", bearing Air Mail and Express labels; and 1928 (June 7) cover from England to Nairobi with blue Air Mail label franked 1½d + 2d, flown from London to Marseille by Air Union, the front with edge faults but very early and scarce. (2). £80-100
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1926 Alan Cobham London - Cape Town Survey Flight. Printed Flight Magazine souvenir postcard "Sanctioned by H.M Postmaster General", posted from Jinja (Jan 13) to London franked KUT 20c, violet oval "BY SPECIAL AIR MAIL / 16-11-25 / LONDON - / CAPE TOWN" cachets on both sides, the reverse bearing the green perforated flight vignette, signed by Alan Cobham with the message "Chamber of Commerce gave us big luncheon, being interested in air development". Fine and very scarce from Uganda. (Also see lot 218). Photo on Page 46. £1,000-1,200
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1926 Cape Town - Cairo R.A.F Survey Flight. Cover addressed to "Commandant Leo Hebrard, Pilote Aviateur" in Paris, endorsed "By Air, Cairo - Cape Flight" and signed "C. Pulford, Wing Cdr, O.C Cape Flight", posted at Kisumu (May 17) franked KUT 20c, a France 40c cancelled at Balaruc Les Bains on June 19th. Very fine and extremely rare, apparently cancelled to order at Kisumu, then carried on the entire flight to the Cape and on the return flight as far as France where it was posted, backstamped in Paris. Illustrated in "East African Airmails to 1939" by Bill Colley, one of just four unofficial covers carried on this flight from Kenya (no official mail being carried, one other cover from Greece known apparently signed by Pulford whilst in Kenya - see lot 220). An exceptional rarity. Photo on Page 46. £1,500-1,800
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