Posted : Feb 17, 1941 at Leopoldville

Probable Route : Leopoldville to Cairo, possibly via Kampala; Cairo to Hong Kong via BOAC; Pan Am FAM 14 to San Francisco; US domestic airlines to Knoxville, TN.

Notes : Endorsed Via Cairo / Hong Kong indicating BOAC and Pan Am FAM 14 Pacific Clipper service. The cover was censored in Leopoldville. There is a Rare hand stamp marking - WITH A.V.2 FORM in violet. According to Heifitz book, only 5 covers recorded or seen with this marking. He speculates the hand stamp was applied at Kampala, but is not certain. This is also the earliest recorded use of this marking. There is a Cairo transit marking and an Egyptian censor marking. The 30.25 fr pays the exact Pacific Clipper rate.

Rate : 30.25 fr trans pacific rate, which I have seen on 4 other covers.

Posted : May 14, 1941 at Bunia

Probable Route : BOAC to Cairo, then to Sydney, Australia; TEAL to Auckland; Pan Am FAM 19 to San Francisco; US domestic airlines to Akron, Ohio.

Notes : Originally endorsed "Par Avion Via Manille, Hong Kong" indicating the Pan Am FAM 14 Pacific Clipper route. This was crossed out with a red marker, and Sydney and Auckland was added, indicating FAM 19 instead of FAM 14. The cover was censored in Irumu, Belgian Congo and also Egypt, probably at Cairo. There is a private receiver dated July 31, 1941. The cover was most likely delayed in transit, because of the Iraq Rebellion, which effectively shut down Horse Shoe route flights through Iraq, all during the month of May, 1941. This could account for the 2 1/2 months of transit time.

Rate : 30.25 fr trans pacific rate, which I have seen on 3 other covers.