1907 (Oct 12) Daily Graphic balloon post, miniature eight page booklet depicting the balloon and aviators, dropped from the balloon whilst still over England. The balloon finally landed in Sweden. Fine and very scarce. Photo on Page 102. (Image1)

c.1925-70s Covers, cards and ephemera including first flight covers, Imperial Airways and British Airways ephemera with advertising labels and postcards, luggage labels, airgraphs (16, ten illustrated), many meter marks, red 1925 Cobham London to Cape Town flight labels mint (2), etc. (c.150).

1925-39 Flight covers, mainly first flights including 1925 registered cover flown from Toulon to Oran, 1930 cover to Singapore flown by KLM from London, 1931 Air Ministry printed notice on the new England to South Africa air service flown on the Imperial Airways first flight to Bulawayo with arrival c.d.s, also a few commercial covers including 1936 cover flown by Lufthansa to Germany bearing 1/- (3) + 5/- (flight L.179, delayed 4 hours at Las Palmas and 8 hours at Bathurst), etc. (12).

Internal Flights. 1933-61 Flight covers including first flights by North Eastern Airways, Midland & Scottish Air Ferries Ltd, Railway Air Services, West Country Air Services, Lundy & Atlantic Coast Air Lines, BEA, G.W.R, Highland Airways, Allied Airways, etc. (35), also various stamps, luggage labels and other ephemera. (48).

Air Mail Labels. 1921 (April) G.P.O leaflet on Air Mail services detailing routes, rates and posting times with an example of the new "By Air Mail" label applied to the front, and a study of the similar Air Mail labels printed in Scotland in 1929-32 (16 labels) written up by Francis Field with a copy of his covering letter.

1937-76 Covers and cards (68) including 1937 Jersey Airways first flights (2), 1939 Guernsey Airways first flights (6, one pilot signed), 1946 Alderney to Guernsey first flight (40 flown, a little stained), 1953 BEA first flights (27, three cancelled at Alderney), 1971 commercial cover flown by BEA from London to Guernsey during the British postal strike, a few picture postcards, etc. Also mint BEA stamps (21, all different). (68 covers + 21 stamps).

Imperial Airways. 1929-34 First flight and commercial covers showing the development of Imperial Airways routes to, from and within India including 1929 (Apr. 7) London-Karachi route, first flight covers from London (3), Baghdad, Jask, Athens, or sent on the return flight from India (4), covers to or from Australia flown Calcutta-Karachi and Adelaide-Perth; 1930 (Feb. 2) first flight from Jask to Jodhpur or Delhi (60 of each flown), Apr. 28 first flight from Delhi to Athens; 1931 (Feb 25) first India despatch by air all the way to Kenya or South Africa (2) and first return flight from Kenya, first reduced 8d rate from England, Apr. 12 first England to Australia experimental flight covers to Akyab, Rangoon and Singapore and first return flight (15, various stages), and second experimental England to Australia flight from India (2, also a cover from Singapore), Apr. 14 first flight from Gaza to Jodhpur via the Indian Transcontinental route from Karachi; 1932 registered cover to Jeddah flown via Haifa, Apr. 19 first flight from Limassol to Delhi, Oct. 5 first flights to and from Bahrain and to Sharjah, first flight from Athens on the route via Bahrain and Sharjah, Oct 17 Madras-Karachi first flight covers by Tata Airways carried by Imperial to South Africa or Palestine or from Greece; 1933 (June 30) covers from Belgium flown from Karachi to Calcutta by I.T.A first flight (2), July 5 Basrah to Allahabad extension of the England-India air service via Karachi (only 14 flown), Sep 17 Brussels to Rangoon, Sep. 21 Bahrain to Rangoon, Oct. 2 Rangoon to Sharjah and June 29 Zagreb to Calcutta first flights; also various commercial mail showing destinations and rates to or from India, with covers surcharged in India and G.B, 1934 cover franked 91/2a bearing Czech 1kr postage due strip of three, etc. A fine lot containing some scarce covers. (78).

1930 (Dec 6) Cover from Karachi to Victoria Point franked 1a, endorsed "By Courtesy of no.36 Sqdn R.A.F from Karachi to Victoria Point" and signed by S. Booth Russell and S/Ldr A.W Mylne, backstamped at Drigh Road and Victoria Point (Dec 16) and signed by Stephen Smith. 36th Squadron R.A.F flew from Calshot in England to Burma; just ten covers were carried from Karachi to Victoria Point. Fine and very scarce. Photo on Page 244. (Image1)

1932 (Jan 7-12) Calcutta to Baghdogra and return flight over the Himalayas near Mount Everest by the American flyers Richard Halliburton and Moye M. Stephen on their world flight, cover bearing flight vignettes and cachet, signed by Halliburton, posted at Calcutta bearing KGV 1/2a, with arrival backstamp. Fine and scarce, fifty covers flown. Photo on Page 244. (Image1)

1942 (Oct 29) India Air Mail Society "V" campaign cover, "The Missing Link", with cachet "Carried on / Reconnaissance Flight / Over Enemy Occupied Territory / By U.S.A.A.C" and signed by the pilot A.C McMillan U.S.A.A.C, posted at Dharmtalla franked 9p pair. Fine and scarce, 32 covers flown.