Posted : Sep 9, 1940 at Buenos Aires

Route : FAM 5 to New York; 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 Via New York, indicating it went by FAM 5 to New York, and then to San Francisco. 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, and then oin to South Africa, probably by BOAC Horseshoe Route service. This cover traveled in excess of 24000 miles to reach its destination, one of the longest air routes I have ever seen!

Rate : 1.70 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. 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