Posted : Feb 9, 1940 at Montreal

Route : Domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 14 California Clipper departed San Francisco on Feb 14, arriving in Hong Kong on Feb 20; from Hong Kong to either Bangkok or Singapore to connect with the Imperial Airlines / BOAC route to Sydney,Australia; then by Australia Airlines to Melbourne; back stamped San Francisco Feb 10, Hong Kong Feb 21, and Melbourne March 4.

Notes : Spectacular franking with 14 copies of the $1.00 Chateau de Ramesay stamp plus 5 other issues on this large commercial cover from Montreal to Melbourne. Since the FAM 19 route to Sydney had not yet begun, this cover went by Pan Am's FAM 14 route through Hong Kong, to connect with the Imperial / BOAC route to Australia. This is the highest franking I have seen from Canada during this period.

Rate : $14.50 - This cover is 16 times the $.90 rate plus $.10 Registration Fee.

Posted : June 3, 1940 at Plainville, Ontario

Route : Domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 14 Honolulu Clipper departed San Francisco on June 11, arriving Hong Kong on June 18; possibly by surface from Hong Kong to Batavia and Buitenzorg. Censored in Hong Kong and the Dutch Indies; backstamped Hong Kong June 18, Buitenzorg June 29.

Notes : When Italy entered the war on June 10, 1940, many of the existing air routes over Europe and the Mediterranean were interrupted or completely suspended. This included the KLM service from Naples to Bandung, in the Dutch Indies. This route connected with the BOAC Hong Kong to Bangkok service at Bangkok, which was a major connecting route for the Pacific Clipper mail from Hong Kong. When this cover arrived in Hong Kong on June 18, the new routes to replace the suspended routes, had not yet been formed. Thus, instead of proceeding by air from Hong Kong, it is quite possible that this cover went by surface from Hong Kong to the Dutch Indies.

Rate : The Pacific Clipper rate from Canada was 90 cents. The sender of this cover affixed only 86 cents in postage. The cover was marked for Postage Due with T - 40 in small box. Upon arrival in Buitenzorg, a block of 4 Netherlands East Indies Postage Due stamps were affixed on reverse, creating a rare mixed franking, with stamps of Canada and the Dutch Indies.

Posted : Sep 2, 1940 at Plainville, Ontario

Possible Route : Domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 19 from San Francisco to Auckland; TEAL from Auckland to Sydney; BOAC from Sydney to Singapore; censored in Singapore; KLM from Singapore to Batavia; surface to Buitenzorg. Censored in Singapore and Batavia.

Notes : The cover is endorsed China Clipper to Manilla, and Air to Java . However, because of the Singapore markings, I believe the cover was put on the FAM 19 American Clipper, which left San Francisco on Sep 11, 1940, and went through New Zealand and Australia, to connect with the BOAC Horseshoe route to Singapore, and then on to the Dutch Indies.

Rate : 90 cents

Posted : Aug 11, 1941 at Vancouver

Probable Route : Canada and USA domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 14 from San Francisco to Manila or Hong Kong; Probably by ship from either Manila or Hong Kong to Japan.

Notes : Interesting item. The sender or a Postal Clerk wrote a partial address in English - Mr. J Sato, Tokyo, Japan. The complete address is written in Japanese. The cover was censored in Canada.

Rate : $.90 trans-pacific rate

Posted : Sep 4, 1941 at Toronto

Probable Route : Canada and USA domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 14 from San Francisco to Singapore; BOAC from Singapore to Cairo; surface to Alexandria. Backstamped Cairo Oct 4 and Alexandria Oct 5.

Notes : Endorsed Transpacific Airmail, censored in Egypt.

Rate : $.90 trans-pacific rate

Posted : Sep 10, 1941 at Toronto

Probable Route : Canada and USA domestic airlines to San Francisco; FAM 19 from San Francisco to Auckland; TEAL from Auckland to Sydney; Australia domestic airlines - ANA to Melbourne.

Notes : Black bordered mourning envelope, unusual for Pacific Clipper mail.

Rate : $.90 trans-pacific rate