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ORDER OF SALE
Thursday 1st October 2020 - to be sold at 11.00 amAir Mails
Cobham Autographs, Picture Postcards 1 - 30
Crash Covers - including Imperial Airways, World War Two 31 - 81
Great Britain 82 - 110
Transatlantic Flights, USA, South & Central America, West Indies 111 - 119
Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland 120 - 141
India, Iraq 142 - 166
Africa - including Cobham & Bonney Flights, KUT 167 - 213
Australia 214 - 225
Imperial Airways - First Flights & Commercial Mail, including Persian Gulf 226 - 349
Empire Air Mail Scheme, B.O.A.C 350 - 358
Wreck Mail - including World War Two 359 - 421
World War Two Postal History
General lots, British & Indian Forces Mail 422 - 433
Censorship - G.B, British Empire & USA 434 - 465
Service Suspended Mail 466 - 504
Undeliverable & Redirected Mail, including Japanese P.O.W Mail 505 - 523
China P.O.W Mail, Mail to & from Japanese P.O.Ws 524 - 535
Damaged, Interrupted & Delayed Mail, including G.B “Damaged By Enemy Action” 536 - 552
Undercover Addresses 553 - 565
Jewish Refugee Mail, Patriotic Labels & Envelopes 566 - 613
Friday 2nd October 2020 - to be sold at 11.00 amPhilatelic Literature, Philatelic History 614 - 622
Worldwide & British Empire Stamps and Postal History - Mixed Lots 623 - 653
Aden, Antarctic, Ascension, Australia, Barbados, Basutoland 654 - 666
Bechuanaland, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, British Guiana 667 - 691
British Occupation of Italian Colonies, British Somaliland, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma 692 - 701
Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Cocos Island, Cyprus, Fiji, France & Colonies 702 - 752
Gambia, Germany & Colonies, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland 753 - 772
India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Uganda & Tanganyika 773 - 859
Korea, Leeward Islands, Malaya, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Nyasaland 860 - 887
Palestine, Persia, Persian Gulf, Rhodesia, Russia, St. Kitts Nevis, Sierra Leone 888 - 909
South Africa - Boer War, Mafeking, Cape, Griqualand, OFS, Union 910 - 950
South West Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland 951 - 964
Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tristan da Cunha, USA, Zanzibar 965 - 973
Great Britain
Stamps, Booklets, Telegraphs & Revenues, British Post Offices Abroad 974 - 1040
Autographs, Postcards & Ephemera 1041 - 1048
Postal History - Mixed Lots 1049 - 1059
Cancellations, Christmas, Cinderellas, Exhibitions & Special Events, Late Fees 1060 - 1077
Maritime Mail - including Liverpool, Scotland, Mobile Boxes 1078 - 1121
Military & Naval, Mulreadys & Caricatures, Parcel Post 1122 - 1140
Postal Stationery, Printed Matter, Registered Mail 1141 - 1166
Royalty, T.P.Os, Uniform 4d Post, Uniform Penny Post 1167 - 1205
Channel Islands, Cumberland, Isle of Man 1206 - 1227
Lancashire, London, Sussex, Westmoreland 1228 - 1247
Scotland - including Edinburgh & Leith, Glasgow 1248 - 1270
To Be Sold on Thursday 1st October 2020
at 11.00am PreciselyPHILATELIC LITERATURE
(Also See Lots 667, 833)
AIR MAILS
(Also See Lots 470/2, 578, 870) |
Alan Cobham. Real photo picture postcard of Alan Cobham, signed "Very sincerely yours, Alan J. Cobham, 26/7/26, London to Australia Flight", glue marks to reverse, otherwise fine. Cobham and Elliott completed their Africa survey flight in March 1926, then flew to Australia in June, Arthur Elliott being killed by a bullet when flying over Iraq. Photo on Page 6. £100-120
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Alan Cobham. 1931 Page from an autograph book signed by Alan Cobham and the five crew members who flew with him in the experimental flight from London to Lake Kivu, Tanganyika, and back, in the world's largest seaplane G.AAJY Short Bristol "Valetta". Also two original press photos of the aeroplane. Scarce items from this flight, which did not carry any mail. (3). Photo on Page 6. £150-180
Picture Postcards & Photos |
G.B / France. 1909-12 Postcards including a card depicting twelve aviators at Hendon Aerodrome, Bleriot Calais to Dover flight, 1909 Blackpool air meeting real photo cards signed by the aviators H. Farman or A. Rougier, 1910 Daily Mail London to Manchester flight (2), etc. (12). £100-120
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G.B. 1910-19 Real photo postcards including interior of the Airco factory in 1918-19 showing planes being built and workmen (3), also an aeroplane at Glastonbury, H. Farman flying at Blackpool, B.C Hucks, army aeroplanes or airships at Aldershot (3) and a handpainted caricature of Grahame-White. (11). £80-100
