Posted : January 29, 1941 at Melbourne

Probable Route : ANA (Australia National Airlines) to Sydney; TEAL Flight SE 53 to Auckland on Jan 30; FAM 19 California Clipper departed Auckland Feb 3 arriving San Francisco Feb 7; USA domestic airlines to New York; FAM 18 - probably the Dixie Clipper, which departed New York Feb 12, arriving Lisbon Feb 14; European transport (air + rail) to St. Peterzell, Switz.; forwarded to St. Gallen.

Notes : two-ocean air cover, to Switzerland, not a common destination for mail from Australia. Censored in Australia. With the Switzerland date stamp of Feb 27, we know the cover was at least 30 days in transit. From this one date and with published Flight schedules, we can back trace the cover, and deduce many of the specific flights fairly accurately.

Rate : 5sh 11p - two-ocean air rate

Posted : August 14, 1941 at Melbourne

Route : ANA (Australia National Airlines) to Sydney; TEAL to Auckland; FAM 19 California Clipper departed Auckland Aug 31 to San Francisco; USA domestic airlines to New York.

Notes : With the stamps on the back, the total franking is 1 pound 6 shillings 3 pence. This is one of the highest frankings I have seen on a cover from Australia.

Rate : 1pound 6sh 3p

Posted : Oct 6, 1941 at Melbourne

Probable Route : ANA (Australia National Airlines) to Sydney; TEAL to Auckland; FAM 19 Clipper to San Francisco; USA domestic airlines to New York; FAM 18 to Lisbon; European transport (air + rail) to Geneva,Switzerland; forwarded from there to Stalag XIII C in Hammelburg, Bavaria, Germany.

Notes : Two-ocean airmail cover handstamped upper left - PRISONERS OF WAR POST. The cover was sent by a Mrs. Coward to Private F.C. Coward. Originally addressed to the Red Cross in Switzerland, the cover was forwarded from there to Stalag XIII C, a German POW camp which was located in Hammelburg, Germany. There is a brief biography with a picture of Private Coward at STALAG XIII C on the Australian War Memorial web site. Click here to view the page. A wonderful item of World War II Postal History.

Rate : 5sh 8p - two-ocean air rate + free domestic mail for POW correspondence

Posted : Nov 15, 1941 at Sydney

Route : Sydney to Auckland by TEAL; FAM 19 California Clipper departed Auckland Nov 25 to San Francisco; USA domestic airlines to destination.


Notes : On Nov 17 the California Clipper, NC 18602, departed San Francisco on what would be it's last pre-war flight. It arrived in Auckland on Nov 24, departing for the return trip to the USA on Nov 25, arriving in San Francisco on Dec 1. Because of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the US entry into World War II, this was the last flight of the California Clipper. This cover was posted in Sydney on Nov 15, and was carried on the last flight.

Rate : 4sh - single rate to the US

Posted : Nov 21, 1941

Possible Route : ANA (Australia National Airlines) to Sydney; TEAL to Auckland; FAM 19 California Clipper departed Auckland Nov 25 to San Francisco; USA domestic airlines to New York; FAM 18 Atlantic Clipper to Lisbon; BOAC to London; domestic transport to Belfast; forwarded to Field Post Office 491 from Belfast. Backstamped FPO 491 Jan 30, 1942. I do not know the location of FPO 491.

Notes : This cover was posted in Queensland on Nov 21. It was marked in blue crayon - By NZ USA UK indicating the two-ocean Clipper route. It would have travelled to Sydney for the TEAL service to Auckland. The last Clipper left Auckland on Nov 25. There was a TEAL flight from Sydney to Auckland on Nov 25. Did the TEAL Flight arrive in Auckland in time to connect with the last flight of the California Clipper? If so, then this cover was carried on the last flight. If not, then this cover went by a different route to England. It is difficult to tell from the FPO receiver date, because the cover was forwarded on arrival at Belfast, evidently by the RAF, and we do not know how long the cover was in Belfast, before being forwarded. FPO 491 was located in Northern Ireland.

Rate : 5sh 10p - two-ocean rate

Posted : Dec 8, 1941 at Sydney

Route : Undetermined.

Notes : This cover shows the handstamp CALIFORNIA CLIPPER in black indicating that the cover was intended for the Pacific Clipper service from Auckland. However, on Dec 7, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and the US entered World War II. At the time this cover was posted, the Pacific Clipper was sitting in Auckland Harbor, awaiting instructions from Pan American Airways headquarters, as to what route it should take to return to the USA. It was decided that the Clipper would not return via the Pacific, but take an alternate route back to the USA, ending in New York city. According to historians, no mail was carried on this flight due to weight restrictions and the need for additional fuel. This cover theoretically would have been sent to Auckland, while the Clipper was awaiting instructions. Then , it would had to have ben sent by an alternate means. Quite surprisingly, however, it is backstamped at Ottawa, Canada M.P.O. No 304 Jan 5, 1942. How did this cover get to Canada by January 5, 1942? There is a similar cover shown in the Boyle book. Boyle speculates that the cover was sent by the Horseshoe route to England, and then flown from England to Canada, by special Transport. I find this very difficult to believe. In my opinion, there is not enough time for a cover flown from Australia on the Horseshoe route to make it all the way to Durban, then by ship to England, and then flown across the North Atlantic, all in less than 28 days. This is certainly a very interesting item, which needs more research.

Rate : 3sh 11p