Posted : Nov 20, 1941 at Cairo

Route : BOAC to Sydney; TEAL to Auckland; At this point in the route service was interrupted by the advent of WWII. From either Sydney, Australia or Auckland , NZ by ship to San Francisco; USA domestic airlines to New York; Atlantic Clipper to Lisbon; European transport to Marseilles and Lyon, France.

Notes : Triple censored cover intended for Pan Am's two-ocean airmail service to France. The cover was originally posted on Nov 20, and was sent to the Office of Censorship, but did not return from there until Nov 26, (backstamped Cairo Nov 26). The cover was then carried on the BOAC Horseshoe route to Sydney, Australia, arriving there on either Dec 4 or Dec 8, depending on which flight it was on. Because of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, the PACIFIC Clipper was sitting in Auckland awaiting instructions from Pan Am's headquarters, on how to return to the USA. This cover was probably sent by TEAL to Auckland to wait there with the Clipper. It was finally determined that due to hostile conditions over the Pacific and the US entry into WWII, that the clipper would not return via the Pacific route, but instead, would take an alternate route back to the USA, ending in New York City, where the Atlantic Clippers were based. And so on Dec 14 the PACIFIC Clipper left Auckland, on it's historic return flight to the USA, but no mail was carried on the flight because of the need for extra fuel, and weight restrictions. This cover was then put on a ship, either at Auckland, or at Sydney, and was sent to San Francisco by surface transport. There is a San Francisco censor tape - 1490 applied to the cover. From San Francisco the cover went by US domestic airlines to New York, and then by Atlantic Clipper to Lisbon, and by European transport to Marseilles. The third censor tape - WK3, was applied at Marseille. And finally from Marseilles by rail to Lyon, France.

Rate : 152 millimes two-ocean rate

Posted : Nov 21, 1941 at Beirut

Route : Undetermined.

Notes : The cover was originally intended to connect with Pan Am's Pacific Clipper service, at either Singapore or Auckland, via Sydney. There is a Palestine censor tape underneath the US censor tape. By the time the cover reached Singapore or Sydney, it was too late to catch the last Clipper. At this point, the cover was put on a ship for the USA. There is a San Francisco censor tape, verifying that the cover travelled via the Pacific.

Rate : 175 piastres

Posted : Nov 21, 1941 at Cairo

Route : BOAC to Singapore or Sydney. By surface ship to San Francisco; USA domestic airlines to New York.

Notes : The cover was originally intended to connect with Pan Am's Pacific Clipper service, at either Singapore or Auckland. The cover was posted on Nov 21, 1941, but has a back stamp from Cairo dated Nov 25. This would indicate that it was delayed by the Office of Censorship for 4 days. By the time the cover reached Singapore or Sydney, it was too late to catch the last Clipper from either location. At this point, the cover was put on a ship for the USA. There is a San Francisco censor tape, verifying that the cover travelled via the Pacific.

Rate : 212 millimes - 22m base rate + 95m x2 air surcharge

Posted : Nov 23, 1941 at Khobar, Saudi Arabia

Route : BOAC to Singapore or Sydney. By surface ship to San Francisco; USA domestic transport to Los Altos, CA.

Notes : This cover was posted by a CASOC employee on Bahrain Island probably traveling to Khobar just across the Gulf on the coast of Saudi Arabia, so Saudi Arabia stamps were used. The cover was posted on Nov 23, 1941, and was censored in India. There is also a faint India transit marking on reverse. The cover was originally intended to connect with Pan Am's Pacific Clipper service, at either Singapore or Auckland. By the time the cover reached Singapore or Sydney, it was too late to catch the last Clipper from either location. At this point, the cover was put on a ship for the USA. There is a San Francisco censor tape, verifying that the cover travelled via the Pacific.

Rate : 35 1/2 guerche + 1/8g tax stamp

Posted : Nov 30, 1941 at Bangkok

Route : BOAC Horseshoe route from Bangkok to Singapore; At this point, the route was interrupted; I believe the cover went by ship to the USA, possibly from Singapore, or another major port city. The cover may have gone to Sydney, Australia, and then by ship to the USA.

Notes : This item was intended for the FAM 14 service from Singapore. We know it got to Singapore, because of the Censor markings. However, it did not arrive there until after Nov 30, and so it missed the last Clipper. It has the Censor tape - EXAMINED BY 1491, which is a San Francisco censor. And so we know the cover did go via the Pacific, but probably by ship.