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G.B. c.1925-30 "Air-Co" series real photo postcards of de Havilland aircraft, published by The Aircraft Manufacturing Co. in Hendon, fine quality cards. (20). £100-120
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G.B. c.1925-60 Picture postcards (and a few photos) of internal airlines and airports, including South Wales Airways Ltd, Bristol Jupiter Express Freight, Airwork Ltd, Lancashire School of Aviation (certificate of flight, signed by the pilot, on reverse), Western Airways, Birkett Air Service Ltd, Silver City Airways, also airports at Ronaldsway, Prestwick, Lydd, etc., and a c.1930 ticket for a Sea Hawk III Hydroplane flight from Oddicombe Beach. (58). £100-120
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G.B - Surrey Flying Services. c.1927-36 Picture postcards of S.F.S aircraft (7) or the pilot E.F Smith, illustrated envelope for six postcards, real photos (4), and 5/- or 10/- flight tickets from Croydon Airport (8), all fine. (21). £100-120
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G.B - Jersey. c.1930-60 Picture postcards or photos of Jersey Airways aircraft or Jersey Airport (20). £80-120
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Schneider Trophy. c.1929 Picture postcards including real photos, Gale & Polden oilette cards set of six in a printed envelope, card showing a map of the course posted from Gosport to Genoa and flown to Basel, etc. (20). £80-100
Imperial Airways |
c.1920-40 Real photographs mainly of Imperial Airways aircraft, mainly amateur photos but many well taken and good quality, also some of passengers, pilots, airports, views from aircraft, many taken abroad, some professional photos including photos of an aircraft factory (12), also a few of other airlines or R.A.F including 1937 Ala Littoria crash at Wadi Halfa (4), first R.A.F Cape to Cairo flight (2), etc. A good lot, most unique views. (103). £250-300
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Paris. c.1924-38 Picture postcards of Imperial Airways aircraft on the London - Paris service, most taken at Bourget Airport, also a coloured folder "Paris - London Par Air, Itineraire - 12 vues" containing a route map and 12 monochrome postcards of views on the route, two real photographs of the arrival of the opera singer Lily Pons at Paris, etc., also a few cards of Air Union aircraft. (65). £150-200
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Switzerland/Europe. c.1925-40 Picture postcards (and a few photos) taken in Europe (mainly Switzerland or Belgium) depicting Imperial Airways aircraft, mainly real photo views, also pilots, Deurne Airport, etc., one 1929 card flown from Basel to Lausanne. (31). £100-120
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c.1925-40 Oilette cards of aircraft including 1930 card of "The Argosy" signed by the pilot and crew, various publishers including Alphalsa, J. Salmon, etc. (37). £80-100
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c.1928-40 Cards, mainly real photo cards of named aircraft, various publishers including Valentines, Flight, etc. (60). £150-180
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c.1930 S.F.S Series real photo postcards depicting named aircraft mainly taken at Croydon Airport, also a few views of the airport, all numbered, a few duplicates, good quality cards, three with partly printed messages for passengers just arrived at the airport. (37). £120-140
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c.1930 Real photo cards of named aircraft mainly taken at Croydon Airport, also a few of the airport, all numbered, similar "Post Card / British Made" reverses, good quality cards. (29). £100-120
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c.1930-38 Real photo cards of named aircraft mainly taken at Croydon Airport, all numbered with a "K" or "M" prefix, mainly showing Imperial Airways, also some foreign aircraft with Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Swissair and Sabena, and a few views of the airport. (49). £150-180
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c.1930-38 Raphael Tuck real photo postcards of named aircraft including a few interior views, printed explanation of the aircraft on the reverse, a few duplicates, all fine. (45). £120-150
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1931-32 Raphael Tuck "Through Africa By Imperial Airways" series cards (21), real photo views of African scenes from the air, produced for the opening of the service to East Africa, also other cards of African views, a few duplicates. (26). £100-120
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c.1950-2000 Postcards and photos, many good quality reproductions of c.1920-30s photos of aircraft, reproduced in c.1950-70 by Real Photographs Co. in Liverpool, also c.1980 Pamlin Prints cards with reproductions of pre-war photos, etc. (c.165). £100-120
