Air Mail Incidents continued...
| LotNo. |
Symbol |
Lot Description |
Estimate in AU$'s |
| 2218 |
D |
 1920 (Aug 28) Wellington-Blenheim-Christchurch 'NEW ZEALAND SHORT WAYBILL' for mail from Wellington with 'AERIAL POST' cachet in
violet & 'BLENHEIM/28AU20/NZ' arrival cds & signed by the pilot "Euan Dickson", soiled, multiple folds & a few separations repaired with archival tape. The onward flight was delayed by poor weather, the mail eventually being forwarded by road &
delivered to Christchurch on 1.9.1920. See Volume One at pages 132-5, illustrated at page 132. This was the first-ever north to south air crossing of Cook Strait. (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
|
Estimate AU$400
SOLD for AU$300.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2219 |
 |
 1929 (June 24) cover to "Karamea" with 1d Field Marshall tied by 'INANGAHUA [LANDING]' cds, minor blemishes. On 17.6.1929, a major
earthquake near Murchison & Karamea in the north-west of the South Island destroyed homes, caused extensive flooding & 17 deaths, and isolated some communities. Four relief flights Westport-Karamea on 21.6, 22.6, 1.7 & 2.7.1929 carried small mails,
at standard postage rates. Much scarcer than the Hawkes Bay/Napier emergency flight covers. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$440.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2220 |
|
 1931 (Feb) group of philatelic covers, the first with 6d Express Delivery & black/orange 'EXPRESS' label, the others with
'EMERGENCY EARTHQUAKE AIR MAIL' cachet in violet, signed by the pilots "GG Wallace", "HB Burrell", "GB Bolt", "CM Duthie" or "DM Allan" respectively. The Hawkes Bay or Napier Earthquake occurred on 3.2.1931, devastating & isolating the region, and
killing 256 people. Napier was wiped off the map, the rebuilt central part being one of the best examples of an Art Deco town in the world. Between 4.2 & 27.2.1931 a series of emergency flights maintained contact with the area, with small mails only
being carried. Plus a folio of contemporary newspaper broadsheet pages from 'The Otago Witness' including 8pp & 12pp pictorial supplements & 'The Daily Telgraph' News Bulletins No 1 2 4 & 5 including lists of victims.
(5 + newspapers) (Image1)
(Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$420.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2221 |
|
 1931 (Feb 9) unstamped social cover to "Khandallah/Wellington" with 'HASTINGS' cds, opened a little roughly & a bit soiled.
Non-philatelic mail from the Hawkes Bay or Napier Earthquake emergency airmails is very scarce. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$230.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2222 |
|
 1931 (Feb 6) plain cover with 1d 'OFFICIAL' tied by 'HASTINGS' cds, to "Public Works Department/Auckland" with superb 'EMERGENCY
EARTHQUAKE AIR MAIL' cachet in violet, signed by the pilot "S Wallingford", repaired opening tear across the flap. Official mail carried by the emergency air services is even scarcer than social mail. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$350
SOLD for AU$800.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2223 |
|
 1931 (Feb 9) unstamped social cover endorsed "Earthquake Area" to "The Vicarage/Bulls" with 'NAPIER' cds, 'BULLS/13FE31/NZ' arrival
cds, repaired opening tear across the flap. Mail from Napier was flown from Hastings only between 5.2 & 9.2.1931. Bulls is more than 200km by road south-west of Napier and this cover probably travelled by road, such items being much scarcer than
those carried by the emergency air services (included here to be offered with the other items from this incident). (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$200
SOLD for AU$320.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2224 |
/ |
 1932 (Feb 19-20) commercial covers from Dunedin x2, 'OAMARU' (telephone slogan cancel) or 'RANFURLY' all to Christchurch, one with
typed "...EMERGENCY FLIGHT/Wigram Aerodrome Oamaru-Christchurch" & signed by Squadron-Leader "JL Findlay", one endorsed "Special Flight/Dunedin-Christchurch" & signed by Sqdn-Ldr "TM Wilkes", another without endorsement also signed by Findlay, the
other without endorsement or signature. Heavy rainfall on 20-21.2.1932 in the Canterbury Province caused widespread flooding & extensive damage to buildings & infrastructure, including the Pareoroa Bridge between Timaru & Christchurch. Seven pilots
returning from the Invercargill Air Pageant held on 20.2.1932 each carried small mails to Christchurch. Very scarce group.
