Lot# 474 - Auction 321-332
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Lot# : 474 Great Britain
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Great Britain 1942, 6 d. purple, used on First Day Air Letter form, dated 7 December 1942, from Sutton Coldfield to an Army Postal Service in East Africa, addressed care of "The Chief Political Office, O.E.T.A." a term used for "Overseas Enemy Territory Administration", cancelled by Sutton Coldfield wavy lines duplex and upon arrival additionally a British Army cancel "AP02" dated 4 January 1942, which would be the army base in Nairobi, Kenya, senders name on reverse is stated as "The Aero Field", with short note typed inside indicating the form was being sent on the first day of 6d. air letter mail for the services and with "Francis J Field" handstamp signature in red, minor soiling, a splendid item, attractive with typed address/sender fields and from a famous philatelist.rnNote: The routing for this cover is challenging due to the stated wish of the mail to go "all air", the solution was to depart on Imperial Airways flying boat 3W146 using "Champion" from Hythe and Poole, calling at Foynes, Lisbon, Bathurst, Freetown and Lagos where it arrived 23 December, this particular service continued its journey south on an unscheduled basis to Durban which was reached by the end of December, this allowed for a connection to the northbound "Horseshoe Route" where Imperial Airways flight IE257 left Durban on 2 January and arrived in Port Bell, Kisumu, Kenya on 3 December, the cover then being delivered and received at the army base in Nairobi 4 January 1942.rnRemark: Francis J. Field (1895 - 1992) was a famous aero-philately expert and stamp dealer who produced books and reference material which are still in use today. He was entered onto the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1968.Starting bid : 200 CHFHammer price : not sold -
