1929-37 Covers comprising 1929 (May 30) London - Stockholm night flight cover, water stained, having the appearance of having been recovered from a crash and previously sold as such though we can find no record of such a crash; 1931 "City of Cairo" London to Australia first flight covers (5), the plane wrecked near Koepang, Timor, one cover unusually missing a stamp and endorsed "Rec'd at Sydney with missing stamps on City of Cairo"; 1932 Southern Africa to G.B first flight covers, recovered from "City of Basra" at Salisbury and "City of Delhi" at Broken Hill (5); 1937 (Feb 5) cover from London to Cairo carried on "Castor" which had to return to Southampton due to engine problems and was further delayed by bad weather. (12).

City of Alexandria / "City of Athens". 1929 Cover from Colchester to Bombay, water stained and the stamps washed off, handstamped violet boxed "DAMAGED DURING / TRANSIT BY AIR", with Bombay backstamps (Nov 7). Recovered from the "City of Alexandria" which struck a buoy and was damaged when landing at Mersa Matruh, transferred to "City of Athens" which had difficulty in lifting off, ran into the reed ripping her hull and settled on the rocks, the water soaked mails then transferred to "City of Baghdad". Nierinck does not record any cachets on mail recovered from this double crash. Very scarce. Photo on Page 12. (Image1)

City of Washington. 1930 (Oct 24) Cover from Port Said to London franked 20m, blue Air Mail label tied by violet boxed "DAMAGED / BY FIRE", the final word crossed out and altered to "Flight". From the "City of Washington" Paris to London flight which crashed on October 30th at Neufchatel killing or severely injuring the six occupants. Part of addressees name and address neatly removed, otherwise fine and very scarce, no cachets from this crash recorded by Nierinck. Also a contemporary news cutting. Photo on Page 20. (Image1)

City of Khartoum. 1935 Covers from England to Australia, New Zealand or India (3), one with London meter mark, the others all with the stamps washed off, the first from London (Dec 28) to Melbourne with an Australian "Found Open Officially Sealed" label tied by violet "RECEIVED AT G.P.O MELBOURNE / DAMAGED BY WATER" and Melbourne datestamps (19/20 Jan.), the three covers to India all with arrival datestamps (Jan 11), two of these endorsed "Salvaged mail" or "Salvaged ex Imp. Airways Liner "City of Khartoum"". Also a Sydney G.P.O printed slip intended to be enclosed with covers recovered from this crash. The "City of Khartoum" crashed into the sea near Alexandria on December 31st killing twelve of the 13 occupants; the mail was recovered a week later. No manuscript endorsements from this crash recorded by Nierinck. (6).

City of Khartoum - Singapore. 1935 (Dec 24) Cover from Croydon to Singapore, the stamps washed off, Croydon backstamp, with accompanying Singapore G.P.O printed slip explaining the accompanying cover was salvaged from the "City of Khartoum", fine and scarce.

Scipio - Hong Kong. 1936 Covers from Hong Kong, franked 50c or with the stamp washed off, with differing "Damaged by Sea Water" cachets. (2).

Scipio - India. 1936 Covers (15) and a part cover from India to G.B, eight with all or some stamps washed off, all handstamped "Damaged By Seawater", virtually all differing cachets with several types unrecorded by Nierinck, one registered cover with a London c.d.s of 26 August (just four days after the crash at Mirabella Bay in Crete), a fine group with some scarce cachets. (16).

Scipio - India. 1936 Covers from India to Germany franked 8½a (another stamp washed off) or to Holland (and redirected to Germany) franked 9½a, both with French language explanatory labels (Nierinck type "r", differing settings) applied in transit at Brindisi; and 7½a on 8a air mail stationery envelope (other stamps washed off) to Belgium, handstamped red "Accident d'Avion" applied in Paris, Officially Sealed labels on reverse, unusually handstamped "T" with a Belgian 30c postage due stamp applied at Antwerp. An unusual group, the last taxed in error. (3). Photo on Page 20. (Image1)

Scipio - Afghanistan. 1936 (Aug 12) Large registered cover from Kabul to Germany, boxed registration handstamp and Landi Kotal transit c.d.s, all the stamps washed off, a German endorsement indicating postage was fully paid. An exceptional origin for a Scipio crash cover. Photo on Page 20. (Image1)

Scipio - Ceylon. 1936 Covers from Ceylon to G.B (2) or Holland, the covers to G.B with all or some stamps washed off, differing Damaged by Sea Water cachets; the cover to Holland franked 55c, reverse with the French language explanatory label (Nierinck "r") applied in transit at Brindisi. (3).