(4 items) (Image1)
(Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$600
SOLD for AU$460.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2225 |
PSE |
 1933 (May 4) appropriately endorsed covers flown by AE Willis 'BLENHEIM' to Wellington (backstamp, being a 1d Envelope), and return
flight of the same day with 1d Field Marshal. A shipping strike had interrupted the Cook Strait mail service & Willis offered to assist but carried only very small mails.
(2) (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$320.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2226 |
PSE |
 1933 (May 29-30) cover & 1d Envelope (light spotting) both endorsed "Emergency Flight", Hastings-Gisborne & the return flight & on
to Christchurch (possibly commercial), both signed by the pilot "AG Gerrand". Scarce. The flights were necessary after major flooding caused severe damage to roads between Napier & Gisborne.
(2) (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$300
SOLD for AU$230.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2227 |
|
 1934 MacRobertson Air Race per JD Hewett & CD Kay in Dragon Rapide 'Tainui' that departed England 20.10.1934, arrived Melbourne
3.11.1934, coming fifth in the handicap section, the cover endorsed on the flap "Bag containing this letter lost in Persia/just arrived by Imperial Airways/Quantas [sic] Empire Airways. Rail to Melbourne/boat to NZ/JDH" (= JD Hewett), Field Marshal
1d affixed & tied by Auckland slogan of '9MAR/1935', minor spotting, see NZAC at page 20, this item unlisted. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2228 |
|
 1935 Sydney-Wellington Silver Jubilee Air Mail per Kingsford Smith & PG Taylor illustrated cover with Australian 2d & 3d x2 tied by
Melbourne cds of '12MY35', superb 'WELLINGTON/23MY35/ 1 /NZ' relief arrival backstamp & another strike tying New Zealand ½d & 1½d to the face, repaired flap tear, see NZAC at page 22. Seven hours into the flight, engine trouble and a damaged
propellor caused all equipment & mail to be jettisoned but a small amount of mail was overlooked. During the flight PG Taylor made a series of untethered trips to obtain oil from the damaged starboard engine, to top-up the port engine. For this he
was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal, later upgraded to the George Cross. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$150
SOLD for AU$150.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2229 |
/D |
 1935 (Dec) England-Australia per 'City of Khartoum' that ran out of fuel & crashed into the sea on approach to Alexandria, killing
all 11 occupants, placed aboard 'Horsa' ex Alexandria 8.1.1935, 'Athena' Karachi-Singapore, then per 'Brisbane' or 'Adelaide' to Darwin, where the mail was finally opened & dried, the cover severely water-damaged, with the Sydney GPO printed incident
advice letter & Sydney DLO 'RE-ENCLOSED LETTER' envelope (filing folds) in which it was flown to New Zealand with superb 'AIR MAIL/21JA36/SYDNEY NSW' cds. See Volume Three at pages 352-372, where stated "...a small mail for NZ...was included in the
Melbourne & Sydney bags".
(3 items) (Image1)
(Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$250
SOLD for AU$190.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2230 |
|
 1935 (Dec) England-Australia per 'City of Khartoum' that ran out of fuel & crashed into the sea on approach to Alexandria, killing
all 11 occupants, placed aboard 'Horsa' ex Alexandria 8.1.1935, 'Athena' Karachi-Singapore, then per 'Brisbane' or 'Adelaide' to Darwin, where the mail was finally opened & dried, from West Germany with 'SOLINGEN/24.12.35' pictorial meter for
Solingen Steel, significant water-damage, processed through Melbourne with 'RECEIVED AT GPO MELBOURNE/DAMAGED BY WATER' cachet in violet, resealed with 'FOUND OPEN/OFFICIALLY SEALED' label tied by superb 'MELBOURNE/ 25 /20JA36/VIC' cds, Australian
airmail label affixed for transit to New Zealand, opened-out & slightly truncated for display. See Volume Three at pages 352-372. Covers from countries other than Great Britain are rare: Rod Perry's cover from Austria to New South Wales sold for
$1690. (Image1)
(Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
SOLD for AU$575.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2231 |
|
 1936 (Dec) Germany-New Zealand per Imperial/Qantas service ex London 2.12.1935, terminating at Brisbane 14.12, mail for southern
States & New Zealand being on-forwarded by rail with Sydney machine backstamp of '15DEC/1935', badly damaged en route to New Zealand with blue/white 'OFFICIALLY SEALED' labels on all sides & large 'RECEIVED AT/WELLINGTON/IN DAMAGED CONDITION' cachet
in violet on both sides. Very attractive & full of character. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$500
SOLD for AU$380.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2232 |
|
 1938 (Sep) England-Australia Empire Air Mail Scheme (EAMS) service per 'Calpurnia' which crashed into Lake Habbaniyah (Iraq), with
four fatalities, Brian Peace's exhibit pages, including underpaid cover with manuscript "Received in damaged/condition ex flying boat Calpurnia, cachets 'RECEIVED IN DAMAGED CONDITION/EX FLYING BOAT CALPURNIA' in violet x7 (three registered, and one
on OHMS ambulance envelope with distressed remains), boxed 'DAMAGED BY WATER IN/TRANSIT FROM LONDON' in rosine x3 (one badly distressed), large 'RECEIVED AT/WELLINGTON/IN DAMAGED CONDITION', very large 'RECEIVED IN /DAMAGED CONDITION/ exCALPURNIA' in
violet, light 'RECEIVED IN DAMAGED CONDITION/AT CHRISTCHURCH' in rosine, and 'Received at Christchurch/a damaged condition' ('in' omitted) in rosine, or roneo'd label 'Salvaged from air-mail/liner Calpurnia' x2 (one underpaid), most with the stamps
washed-off, a few with sealing labels. See Volume Three at pages 237-275, where many are illustrated. The best known of the crashes during the 1938-39 Empire Air Mail Scheme (EAMS) period.
