Posted : Sep 9, 1940 at Buenos Aires

Route : FAM 6-10 to Miami; USA domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 14 CHINA Clipper departed San Francisco on Sep 17, arriving in Hong Kong on Sep 24; BOAC from Hong Kong to Bangkok on Flight HB275 on Sep 25; BOAC Horseshoe route from Bangkok to Durban; surface to Johannesburg. Backstamped Hong Kong Sep 24, 1940.

Notes : The cover is endorsed upper left PANAIR and Via New York which would indicate the Trans-Atlantic route. However, the cover did not go this route. The Hong Kong transit marking on reverse dated Sep 24, and the triangle Hong Kong Censor 9 handstamp, verify that this cover went by Pan Am's Pacific Clipper service to Hong Kong. A very nice origin and destination combination for Pacific Clipper mail.

Rate : 1.70 pesos

Posted : Oct 15, 1940 at Buenos Aires

Route : FAM 6-10 to Miami; USA domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 14 CALIFORNIA Clipper departed San Francisco on Oct 25, arriving in Hong Kong on Oct 31; possibly by surface to Singapore or by CNAC from Hong Kong through China to Rangoon, Burma. BOAC Horseshoe route from Singapore or Rangoon to Durban; surface to Johannesburg. Backstamped Hong Kong Oct 31, 1940.

Notes : The cover is endorsed upper left Via New York which would indicate the Trans-Atlantic route. However, the cover did not go via the Atlantic. The Hong Kong transit marking on reverse dated Oct 31, and the triangle Hong Kong Censor 9 handstamp, verify that this cover went by Pan Am's Pacific Clipper service to Hong Kong on the AMERICAN Clipper. Interesting to note that by the time this cover arrived in Hong Kong, the BOAC Hong Kong to Bangkok service had been suspended due to the war. This cover travelled a different route to South Africa, than the one above. One of only two covers I have seen from Argentina to South Africa by Pacific Clipper.

Rate : 1.70 pesos

Posted : Feb 10, 1941 at Buenos Aires

Probable Route : PANAGRA to Cristobal; FAM 5 to Miami; USA domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 19 to Auckland; TEAL to Sydney; ANA - Australia domestic airlines to Hobart.

Notes : The cover is endorsed Via San Francisco by Clipper. Censored in Australia.

Rate : 2.20 pesos

Posted : April 25, 1941 at Buenos Aires

Route : FAM 6-10 to Miami; USA domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 14 California Clipper departed San Francisco May 3, arriving Singapore May 10; BOAC Horseshoe route to Sydney; TEAL to Auckland. Backstamped Miami - May 1 and Honolulu - May 4.

Notes : In 1941, in spite of increased tensions around the world, Pan Am decided to extend the Pacific service from Manila to Singapore. On May 3, 1941 the California Clipper departed San Francisco under command of Captain J.W.Burrows, stopping at Honolulu (May 4), Midway, Wake, Guam, Manila, and arrived at Singapore on May 10. The Honolulu backstamp on this cover dated May 4, confirms that this cover was carried on the first flight of the extended service to Singapore. Of further interest - because this cover is addressed to Auckland, NZ, the normal assumption might be that it would have been "held up", and put on the next FAM 19 Southern route Clipper going directly to Auckland. However, because of the Honolulu date stamp of May 4, we know that this cover was carried on the FAM 14 Northern route to Singapore. This cover verifies the importance of registration and transit markings in determining the routing of Pacific Clipper airmail . A very interesting cover.

Rate : 14.52 pesos - Rare use of the 10 Peso stamp, the 2nd highest face value stamp in use at the time.

Posted : Nov 29, 1941 at Buenos Aires

Route : FAM 6-10 to Miami; USA domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 14 ANZAC clipper to Hawaii; offloaded at Hilo; censored in Hawaii; Returned To Sender in Argentina due to Japanese invasion of Philippines.

Notes : On Dec 6,1941, the ANZAC Clipper, NC 18611, departed San Francisco on what would be it's Last Flight. As the ANZAC approached Hawaii on the morning of Dec 7, it was informed by radio that Hawaii was under attack by the Japanese. The ANZAC was diverted to a River landing at Hilo, where all mail was quickly offloaded, and the ANZAC Clipper returned to San Francisco. The date of the postmark - Nov 29, 1941, and the fact that this cover has the RELEASED BY I.C.B. 45 Censor marking of Hawaii, verifies that this cover was carried on the last flight of the ANZAC Clipper, and arrived in Hawaii during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Rate : 1.60 Pesos