AUSTRALIAN DISASTER MAIL continued...
Air Mail Incidents continued...
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 2058 |
D |
 1926 (July 9) handwritten telegram 'MESSAGE FORM' 1) to "AOC/Baghdad" from "Cobham" advising response from de Havilland in England
re Elliott's death including "... no necessity abandon flight" and re his replacement "can you arrange local airforce select suitable man ministry will authorise ..."; 2) of same date to Cobham "... very anxious no raf mech ... unless he is fully
qualified ... also whether he is willing to volunteer ..."; and 3) of same date from Cobham "... name of mechanic suggested sgt ward ... has been instructor on jaguar ... ward is very keen to volunteer at same rate pay as elliott ..."; minor
peripheral damage & reinforced with archival tape along central folds. Fascinating & important documents that highlight the speed of telegraphic communication 100 years ago. Remarkable survivors.
(9 pages) (Image1)
(Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
(Image5)
(Image6)
(Image7)
(Image8)
(Image9)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$2,100.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2059 |
 |
 1926 (July 23) printed cover with 'CALCUTTA TO RANGOON' in Red & stamp-size photographic '.../MR ELLIOTT.../...WAS SHOT.../...'
label on the reverse and signed "LJ Singh/Dy PM Cal", India 1a brown tied by Calcutta cds & partial Rangoon arrival backstamp of 26JUL26, AAMC 99b (45 prepared), Cat $650. For details of Elliott's death, see the previous two lots. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$400
SOLD for AU$460.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2060 |
|
 1926 (Sep 4) return flight Darwin-England to "His Royal Highness/Prince of Wales/..." with Great Britain KGV ½d green & 1d red
(faded) cancelled on arrival by 'THE HYDE SO NW9/2OC/26' cds, signed "Alan J Cobham" on the reverse, light central fold & light soiling, AAMC 101 (18 carried), Cat $2750. Illustrated in Volume One at page 196. Four days into the trip, a tropical
rainstorm required a forced landing where a hole was discovered in one of the floats. In the following week, four more days were lost to torrential rains. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,000
SOLD for AU$750.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2061 |
|
 1926 (Sep 4) return flight Darwin-England endorsed "per favor of Captain Cobham/..." with Great Britain KGV 1½d brown cancelled on
arrival by 'THE HYDE SO NW9/2OC/26' cds, minor blemishes on the face & light toning on the reverse, AAMC 101 (18 carried), Cat $2750. Illustrated in Volume One at page 197.
Four days into the trip, a tropical rainstorm required a forced landing where a hole was discovered in one of the floats. In the following week, four more days were lost to torrential rains. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,500
SOLD for AU$1,150.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2062 |
/D |
 1926 (Sep 4) return flight Darwin-England unusually with combination franking of KGV 1d green, 1½d red & 2d brown tied by
'ROCHESTER/VIC' cds and Great Britain KGV 1½d brown cancelled on arrival by 'THE HYDE SO NW9/2OC/26' cds, signed "Alan J Cobham" on the face, light central fold & light soiling, AAMC 100, Cat $3500. With a very fine real photo PPC of Cobham and the
accompanying 1954 letter signed "Alan J Cobham" in which he attests to the cover being genuine, having been "thrust into my hands by an Indian student in Australia before my departure ... I think Sergeant Ward ... got the cover stamped in Australia".
Both items illustrated in Volume One at page 198.
Four days into the trip, a tropical rainstorm required a forced landing where a hole was discovered in one of the floats. In the following week, four more days were lost to torrential rains.
(3 items) (Image1)
(Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$2,000
SOLD for AU$2,100.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2063 |
|
 1926 (Sep 27) return flight Darwin-England apparently social intermediate cover from Iraq with ½a Mosque x2 & 8a Camel & Flag tied
by two examples of typewritten 'BY AIR/Iraq to Great Britain/with Alan Cobham' handstamp & two strikes of 'BAGHDAD HO (IRAQ)/27SEP26/...' cds, 'LONDON/2OC/26/FS 56' arrival backstamp, minor opening defects, AAMC 101c, Cat $750. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2064 |
/D |
 1927 social cover endorsed "By Air Per Capt Lancaster/& Mrs Miller" to Calcutta with the enclosed note headed "216(B)
Squadron/Heliopolis/30.10.27" introducing Lancaster and requesting that the addressee "show him the ropes", however, Lancaster forgot to deliver the cover, arriving Darwin 19.3.1928, five months after departing England. Carried on the return flight
with KGV 1½d tied by 'CANBERRA/4AP28/FCT' cds and 'CALCUTTA GPO/DELY/30APR28' arrival backstamp, signed at upper-left "WA Lancaster" & "JM Miller". Unlisted in the AAMC. Only two covers were carried from England, & they were probably destroyed. This
is therefore the only surviving cover, enhanced by its epic trip Egypt-Calcutta-Australia-Calcutta.