(19 items) (Image1)
(Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
(Image5)
(Image6)
(Image7)
(Image8)
(Image9)
(Image10)
(Image11)
(Image12)
(Image13)
|
Estimate AU$1,500
SOLD for AU$1,800.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2233 |
|
 1940 (June) Batavia-Sydney per KNILM flight which crashed into the sea soon after takeoff from Bali, killing eight occupants, cover
with Netherlands Indies 25c tied by 'TANDJONG/PRIOK' cds, to Wellington with huge 'RECOVERED FROM/LOST FLYING BOAT' cachet of Sydney, minor blemishes, AAMC 888, Cat from $350. Note: the aircraft was a Lockheed land plane, not a flying boat. See
Volume 4 at pages 131-148, illustrated at page 143. Only six covers to New Zealand recorded. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$250
SOLD for AU$190.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2234 |
|
 1945 (Jan 25) cover Auckland-Christchurch with 2d meter & superb private double-boxed 'EMERGENCY STRIKE AIRMAIL' cachet in violet.
A major labour strike by the Railway Union greatly disrupted commerce. Between 25 & 28.1.1945, the government ordered the Air Force to fly mail between the North & South Islands. (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$100
SOLD for AU$75.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2235 |
|
 1945 (Feb 22) OHMS cover to Christchurch with 2d Whare overprinted 'Official' tied by 'OAMARU' machine carried per RNZAF, and
philatelic cover endorsed for the return flight with Guiding Princesses tied by Christchurch slogan. The worst floods since 1868 ravaged the Canterbury & North Otago regions, severing road & rail communications in some areas. The Royal New Zealand
Air Force performed two return flights for each of three days 22-24.2.1945. Interestingly, they carried only mail paid at surface rates, items paid at airmail rates travelling as usual per Union Airways.
(2) (Image1) (Image2)
(Image3)
(Image4)
|
Estimate AU$250
SOLD for AU$190.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2236 |
|
 1945 (Apr 23) Patrioic Fund envelope per RNZAF Lockheed 'Hudson' which stalled on approach to Piva Airstrip on Bougainville &
crashed on the runway, killing three of the five occupants, to "RNZAF APO 308" with 2d Whare tied by 'HOBSONVILLE/19AP45/AIR FORCE' cds, endorsed on the face "Salvaged from Hudson a/c crashed Piva Airstrip, Bougainville approx 0900 hrs 23.4.45",
water-stained. See Volume Four at page 124, where illustrated & stated to be "the only cover recorded". (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$600
SOLD for AU$460.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
| 2237 |
|
 1948 cover per National Airways Corporation Lockheed Electra 'Kahu' which when approaching Tauranga Airport encountered turbulence
that caused it to crash into the bay, with no casualties, to "Whakata" wih 1d green strip of 3 tied by 'KAIKOHE' cds, endorsed at lower-left "Damaged/plane crash/Tauranga/20-4-48/[initials] Mails", 'WHAKATANE/21AP48/NZ' arrival backstamp. See Volume
Four at pages 88-90, where it is illustrated & stated to be "The only cover recorded". (Image1) (Image2)
|
Estimate AU$750
SOLD for AU$575.00
Closing..Jun-24, 07:30 PM |