Scipio - Iraq / Palestine. 1936 Covers from Hinaidi, Iraq to G.B, or Palestine to Germany, the stamps washed off, handstamped "Damaged By Sea Water" or bearing German language explanatory label applied at Munich; and a postcard from Haifa to Germany franked 5m, another stamp washed off, with violet "Munchen Bahnpostamt 1" German language cachet. (3).

Scipio - Australia. 1936 Covers from Australia to England (3) or Germany, all recovered from the "Scipio" which made a forced landing at Mirabella Bay, Crete, on August 22nd, and sank, two passengers being killed. Comprising a stampless O.H.M.S Money Order Advice envelope from Sydney to The Postmaster in London unusually with two differing "Damaged By Sea Water" cachets (boxed + unboxed types); cover from Sydney with stamps washed off and straight line cachet (type c); registered cover from Brisbane franked 2½d + 3d, other stamps washed off, unframed "DAMAGED BY / WATER"; and cover from Sydney to Germany franked 3d + 6d, another stamp washed off, with French language label (Nierinck "r") applied in transit at Brindisi. (4).

British Airways G-ADEB. - Norway. 1936 (Aug 10) Fire damaged cover form Norway to Scotland, the remains of two Norway stamps cancelled at Voss with a further datestamp below, enclosed within a London Returned Letter Section ambulance envelope bearing an Official Paid datestamp (Aug 21) with an explanatory letter, "The accompanying letter which has been forwarded by the German Post Office, was salvaged from the wreckage of a British Airways Airplane which carried mails from Scandinavia and which came down near Cologne on the morning of 12th August and was destroyed by fire". The letter is altered to read "accompanying 2 letters ...." and the ambulance envelope is numbered "22 & 23", whilst the damaged letter is numbered "21", suggesting the addressee J.G Gordon may have received three items from the crash, with at least 23 covers recovered. A very rare crash cover, just two covers recorded by Nierinck.

Boadicea - Kenya. 1936 Cover from London to Mombasa, the stamp washed off, the front and reverse both with the red cachet "SERVICE POSTAL FRANCAIS / Correspondance retardee par suite / du naufrage d'un Avion / Reconstitue par la Service Francais / NE PAS TAXER" applied in Paris, reverse with a "Found Open and Officially Secured" label tied by Mombasa c.d.s (Nov 9). The front inscribed by the recipient H.P Webster "This envelope was sunk in 1936 in the English Channel when the Imperial Airways Liner Boadicea disappeared. It was later washed up on the French coast & was salvaged and delivered at Mombasa 10/11/36, HPW". The Boadicea disappeared over the Channel on September 25th; a mailbag was found a month later on the beach at Cucq, further bags being found at Dymchurch on November 10th, and trawled up in 1938. A fine cover from the first mailbag recovered. Photo on Page 20. (Image1)

Boadicea - Kenya. 1936 (Sep 25) Cover from London to Nairobi, water damaged and the stamp washed off, the reverse with the red four line cachet in French applied in Paris and Officially Sealed labels, the front with the scarce violet "DELAYED SALVED / FROM BOADICEA" applied in Nairobi, arrival c.d.s (Nov 9) on the front. A fine and scarce cover from the first mailbag recovered. Photo on Page 20. (Image1)

Boadicea - Uganda". 1936 (Sep 22) O.H.M.S Cover from London to Entebbe with Official Paid datestamp and an official cachet, water damaged, forwarded within a London Mount Pleasant ambulance envelope with enclosed explanatory slip (faults) stating "Packet was washed ashore on the coast of England", arrival backstamp of Entebbe (Nov 26). Also a similar London R.L.S slip reading "washed ashore on the coast of France". A fine and scarce cover, from the second mailbag recovered at Dymchurch on November 10th.