Croydon Airport |
c.1925-35 Photographs and real photo postcards all taken at Croydon Airport by amateur photographers, many however well taken and good quality, views of the airport, aircraft and passengers, 1924 American World Flight, mainly Imperial Airways aircraft but also Air France, Lufthansa, KLM and Swissair planes. (41). £120-150
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c.1930-40 Postcards of Croydon Airport including real photos of aircraft and a scarce triple length fold-out card, also six circular plastic "N.A.F / CROYDON" tokens with a value of ½d (2), 1d (2) or 2d (2) used at the National Aircraft Factory. (50). £100-120
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c.1924-36 Real photo postcards of Croydon Airport or aeroplanes at Croydon, all exceptionally well taken cards by local professional photographers, a fine carefully selected group. (31). Photo on Page 6. £200-250
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1925 Real photo picture postcard of Waddon Aerodrome Post Office, run by Rohan & Co., cigars and sweets displayed in the windows, posted from Croydon, message reads "just going on a trip to Cologne & back with boy". Waddon Aerodrome had its own datestamp, recorded 1921-27 (see lots 89, 90). Photo on Page 6. £80-100
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c.1925 Raphael Tuck real photo cards of Imperial Airways aircraft, all with "Imperial Airways Ltd, Croydon Aerodrome, The Only British Air Service To and From the Continent, The Safest in the World" printed on the reverse, all fine. (22). £120-150
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c.1925 Raphael Tuck real photo cards of Imperial Airways pilots, with "Imperial Airways Ltd, Croydon Aerodrome, The Only British Service To and From the Continent, The Safest in the World" printed on the reverse (19), other cards of Imperial Airways pilots (5), and a card of Amy Johnson, all fine. (25). £180-220
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c.1924-30 Real photo postcards of Imperial Airways aircraft, the reverse with printed "Imperial Airways Ltd, Croydon Aerodrome, The British Air Service, To and From the Continent" (12), or with similar wording but ending "The Safest in the World", all with a "Printed Matter" heading (5), several with messages written in the air or upon arrival at various airports, some duplication, all fine. (17). £100-120
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c.1924-36 Real photo postcards published by C.H Price of 62 High St. (or 36 George St) Croydon, exceptionally well taken cards of the airport buildings or aircraft at the airport, mainly Imperial Airways but including aircraft of Surrey Flight Services, Compagne des Messageries Aeriennes, Sabena, KLM, Air France, Air Union or Lufthansa, one card showing Capt. W.G.R Hinchcliffe D.F.C, A.F.C (lost in 1927 attempting an Atlantic crossing). A superb lot, very superior quality cards. (66). £400-500
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c.1930 Booklets (5) each containing six monochrome cards, with printed covers showing they were published and retailed by Rohan & Co. at the Croydon Aerodrome bookstall, entitled "Six Aerial Views of London" or "Souvenir Views of Croydon Airport No. 1 (2, differing covers) or No. 2 (2), also nine single cards removed from similar booklets. (39 cards). £100-120
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c.1925-35 Real photo cards of Croydon Airport or aeroplanes at the airport, all with "Rohan et Cie, Book Stall, Terminal Aerodrome, Croydon" printed on the reverse, fine quality cards. (25). £120-150
Crash Covers
(Also See Lot 194) |
1930-37 Covers comprising 1930 (Jan 10) cover from Los Angeles to Connecticut franked 2c + air 5c + Special Delivery, handstamped "Delay due to wrecked mail plane / January 10, 1930" with Los Angeles "Return to Writer Unclaimed" machine (June 28), from the Las Vegas to Salt Lake City mail flight which crashed near Cedar City, and was not found until five months later, June 24th; 1937 (Nov 30) cover from India to London bearing three stamps on reverse and "E.R" Officially Sealed tape, no cachets but endorsed by recipient "This letter was sunk on the air liner Cygnus at Brindisi"; and 1953 cover from Ipoh to G.B with Malaya 20c (2) + $1, water damaged, handstamped "SALVAGED MAIL / "Comet" Crash near Calcutta / 2nd May 1953". (3). £150-180
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1935 (July 12) Registered cover from Batavia to Holland franked 62½c, fire damaged, forwarded from The Hague within a registered ambulance envelope bearing a typed explanation that the enclosed letter was recovered from the KLM aircraft "Maraboe" that was destroyed by fire at Bushire on July 17th. N.350717d. £140-160