The flyers experienced numerous mechanical delays, plus monsoonal rains & illness. They had to return to Calcutta where Lancaster had left all their money, but it had vanished. On leaving Rangoon, a poisonous snake was found on board, which Mrs
Miller beat to death with a stick. Leaving Muntok for Batavia, Lancaster forgot to switch on the fuel-pump, causing the engine to die & the plane to crash, with almost fatal consequences. The plane had to be re-built, delaying them for a further four
months!
(2 items) (Image1)
(Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$2,000
SOLD for AU$3,200.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2065 |
|
 1928 (Jan) cover endorsed at upper-left "Posted at Melbourne under cover to Deputy Director Posts & Telegraphs Sydney" with KGV 1½d
red x3 & 'Angel' airmail label tied by 'SPECIAL/ 4JA28/=NSW=' cds, intended for carriage on the first attempt to fly across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand, returned to the sender - because no official mail had been authorised - with superb 'MELBOURNE/
20 /10JA28/VIC' arrival backstamp, minor blemishes. Described but not listed in the AAMC. Capt George Hood and Lt John Moncrieff left Richmond NSW on 10.1.1928, the day the cover was received back in Melbourne, but they never arrived & were lost
without a trace. This cover is the only recorded article of mail related to the ill-fated flight. Illustrated in Volume One at page 219.
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$1,000.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2066 |
/D |
 1929 (Mar 30) Australia-England per 'Southern Cross' unstamped cover with embossed 'TOWN HALL SYDNEY' on the flap, to the Lord
Mayor of London with very fine 'RICHMOND/ 30MR29/NSW' cds & signed "CTP Ulm" at upper-left, with the enclosed letter of greetings signed "JGarlick" Chief Commissioner of the Sydney City Council (the de facto Lord Mayor 1928-30), see AAMC 131 & 142,
Cat $2750. Perhaps the most significant items from the so-called 'Coffee Royal Affair': see Volume One pages 77-93 & illustrated at pages 87 & 88. (2 items)
The flight was delayed by bad weather in NSW. Intending a non-stop flight to Wyndham WA, & over-burdened with fuel, "non-essential items" such as tools & rations were left behind. Soon after takeoff they lost their radio aerial & could not receive
messages. On arrival, visibility was so poor, they missed Wyndham, ran out of fuel, and ended-up landing on a remote beach, after 27 hours flying time. A full-scale search including Qantas planes and the RAAF took 12 days to locate them. Then they
were accused of the incident being a publicity stunt (!). The flight to England was abandoned & they flew back to Sydney. On 25.6.1929, with the 'Coffee Royal' covers in hand, they left again for England, arriving 10.7.1929 after an uneventful
flight. (Image1)
(Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$1,500
SOLD for AU$1,150.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2067 |
/D |
 1929 (July 13) local cover with Great Britain Postal Union Congress KGV 1½d brown with 'AAO/Co' commercial perfin tied by London
machine cancel, to the Lord Mayor of London with enclosed letter regarding carriage of the letter from John Garlick - see previous lot - & signed "C Kingsford Smith" & "CTP Ulm", the cover with repaired opening tears across the flap, the letter is
very fine. A very unusual item related to the famous 'Coffee Royal Affair'. See Volume One at pages 77-93. (2 items) (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$250
SOLD for AU$280.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2068 |
|
 1929 (May 18) flight from England per James Moir and Harold Owen (both ex RAAF) in Vickers 'Vellore' which encountered numerous
interruptions & ran out of fuel approaching the Northern Territory coast, crashlanding in a remote mangrove swamp near the Cape Don Lighthouse, a Jack Buscall (Darwin) real photo postcard of the plane at Cape Don, unused. Illustrated in Volume One at
page 229. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$100
SOLD for AU$75.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2069 |
|
 1929 three covers to Victoria with 'ONSLOW' cds of 20OC1929 (ran out of fuel & made an emergency landing at Rawlinna on the
Trans-Australian Railway), of 10NO1929 (broken oil pipe forced an emergency landing at Southern Cross) or 18FE1930 (delayed at Forrest for 4 days due to heavy rains), each with appropriate endorsement. Illustrated in Volume One at pages 100 103 & 108
and each stated to be the only recorded cover from these incidents. They are also the only recorded incidents on the trans-Australia service until the 'Viastra' crash in 1933: see Lot 2093. (3) (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
SOLD for AU$900.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2070 |
|
 1930 (Jan 1) registered Sheard cover from the inaugural Brisbane-Sydney service per 'Southern Sky' which made a forced landing in
northern NSW, ripping off the undercarriage, AAMC 148, Cat $250. The passengers & mail were driven to Casino to catch a train for Sydney. The plane was repaired at the crash site and flown out by Charles Kingsford Smith on 17.1.1930. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$100
SOLD for AU$135.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2071 |
|
 1930 (May 27) commercial airmail cover from NSW to Darwin with 3d Air only tied by 'COOGEE/NSW' cds, mss "T3(d)" in red & 'TAX
3D'-in-oval handstamp, apparently oil-stained with 'DAMAGED WHEN/LANDED/at Darwin' handstamp in violet on both sides, Postage Due 1d x3 tied to reverse by 'DARWIN NT/7JE30/ AUSTRALIA' cds. Ex Allan Walker (Bega): sold at our auction of 15.5.2004 for
$582 (Sale 110 Lot 448). Illustrated in Volume One at page 113 but with no details of the incident. The only recorded cover from this incident.
