COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA continued...

The Last Flight of the "Southern Cross" 18 July 1935 (AAMC.515 unlisted variant) a cover (#115) carried from Mascot to Richmond, with special IMPERFORATE vignette showing the route the aeroplane had followed around the world; signed by Charles Kingsford Smith, Mary Kingsford Smith, P.G. Taylor, John Stannage and all other personnel on board. Our (unofficial) census suggests that fewer than 15, and possibly fewer than 10 covers were flown bearing the Imperforate vignette.

July 1935 (AAMC.516f) The special vignette, a block of 4 fully IMPERFORATE with untrimmed margins, full gum. Cat.$500.

18 July 1935 (AAMC.517) Oodnadatta - Sydney flown covcer, carried on the Mackay Aerial Reconnaissance Expedition to Western Australia; with six different backstamps.

2 August 1935 (AAMC.520a) Sydney - Tennant Creek flown cover, carried and signed by the pilot, J. Chapman on a Survey Flight for Australian Transcontinental Airways. [Believed to be one of 6 flown to each port-of-call.]

29-30 October 1935 (AAMC.551-2) Adelaide - Melbourne and return, first flight covers carried by Adelaide Airways Ltd on their inaugural service via Mt. Gambier in a Short Scoin VH-UUT. [Only 40 and 50 covers carried respectively]. (2). Rarely seen.

22 May 1936 (AAMC.602h & i) Mt. Isa - Townsville, and return, Airlines of Australia Ltd cacheted covers carried on their first survey flights over this route. (2 covers). Rarely seen.

9 April 1937 (AAMC.714f) Brisbane - Bangkok flown cover, carried and signed by Mrs. H.B. "Lores" Bonney on this leg of her four month flight to Capetown aboard her Klemm Monoplane "My Little Ship II".

9 April 1937 (AAMC.714f) Brisbane - Cairo flown cover, carried and signed by Mrs. H.B. "Lores" Bonney on this leg of her four month flight to Capetown aboard her Klemm Monoplane "My Little Ship II".

9 April 1937 (AAMC.715c) Brisbane - Nairobi flown cover, carried and signed by Mrs. H.B. "Lores" Bonney on this leg of her four month flight to Capetown aboard her Klemm Monoplane "My Little Ship II".

April 1937 (AAMC.728b) A special postcard, flown and signed by Charles Ulm on his December 1933 Trans-Tasman flight, additionally franked (incl. 1/- Anzac), registered and flown on the April 1937 Inaugural flights connecting with Pan AM "China Clipper" to Guam, Manila and Hong Kong, with arrival postmarks for all, as well as the return to Sydney. Rarely seen. Cat.$400.

April 1937 (AAMC.728b) A special postcard, flown and signed by Charles Ulm on his December 1933 Trans-Tasman flight, additionally franked & registered and flown on the April 1937 Inaugural flights connecting with Pan AM "China Clipper" to Guam, Manila, Hong Kong, Honolulu and San Francisco, with arrival postmarks for all, as well as the return to Sydney. Rarely seen. Cat.$400.

2 August 1937 (AAMC.747 & 748) Brisbane - Sydney and return flown covers, carried on the inaugural ANA flights by the Douglas DC2 "Kyeema"; both covers signed by the captains, Cameron and Virtue and other crew members. (2).

5 November 1937 (AAMC.774) a cover flown aboard the "Faith in Australia" VH-UXX, signed by the pilot J.A. Bonnington and other crew, for an aerial funeral service. [one of 25 covers carried].

The Toowoomba Chronicle of Saturday 6 November 1937 carried the following notice: "Sydney, Friday: While the monoplane Faith in Australia flew off Sydney Heads to-day the Rev. H. Marshall, Church of England minister [who has also signed this cover] at Bankstown, conducted a funeral service in the plane and the ashes of 11 cremated persons were scattered over the ocean."

27 November 1938 (AAMC.834) "Calpurnia" crash mail cover from London; addressed to Melbourne; accompanied by the "Partington" slip explaining the reason for the delay in the delivery of the mail. 

6 May 1940 (AAMC.900aa) Auckland - Sydney cover, carried for TEAL on the first Trans-Tasman Airmail carried by the flying boat "Awarua" ZK-AMC; commanded by Oscar Garden, who has signed the cover, with Sydney arrival b/stamp.

July 1940 (AAMC.905b) Three covers carried by PAN AM from Auckland to Noumea, Auckland to Honolulu, and Auckland to San Francisco; all with arrival backstamps. (3). Cat.$450.

Dec.1933 & July 1940 (AAMC.905c) a rare registered postcard carried in December 1933 from Australia to New Zealand (AAMC.348) and signed by the crew of "Faith in Australia" Boulton, Allan & Ulm; posted again in August 1939 but carried by RMS Niagara and delayed in New Zealand due to the outbreak of WWII. The card was finally carried again in July 1940 when the Pan Am California Clipper under the command of Captain J.H. Tilton (who has also signed) carried it from Auckland to Noumea, where it was stamped on arrival, before finally being returned to the sender in Sydney on 12 August 1940. [According to Crome's records, one of only 14 cards thus carried.].

Dec.1933 & July 1940 (AAMC.905c) a rare registered postcard carried in December 1933 from Australia to New Zealand (AAMC.348) and signed by the crew of "Faith in Australia" Boulton, Allan & Ulm; posted again in August 1939 but carried by RMS Niagara and delayed in New Zealand due to the outbreak of WWII. The card was finally carried again in July 1940 when the Pan Am California Clipper under the command of Captain J.H. Tilton (who has also signed) carried it from Auckland to Honolulu, where it was stamped on arrival, before finally being returned to the sender in Sydney on 31 August 1940. [According to Crome's records, one of only 6 cards thus carried.].

MORNINGTON ISLAND CHRISTMAS AIRMAIL COVERS carried by QANTAS: 1941 (AAMC.936) from Brisbane; 1942 (AAMC.950) from Sydney; 1943 (AAMC.970 & 971) from Brisbane and Sydney; and 1946 (AAMC.1089) from Sydney; all with special vignettes and signed by the pilots and/or receiving officers. (5)

24 December 1943 (AAMC.970) Sydney - Mornington Island Parachute Mail cover with special vignette, delivered for Christmas by QANTAS Flying Boat "Coolangatta" VH-ABB and signed by the pilot, K.G. Caldwell.; signed on the back by J.B. McCarthy, the Missionary-in-charge.