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1935 (Oct 30) Cover from Buenos Ayres to England, water soaked, an Argentina 1p pair probably washed off another cover and affixed by the Post Office, with enclosed explanatory slip "It is regretted that this / packet was damaged by sea-water / following disaster to the / aeroplane in which it was being / transported" dated "26/10/35" (error for 26/11/35). From the Air France plane bound from Bahia to France which disappeared on November 3rd, 17 mailbags being found the next day on a beach near Aracaju, unusual with this explanatory slip. N.351103. £80-100
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"Portland" Crash. 1947 (Aug 16-20) Covers from Burma (2, one an O.A.S cover franked 1½a), China or Pakistan, the last with the stamps washed off, to G.B (3) or Switzerland, all recovered from the B.O.A.C flying boat "Portland" which crashed at Bahrain whilst en route from Hong Kong to G.B, all handstamped boxed "DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER", Nierinck type f (3) or c. (4). £200-250
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1948 (Mar 2) Cover from Brussels to London franked 3f.15 + 50c vertical pair, burnt at the left edge, endorsed "Damaged by Fire". From the Sabena Douglas DL3 Brussels to London flight which crashed when landing in fog at Heathrow, killing 19 of the occupants. Very scarce. N.480302b. Photo on Page 10. £120-150
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1954 Forces cover from Singapore (Jan 8) to G.B, the stamp washed off and Officially Sealed labels tied by London F.S c.d.s (Jan 27) with red "DAMAGED BY SEAWATER / COMET MAIL", from the B.O.A.C. Comet crash near the Island of Elba; and March 11/12 covers or airletters from Australia to G.B (7) or Holland all recovered from the Comet crash at Singapore, one without any cachet, five with red boxed "SALVAGED MAIL / AIRCRAFT CRASH / SINGAPORE 13.3.1954", two other fire damaged covers enclosed within O.H.M.S ambulance envelopes with the red "cachet" printed upon them. N.540110a, 540313a,aa. (9). £160-200
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1954 (Mar 12) Large registered cover from Brisbane to London with a 6/9 meter, Registered Brisbane backstamps, a little water wrinkling at left, recovered from the B.O.A.C Comet crash at Singapore on March 13th. Handstamped violet "DAMAGED BY FIRE / SINGAPORE CRASH", the first line crossed through in blue crayon and replaced by violet "SALVAGED MAIL / SINGAPORE CRASH". The "Damaged by Fire" cachet unrecorded by Nierinck and not seen by us before, possibly unique, an exceptional cover from this crash. Photo on Page 6. £250-300
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1954 (Dec 20/21) Covers franked 1/- from Belfast to Bermuda or 6d from Edinburgh to Trinidad both recovered from the B.O.A.C London to New York flight which crashed on Christmas Day when landing at Prestwick killing 28 people, both with the "John Bull" type cachet "SALVAGED MAIL / PRESTWICK - 25-12-54" (Nierinck type b), clearly showing two differing versions of the cachet, one with the date shown as "-25-12, 54", the other shown as "25-12-54" with the letter "S" and number "2" both much smaller. Two scarce destinations from this crash, the second version of the cachet not recorded by Nierinck. N.541225b. (2). Photo on Page 10. £180-220
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1954 (Dec 23) Cover from 20th Century Fox Film Co. in London to New York, a 1/3 meter machine with the slogan "IT'S A Woman's World" (advertising their new film "Woman's World"), handstamped with the scarce violet large size cachet "SALVAGED MAIL / PRESTWICK / 25/12/54". N.541225d. £80-100
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1957 (Aug 12) Picture postcard from Moscow to Copenhagen franked 25k, minor water staining, bearing a label explaining the card was from the Russian aircraft that crashed into Copenhagen harbour on August 15th. An uncommon crash item. N.570815. Photo on Page 10. £180-200
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Ireland. 1960 (Feb 24) Cover from Milan to New York franked 1.20L, soiled and roughly torn at upper edge, handstamped "SALVAGED FROM / PLANE CRASH AT / SHANNON AIRPORT". The Alitalia flight from Shannon to New York crashed shortly after take off on February 26th, killing 25 people. A scarce crash cover. N.600226. Photo on Page 10. £200-240
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Cyprus. 1961 (Dec 19) Cover from London to R.A.F Akrotiri, Cyprus, with a 1/- meter mark, soiled and burnt at the edges, with an accompanying letter from the Forces Courier & Postal Services at BFPO 53 in Cyprus explaining the cover was involved in the recent air accident at Ankara and has been damaged and delayed as a result. The B.E.A London to Tel Aviv flight crashed in a snow storm at Ankara Airport on December 21st killing 28 people. Scarce, this explanatory letter only used with mail to British forces in Cyprus. N.611221e. £150-180
