Posted : August 27, 1941 at Sydney

Route : Sydney to Auckland by TEAL probably on flight SA 97 on August 30; FAM 19 California Clipper departed Auckland Aug 31 to San Francisco; USA domestic airlines to New York. PANAM FAM 18 Atlantic Clipper to Lisbon. BOAC or KLM to England.

Notes : Rare use of the 1 Pound high value stamp (a vertical pair) on this two-ocean airmail cover from Sydney. This is the highest franking I have seen from Australia during the World War II period. The normal two-ocean rate to England was 5sh 9p. This cover is seven or eight times the normal rate.

Rate : 2 Pounds 10 pence

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 19, 1941 at Sydney

Route : Sydney to Auckland by TEAL; FAM 19 California Clipper departed Auckland Nov 25 to San Francisco; USA domestic airlines to New York. PANAM FAM 18 Atlantic Clipper to Lisbon. BOAC or KLM to England.

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. This two-ocean airmail cover was posted in Sydney on Nov 19, and was on the last flight. .

Rate : 5sh 10p

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