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This Cover is one of my favourites ... and was purchased from a well known stamp dealer some time back .. who lives near Northbridge NSW ???... but shall be nameless ????


The 1935 cover has a good bit of history behind it .. It was the Sir Charles Kingsford Smith ill fated flight on route to NZ ..when it experienced engine trouble .. most of mail was thrown out of the plane so the plane could return and land at mascot .. this was one of many to survive the trip..... not a good scan ..I'm afraid .. Cover looks more healthy than this in real life !!

Signed by Co Pilot and Navigator PG Taylor. Also interesting note on back written by Ernie Crome.

My Gawd its been quite a while since I saw that one.

Do you realise the 6d OS alone is now Cat $250 on cover?

Your comment that this is one of "many" saved is sort of incorrect I think.

Ernie Crome's comment on back is that this flight won the George Cross for P. G. Taylor who whilst the plane was flying at wave height acorss the Tasman walked out on to the wing to keep changing the oil, hence saving the plane and the lives of Kingsford Smith and Stannage, or the engine would have stalled.

Ernie's own written comment is that most of the mail was dumped to lighten the plane. Indeed Eustis (#499) tells us that 28,279 letters were on the plane when it took off, and all but about 1000 were tossed overboard to save the aircraft and crew.

If I were to offer this today for sale it would be $500, being signed by a George Cross winner of the flight that earned him that award.

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And how scarce is this one from www.glenstephens.com/rarity - Only 21 covers carried, 70 years back! Probably only 2 or 3 still survive.

Scarce Territory Of New Guinea pioneer airmail First Flight cover: June 1937 first flight from Mai Mai in the Sepik River, to Wewak. New Guinea 2d Coronation stamp cancelled by bold "Wewak 19 Jun:37" upon arrival. Addressed to Coogee NSW. William Gray carried just 21 covers in a Fox Moth from the Wambara Aerodrome. One of the rarities of NG aerophilately. Eustis P114, Cat $A425. $A350

Yes Glen ..I was a bit lazy in describing this cover...of course what you said about it is all correct !!!

Although not seeing so many around for sale including Ebay ..I was pleasantly surprised at your current valuation !

Love your rarities page .....some nice FF Covers on there.

Regards
John

Seeing we are speaking of the venerable Ernie Crome above, thought I'd share this one off my rarity page - as it is addressed to him.

My guess is only a couple of these would still exist as only 12 were ever carried, 70 years back. If it were stamp item with those numbers known you could add one or 2 zeros to the price!

Australia 1939 Round Australia flight: The Gordon Elliot flight where only TWELVE covers were carried - as confirmed in Eustis. A superb looking fresh example as you can see, and signed by the pilot. On reverse he has written the entire route and dates in pencil showing the 27 stops! Remote stops like Avon Downs, Newcastle Waters, Broome, Ceduna and Nhill in a tiny plane must have been an adventure in this pre-war flight. You may wait a generation to see another example offered. Eustis 879c. $A250

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Even more of an adventure in this little thing!

Nice one Sherro and Ozstamps ...another couple of Kingsford Smith Flight Covers ..although I paid probably a bit more over on these covers at the time ..I believe it will be a good investment down the line ? Everyone should own a bit of "SMITHY"





(Above) Last Flight of the Southern Cross..with Ernie Cromes's Vignette





(Above) Southern Cross Cover ..Flown and signed by him ..Aust/Nz Flight

Wonder what the value of the two covers are now ....??

Mail covers .... very nice pair - I seem to recall owning them once ... and like Don Bradman signed material, Smithy stuff is going up all the time, and is in constant demand.

If anyone's interested in American first flight covers, there are hundreds for sale here:

http://buckacover.com/covers/search.php?code=usflight

They've got another category for Airport Dedications on the same site...

Excuse the bulk upoad of pics ..but I think they explain themselves pretty well .....enjoy !

The last one I like -- never seen that one before.

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Yes I had never seen it before either Glen ..thats why I bought it ...of course well referenced by Nelson Eustis................Eustis # 548 26-27 October 1935 ... Wasp Airlines conducted a shark patrol flight over Sydney Forseshore in the "Narromine Wasp" VH-UST Covers were signed by pilot E. Collibee and postmarked "11.30am 28th OCT 1935 Sydney NSW" ...a bit different from the flight covers around at that time I thought ...only FIFTY Flown ...so maybe in years to come it will gain value in leaps and bounds !! we live in Hope !!

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Tony

NIce Cover Lakatoi ! Not quite sure about that ...as I have seen other Clipper Covers with the insert pic as well ....??? Still not quite sure if they would have been the first to do that ? Someone like Tom Frommer ( Vignettes expert ) would I'm sure be able to shed some light on it though?

Some decimal covers.

This first one was is signed by the pilot whom flew the same route as Bert Hinkler to commemorate the original flight. The paper behind it has all the details of the original and the commemorative flight.


And this one was an air race to also commemorate Bert Hinkler
Front
BACK

I kept these as it turns out I am actually related to Mr Hinkler Funnily enough, Bert Hinklers mother was a descendant of William H Bonney aka Billy the Kid ah history, you've gotta love it

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Happiness is a journey, NOT a destination.