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2072 |
|
 1930 (Aug 20) commercial surface-mail cover to California with KGV ½d orange x2 and 'TWO/PENCE' on 1½d red tied by 'BALRANALD/NSW'
cds, carried by trans-Pacific ship to San Francisco (?) where missorted into the eastbound airmail stream for which, of course, no fee had been pre-paid, attractive fire-damage at the edges & the panels separated, superb strike of 'DAMAGED IN PLANE
FIRE/AT WARREN OHIO 9.21.[30]' in violet. On the Chicago-New York sector, the pilot made a successful unscheduled night-landing but clipped a house, causing the plane to burst into flames. American covers from this incident are common but only three
items from Australia, all to the same addressee, have been recorded. See Volume One at pages 251-2, where it is illustrated. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2073 |
D |
 1931 (Apr 20) typed letter signed "C Kingsford Smith" responding to a letter about the crash-site of the 'Southern Cloud' that
disappeared on a Sydney-Melbourne flight on 21.3.1931 & stating "... [your] information ... confirms our theory that the machine was definitely in the whereabouts of Melbourne ...", multiple folds.
In fact, it was only on on 26.10.1958, that the wreckage was discovered, in a rugged area of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme in southern NSW. No mail was recovered. Illustrated in Volume 2 at page 6. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$200
SOLD for AU$460.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2074 |
PSE |
 1931 (Mar-Apr) usage of 'TWO/PENCE' on KGV Oval 1½d Envelope with very fine 'CARRIED BY AIR/FIRST FLIGHT ("Norfolk Is")
TO/AUSTRALIA ("Francis Chichester") PILOT' cachet in violet & endorsed "60" with cds of 'NORFOLK ISLAND/30MR31/AUSTRALIA' & 'LORD HOWE ISLAND/ 1AP/1931/NSW', a bit crumpled & with ironed-out vertical crease at left, AAMC 183, Cat $950. Illustrated in
Volume Two at page 140. While moored overnight at Lord Howe Island, a gale flipped the plane, requiring it to be dismantled and rebuilt.
(Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$250
SOLD for AU$190.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2075 |
|
 1931 (Mar-Apr) stampless cover from a legal firm in England carried per favor of Harry ('Jim') Broadbent to a trustee company in
NSW, endorsed "By Boat/from/Constantinople/HF Broadbent/3.4.31", on arrival KGV 2d red added for local delivery tied by Sydney slogan cancel, certified on the reverse by the trustee company's manager, opened-out & slightly-reduced for display, AAMC
185, Cat $1500 but the only recorded item. Ex Tom Frommer: sold at our auction of 11.9.2016 for $1340. Illustrated in Volume Two at page 144.
English-born but Australian-raised, Broadbent took off from England on 29.3.1931. He had two forced landings because of falling snow, and crash-landed in a swamp in Turkey where he was detained by the authorities. He abandoned his plane and travelled
to Australia by ship. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,500
SOLD for AU$1,150.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2076 |
|
 1931 (Apr-May) Cambridge University Air Squadron flight from England per GP ('Pat') Fairbairn & Keith Shenstone cover flown
Calcutta-Darwin-Calcutta with India New Delhi 1a x2 tied by Calcutta cds and two cachets including 'DETAINED TILL 5th APRIL/ENGINE OVERHAULED' on the face, 'StephenHSmith' facsimile-signature handstamp on the reverse, Kingsford Smith 2d for the
return trip by sea tied by 'DARWIN/24AP31/NT' cds, AAMC 177, Cat $550. See Volume Two at pages 145-147. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$200
SOLD for AU$210.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2077 |
|
 1931 (July) Wyndham Meatworks (WA) stampless cover to Burma by Australia-England flight per 'Genairco' piloted by Andrew Cunningham
who made four forced-landings in swamps (!) near Bourke (NSW), on Flores (Dutch Indies), just short of Singapore Airport, and on Ramree Island (Burma), overall soiling & piece of the flap missing. Unlisted in the AAMC. The only recorded cover from
this flight. After his various mis-adventures, Cunningham abandoned the flight on 16.10.1930. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$1,500
SOLD for AU$3,800.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
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