Rate : 1.85 baht

Posted : Dec 1, 1941 at Ramataim

Probable Route : Ramataim to Tiberias by surface transport; BOAC Horseshoe route to Auckland; probably by ship from Auckland or Sydney to San Francisco; USA domestic airlines to New York.

Notes : We know the cover was intended for the Pacific Clipper service, based on the USA censor tape - # 1485 is a San Francisco censor. Had the cover gone any other route, it would not have a San Francisco censor tape.

Rate : 125 millimes

Posted : Dec 4, 1941 at London

Route : BOAC to Lisbon; FAM 18 Atlantic Clipper to New York; USA domestic airlines to San Francisco; by ship from San Francisco to Fiji, or by war-time Clipper service to Hawaii, then by ship to Fiji.

Notes : This cover originated from the Secretary of State of the Colonial Department in London, and was intended for Pan Am's two-ocean airmail service to Fiji. Because of the date of posting - Dec 4, 1941, the cover arrived in New York after the US had entered World War II and Pacific Clipper airmail service to Fiji had been suspended. However, airmail service between San Francisco and Hawaii was quickly restored after the Dec 7 attack on Pearl Harbor. On Dec 18, the CHINA Clipper flew the first war time mail flight from the mainland to Hawaii. This cover may have been on that flight to Hawaii, and then put on a ship to Fiji. Or, the cover may have simply been put on a ship to Fiji at San Francisco. There is no Return To Sender marking, so it is safe to assume the cover arrived at it's destination.

Rate : 4sh 6p - the two-ocean single rate

Posted : Dec 7, 1941 at Jedda

Probable Route : Jedda to Cairo by surface; Cairo to Jubba to Lagos by SABENA; Lagos to Miami by Pan Am FAM 22; US domestic airlines to New York.

Notes : This cover is marked VIA TRANSPACIFIC AIRLINES and was intended to connect with the Pacific Clipper service at Hong Kong or Auckland, via BOAC at Egypt. However, because of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, by the time the cover arrived in Egypt, the Pacific service was suspended. It is most likely that the cover was sent westward, to connect with the new Pan Am FAM 22 service across the South Atlantic via Lagos, Nigeria, entering the USA at Miami. The cover is back stamped Jan 10, 1942 at New York. Based on this date, the cover was most likely carried on the 2nd flight of FAM 22, which arrived in Miami on Jan 8.

Rate : 32 1/2 guerche

Posted : Dec 8, 1941 at Sydney

Route : Undetermined.

Notes : This cover shows the handstamp CALIFORNIA CLIPPER in black indicating that the cover was intended for the Pacific Clipper service from Auckland. However, on Dec 7, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and the US entered World War II. At the time this cover was posted, the Pacific Clipper was sitting in Auckland Harbor, awaiting instructions from Pan American Airways headquarters, as to what route it should take to return to the USA. It was decided that the Clipper would not return via the Pacific, but take an alternate route back to the USA, ending in New York city. According to historians, no mail was carried on this flight due to weight restrictions and the need for additional fuel. This cover theoretically would have been sent to Auckland, while the Clipper was awaiting instructions. Then , it would had to have ben sent by an alternate means. Quite surprisingly, however, it is backstamped at Ottawa, Canada M.P.O. No 304 Jan 5, 1942. How did this cover get to Canada by January 5, 1942? There is a similar cover shown in the Boyle book. Boyle speculates that the cover was sent by the Horseshoe route to England, and then flown from England to Canada, by special Transport. I find this very difficult to believe. In my opinion, there is not enough time for a cover flown from Australia on the Horseshoe route to make it all the way to Durban, then by ship to England, and then flown across the North Atlantic, all in less than 28 days. This is certainly a very interesting item, which needs more research.

Rate : 3sh 11p

Posted : Dec 11, 1941 at Chicago

Possible Route : US domestic airlines to Miami; Pan Am FAM 22 South Atlantic route to Lagos, Nigeria; from Lagos to Cairo by SABENA; BOAC from Cairo to Baghdad; surface to Tehran, Iran.

Notes : The cover is endorsed Via Trans Pacific Clipper and is franked with 70 cents paying the correct Pacific Clipper rate. However, by Dec 11 when this cover was posted, the Pacific Clipper service was suspended due to the war. The cover has an Egyptian censor handstamp on the front, suggesting the FAM 22 service, which connected with the Horseshoe route through Cairo. However, the cover was delayed for some reason, as it did not arrive in Baghdad until March 1, 1942. Perhaps the delay was caused by the Egyptian Censor office. A perplexing item. The Anglo-Soviet censor hand stamp was applied in Tehran.

Rate : 70 cent Pacific Clipper rate paid for Atlantic Clipper service.