Hi, Skie,

Nice covers and a nice bit of history there...

That top one is postmarked Croydon. I used to live in Croydon, which was the site of the original London Airport.

Have you seen the pictures of Neville Chamberlain coming back from his meeting waving that piece of paper and saying "peace in our time" in 1938? That was at Croydon airport.

By the time I moved there, the airport had long-since closed and been turned into a trading estate with big DIY superstores...

Wow, history such an amazing thing. I actually bought the first cover from someone in England a few years back. It was one of my first buys of ebay.

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Happiness is a journey, NOT a destination.

One of the biggest preparers of naval covers like this was Walter Crosby. According to this article, other cachet makers used the same technique. Good information at:

http://www.uscs.org/site%20archive/cove ... pril06.htm

Do eBay searches in Stamps for Crosby and for Gmahle, you may see covers like yours.

Lakatoi .. that insert LOOKS like a sepia photo?

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It IS a photo, glued to the [Thermographed] cover; that's what Crosby and Gmahle did. Crosby prepared first day covers, first flight covers, and ship covers, plus a few oddball items.

If anyone has a Planty catalog, see #895-32 thru #895-36.

Yep that's what I guessed Doug .. one of those sepia real photo glue ons.

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This sold today for well over over treble estimate at $600+ when all the GST and extras and extras and extras and other gouges are added in or so at Prestige:

Frizbane, for future reference, your covers are listed in the "Canada" section of Volume IV of the American Air Mail Catalog; the top one is #598d, the bottom one is #537d.

Here is Australia's first stamp design - literally!

Before the Kangaroos were issued, we had this 1911 KGV full face postcard image. The first postage design ever to bear the word AUSTRALIA.

This one is a pretty scarce item normally of course, and is part of the gorgeous Pictorial set depicting various members of the Royal Family. Not often seen especially postally used - even scuffed like this one is.

Someone has used it later on, with the 2d and 3d from Tasmania - date slug appears to be either 1 MY 31 or 4 MY 31 to me.

Doug's sharp eyes tipped me off this was in fact a weird use FIRST FLIGHT COVER from 1931, being either Eustis 197 ($35) or 199 ($30) and being on a Coronation Official Postcard I'll bet my house is unqiue!

Anyway a kinky early survivor, and $A40 post free worldwide if it appeals to any members.

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There are certainly some good looking covers here.

Let me share one with you. Not exactly top condition, no pilot signed but I am impressed by where this cover went and and when it did so. I picked it up a local US stamp show.

It is AAMC222. It was airmail Australia to England with Kingsford Smith.

It then routes to the US and then back to Australia. It has a Geelong cancel 18NOV31 and also 26FEB32.

spud2911 ... it looks to me like there is too much data in your photobucket link?

It usually looks something like this :

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s113 ... s/1dpc.jpg

I think the numbers after jpg do not need to be there?

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb63 ... 1184560479

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ozstamps, many thanks.

My 13 year old daughter fixed me up

It should read correctly now!!! Thanks

Spud .. ha .. most 13 year olds could run Microsoft I reckon.

Works fine .. what a nice cover . . look at the routes on back on cover where it went BOTH ways most likely .. no wonder it is a little battered from wear!

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This cover I really enjoyed getting. An unusual origin and destination for a crash cover. I wouldn't have thought to many Brits in Aden in the 50's would have been writing to CUBA.

Maybe offshore Carribean banking havens have been around for longer than we think.

That would have been pre-Castro, so probably spot on there, Glen

btw: interesting routing - the salvage cachet is for Prestwick, Glasgow.

Interesting info on this crash From Wikipedia:

Early on Christmas Day 1954, at 0330 hours, a British Overseas Airways Corporation Boeing 377 Stratocruiser crashed on landing at Prestwick, killing 28 of the 36 passengers and crew onboard. The aircraft had been en route from London to New York City, when, on approach to Prestwick, entered a steep descent before levelling out too late and too severely, hitting the ground short of the runway. A number of factors have been attributed to the cause of the crash, including pilot fatigue (the captain was well over his duty limit due to the aircraft being delayed), the landing lights at Prestwick being out of action due to repair and the First Officer either not hearing a command from the Captain for landing lights (which may have helped judge the low cloud base) or mistakenly hitting the flaps, causing the aircraft to stall.
The Stratocruiser had been carrying uncut diamonds in registered mail, then valued at over £1 million, though it would be several days after the accident that investigators had any hint of the cargo being carried. An extensive search was carried out in the area surrounding the crash for several weeks, resulting in over 90% of the diamonds being recovered.

Not air COVERS, but stamps that were USED on pioneer air covers.

Just added to my rarity page:

http://www.glenstephens.com/rarity.html

Australia 1920 "Pals Air Mail" and "Herald Air Mail" flight stamps and famous Cinderellas: All time classics, and it has been 20 years since I have handled a pair. Mint original gum, with usual light creasing. Both were used on the very early 1920s special pioneer flights.