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1966 (Nov 14) Cover posted within Germany, from Nesselwang to Berlin, very soiled and torn with the stamps washed off, enclosed within an ambulance envelope, with a Berlin c.d.s (Dec 9) and enclosed explanatory slip. A Panam aircraft on hire to German Federal Post was flying from Tempelhof airport to Tegel in the French sector when it crashed near Dallgow in East Germany. Virtually the entire mail was destroyed, just 250 letters (from a mail of 250,000) being recovered and delivered. Also a contemporary news cutting. N.661115a/c. £160-180
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1968 Cover (with enclosed letter and birthday card) from England to R.A.F Seletar, Singapore, soiled and burnt at the edges with the stamps washed off and lower flap missing, forwarded within an O.H.M.S ambulance envelope bearing the cachet "POSTAL INQUIRY BRANCH / 3 MAY 68 / HOME POSTAL & / C.C DEPOT R.E" and a "HOME POSTAL DEPOT R.E / 54" c.d.s, with an enclosed explanatory letter from the Postal Inquiry Branch, Home Postal & Courier Communications Depot, Inglis Barracks, Mill Hill, London N.W.7, "The enclosed item of mail has been salvaged from the aircraft which made an emergency landing and caught fire at London Airport on 8th April 1968". The B.O.A.C London to Zurich flight caught fire and crashed shortly after taking off, killing five people. This explanatory letter only used with recovered forces mail to Singapore and Australia, scarce. N.680408c. £120-150
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1968 (Apr 6) Air letter from Heathrow to Australia, very soiled and burnt, returned to the sender within an ambulance envelope (with 6 May London machine), with enclosed explanatory slip "It is regretted that this / packet was damaged by sea-water / following disaster to the / aeroplane in which it was being / transported.", "sea-water" altered in manuscript to "Fire". From the B.O.A.C crash at Heathrow airport on April 8th. Scarce, this explanatory slip not recorded by Nierinck. N.680408. £120-140
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Lufthansa "Hessen" Crash at Nairobi. 1974 Covers from Kenya, Uganda or Iraq to South Africa, or from Germany to Rhodesia, all handstamped by red bilingual "RETRIEVED FROM AIR CRASH ON 20 / NOVEMBER 1974 AT NAIROBI". Also a 1954 cover from Tanganyika to USA recovered from the B.O.A.C crash at Prestwick, the stamp torn out and replaced with sellotape. A good lot, the Nairobi crash covers all unusual origins or destinations. (5). £160-200
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Scotland. 1984 (Nov 18) Cover from the Isle of Skye to York franked 17p, a little minor soiling, with letter from the Postmaster of Inverness explaining that it was on the mail plane which crashed en route from Inverness to Edinburgh on November 19th, and lay on an exposed hillside in atrocious weather for up to 48 hours. £70-80
Imperial Airways |
"Scipio". 1936 Covers from India or Australia to the USA, Egypt to France or Germany, or from New Zealand, Hong Kong or Iraq to England, all recovered from the "Scipio" crash at Mirabella Bay, Crete. Six covers with some or all the stamps washed off, the cover to Germany bearing a Munich Post Office explanatory label, the others with various Damaged by Sea Water cachets comprising Nierinck type a, b, g (3), or "Accident d'Avion". A good lot, USA an unusual destination for mail from this crash. (7). £250-300
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"Boadicea". 1936 (Sep 23) Cover from Wales to Australia, water damaged and the stamps washed off, forwarded within an O.H.M.S "Returned Letter Section, Mount Pleasant, London E.C1" ambulance envelope, with the enclosed explanatory slip "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 the 25th September and failed / to arrive at Paris. / The inconvenience occasioned is / regretted. / Returned Letter Section / Mount Pleasant / London, E.C.1", arrival backstamp of Fivedock, N.S.W (Nov 27). From the second mailbag to be recovered, found on the beach at Dymchurch on November 10th. N.360925d. £200-250
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"Courtier". 1937 Cover and a card to G.B both with British stamps tied by "PAQUEBOT / PORT SAID" c.d.s, with boxed "DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER"; and a cover from Egypt to Greece with the stamps washed off bearing two strikes of a boxed explanatory cachet in Greek. (3). £160-200
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