Boadicea - Australia. 1936 (Sep 23) Cover with enclosed letter from Southsea to Sydney, the stamp washed off, with an accompanying London Returned Letter Section slip stating "packet was washed ashore on the coast of England, was apparently conveyed by Imperial Airways "Boadicea" which left Croydon on 25th September and failed to arrive at Paris". A fine cover, from the second mailbag washed ashore at Dymchurch.

Athena - India. 1936 (Sep 21/22) Covers from England to India franked 6d, all with some fire damage and Calcutta arrival backstamps (Sep 30), from the "Athena" which caught fire while taking off from Delhi on September 29th. Two covers without any cachets, the other with violet "SALVAGED MAIL", this cachet unrecorded by Nierinck. (3).

Athena - Philippines / Italy. 1936 (Sep 22) Cover from Genoa to Manila bearing Italy 2L + 1.25L, burnt at lower edge, handstamped "RECEIVED IN BAD ORDER", reverse with the explanatory label "BULLETING OF VERIFICATION / from Singapore to Manila / dated October 3, 1936 / The letters in this bun- / dle of correspondence were / salvaged from the Imperial / Airways aeroplane "Athena" / destroyed by fire at New / Delhi on the 29th Septem- / ber, 1936.", a Philippines Officially Sealed label applied over the edge. A rare origin and destination, the Manila explanatory label with the date altered from September 3. Photo on Page 20. (Image 1) (Image 2) (Image1)

Athena - Australia / New Zealand. 1936 (Sep 21) Covers franked 1/3 from England to Australia (2) or New Zealand, a cover to New South Wales handstamped "Salvaged from Air Liner / ATHENA", cover to Queensland unusually endorsed "Damaged in transit by fire" with "DAMAGED IN TRANSIT" on reverse, the cover to New Zealand with red "Received in damaged / condition at Auckland". Also a large front from London to Melbourne with 18 stamps totalling 17/6, endorsed "Athena" in red crayon, all with signs of fire and water damage. (4).

Athena - Australia. 1936 (Sep 22) Cover from London to Adelaide bearing 5/- Seahorse pair, fire and water damaged, reverse with unusual violet "Salvaged From / ATHENA" with an Adelaide c.d.s (Oct 8?) alongside. This Adelaide cachet unrecorded by Nierinck.

Courtier - Egypt. 1937 (Sep 29/30) Covers from Egypt to England (4) and an Egypt picture postcard with 26m meter mark to Germany, comprising covers with G.B stamps tied by Paquebot Port Said datestamps (2) and a cover from Alexandria with the stamps washed off all with differing "Damaged by Sea Water" cachets; registered cover from Cairo with the stamps washed off (one 100m stamp from another letter reattached) with "DAMAGED BY / WATER"; the postcard with violet "Aus verunglucktem Flugzeug / durchnasst geborgen". The "Courtier" crashed into the sea when landing at Phaleron Bay on October 1st, three passengers drowning. (5).

Cygnus. 1937 Covers (5) and a postcard from Australia (3), Ceylon (2) or Singapore, all to England with various "Damaged By Sea Water" cachets (including altered type originally made for S.S Comorin mail), one Australia 1½d postal stationery card with further stamps washed off and bilingual "Postage Stamps Lost in Transit". The "Cygnus" overturned and sank when taking off at Brindisi on December 5th, killing two people. (6).

Cygnus - India / Holland. 1937 Covers from India to Holland, one franked 2a6p + 6a to Amsterdam with explanatory label Beschadigd ontvangen / van Brindisi", the reverse with a Dutch Officially Sealed label and Rotterdam c.d.s (Dec 14); the second cover with stamps washed off, handstamped "Doorweekt vliegongeval / Brindisi", the reverse endorsed "Zonder zegel te Schev. ontv.". A scarce destination, the label not recorded by Nierinck. (2). Photo on Page 20. (Image1)

Calpurnia - Australia. 1938 (Nov 22) Covers from England to Sydney, Melbourne (2) or Adelaide, three with the stamps washed off, one forwarded from Melbourne within an O.H.M.S ambulance envelope, with an accompanying explanatory letter from the Sydney G.P.0 (similar to Nierinck type "l") or explanatory slips from Melbourne (type ou, the other similar to type kk) or Adelaide (not recorded by Nierinck). (4).