Way under-valued in relation to their scarcity, and these are well recognised aerophilatlic stamps as WELL as famous "Cinderellas". On COVER these are worth many $1,000s. Eustis (AAMC) 48a, and Eustis 51c = $250 many years ago. $A200

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Here is one for the bulletin board. I was wondering if anyone can help solve this mystery. I do not own the cover.

BACKGROUND:
Kingsford Smith & CTP Ulm left in the Southern Cross from Richmond NSW to England. They were lost in north-west Australia in what became the Coffee-Royal episode. Covers were covered and cancelled RICHMOND NSW 10:30 AM 30 MR29 signed by both pilots (AAMC131). Here is a great link on the episode:

http://kimberleycruising.com.au/Kimberley%20History/kingsford%20smith.htm

A recent Flight Cover came up on eBay stating "VERY RARE Coffee Royal Australian flight cover & letter (Item#300134512659). It was listed at AU$799. Here is the image:



I followed up with the seller and asked if this was a variation and did he have anything to indicate that this was actually flown on the KS Flight. He replied: ....It is definitely a variation of this cover because of the following reasons.
1. The letter is dated 19/3/1929.
2. The cover is dated the same date.
3. The letter refers to Kingsford Smith having ANOTHER try of the Australia to England flight and also asks for the return of the cover if received. Quite a nice item. I am
aware that Eustis refers to 6 covers being from Richmond & signed but one needs to ask the question, was that the only mail on the flight? In addition to this, this was the only flight this cover could have gone on because there were no other flights between this date & the coffee royal flight.

DETECTIVE WORK: I reviewed the cover from scan and also requested and received a copy of the letter. The letter was interesting. It was signed by a Mr. Hodgkinson in Rochester, VIC. Which is even today a very small town of a few thousand people. It is was addressed to Rochester, KENT in England. An unusual connection. I followed up and can confirm there was a Mr. Hodgkinson in Rochester, VIC who had sent a letter on Alan Cobham's epic flight to from Australia to England on 24 Aug.1926 (AAMC.100) cover. This makes me feel the writer and letter are legitimate. So the intent was there. But did it fly on the Southern Cross and is it a Coffee Royal Cover? My sense is no, it did not fly on AAMC131 Coffee Royal.

My observation was this was not one of the 12 covers usually described, it was not postmarked Richmond, it was not signed by any of the crew, it had no back stamps, looks to be in good condition, and there is no indication that it was carried on the later successful flight to England such as dual franking. It has a hand written "Per Southern Cross on the top left.

REQUEST:
This is where I'd like your help. Did this letter fly on AAMC131- Coffee Royal or did the writer just wish it did.

Thanks, Phil

Eustis does not list any cover for March 19, 1929. The "Coffee Royal" episode takes place on March 30, viz.

"1929 (30 March) - Kingsford Smith and C.T.P. Ulm in the 'Southern Cross' en route to England, were lost in north-west West Australia - the 'Coffee Royal' episode. Covers were carried cancelled 'RICHMOND NSW 10.30 AM 30 MR 29' signed by both pilots. These covers were later flown on the successful record flight (#142) in June 1929."

This is the text accompanying Eustis #131.

I agree certainly some nice Flights Covers being posted ...Here are three more ...One 1929 Imperial Airways First Flight Between India,Egypt, and England ....and two of my favourite 1949 Sydney-Hong Kong Flights ! Signed by Captain's E.C Sims & J.M Hampshire

This is a common and contagious disease. Many ebay sellers in particular have this disease.

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This is the so-called "Christmas" flight, with the proper Wilton Road cancellation, and backstamps from both Johannesburg and Cape Town. Unfortunately without the preprinted "Christmas Greetings" enclosure.

I Like that one Doug ! what year is it ..couldn't make out the Postmark ?

Hi Doug, thanks for Eustis text on AAMC131: The "Coffee Royal" episode takes place on March 30. I would have to conclude that the cover shown was not on the Southern Cross with Kingsford Smith & Ulm. The lack of any back of envelope cancellations is disappointing. Surprisingly, the seller now has the cover relisted as Buy It Now for $1200 after no bids at $799. Many thanks, Philip.

BTW Nice Imperial Airways Cover between England & South Africa

That's a 1931 cover, UK to South Africa. The enclosure itself is worth quite a bit of money too, as Christmas memorabilia.

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This blow up shows the tiny booklet plate dots in top and bottom margin perfectly!

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Haven't posted any Flight Covers for a while ..thought you might like to see some from the "30's" from the Highlands of Scotland

Great looking covers "mailcovers". Thankyou for keeping this thread going.

Glen my cover looks like it went on the same flight as your 1931 cover.

Postmarked 14 May 1931 Geelong arrived Port Antonia Jamaica 18 June 1931 (Eustis 203) second experimental flight Australia to England

Not as interesting as some above but expensive postage for the time. Had to have been a love letter

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KGV tragic

World's longest love letter I'd say.

By the franking value, would have contained about 30 pages.

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