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Posted : Nov 26, 1941 at Rio De Janeiro
Possible Route : FAM 6-10 to Miami, via Trinidad, censored in Trinidad by Examiner 8011 ; USA domestic airlines to San Francisco ; FAM 14 ANZAC Clipper to Hawaii;
offloaded at Hilo; from Hawaii back to San Francisco; USA domestic airlines to Miami; FAM 22 across the Atlantic to Africa, to connect with BOAC Horseshoe route;
BOAC to India; Censored in India; at some point after this, the cover was determined undeliverable,
and sent back to New York; Marked Returned To Sender Service Suspended Aug 11, 1942 in New York, and sent back to Brazil.
Notes : Addressed to Batavia, Java, the cover has the typed instructions - Via San Francisco por Trans Pacific Clipper , partially covered by the Return To Sender handstamp. Because of the date of posting - Nov 26, 1941, and because of the Censor date stamp from Trinidad - Nov 30, 1941,
I believe that this cover was carried on the The Last Pre-war Flight of the ANZAC Clipper , which departed San Francisco on Dec 6,1941. 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. At this point, the cover was sent on by an alternate route to the Dutch Indies.I believe the cover went back to the USA,
for airmail transport across the Atlantic by the Southern route - FAM 22. The cover got as far as India, verified by the DHC/37 Crown Censor handstamp which is an Indian Censor marking. At some point along the route, it was determined undeliverable, due to the Japanese invasion of the Dutch Indies.
The cover was sent back via New York, where it was marked -
RETURNED TO SENDER SERVICE SUSPENDED Aug 11, 1942. A truly fascinating cover from the early days of World War II.
Rate : 7200 Reis
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Brazil to the Netherlands East Indies - Returned Service Suspended
(Last Flight - ANZAC Clipper)
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