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Lot# 502 - Auction 321-332

  • Lot# : 502 South Africa

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    1925, Pioneering Aviation, Alan Cobham and Arthur Elliott, Imperial Airways survey, first ever flight from London to South Africa. A large envelope sent from London to Pietermaritzburg, via Bloemfontein, dated 16 November 1925, endorsed “By Air Mail. London to South Africa Nov. 16th 1925, per Alan Cobham and A.B Elliott”, signed by Pilot Alan Cobham and Engineer Arthur Elliott, senders cachet of 'Sowden Stoddart Ltd in London' in violet lower left, addressed to their office in Pietermaritzburg, the cover being posted upon arrival at Bloemfontein where it received the 1913/1924, Union of South Africa, 1 d. scarlet, franking, tied by Bloemfontein datestamp 17 February 1926, cover bearing the hotel cachets where Cobham and Elliot stayed during the stages of their flight, these being signed by either Elliott or Government representatives, the stops included; Athens, Cairo, Assouan, Khartoum, Malakal, Kisumu, Bulawayo, and Bloemfontein, the reverse endorsed “Carried by air from London by A.B Elliott, 1 Strathaven House, Brent Street Hendon, London, England” and “Post forward at Bloemfontein”, slight staining and faults to be expected, otherwise fine; a unique and historical cover flown from London to South Africa with cachets/signatures from eight stops en route. Additionally comes with four exhibition pages with postcards of the various hotel stopovers and a photograph of the De Havilland DH 50 fitted with the Jaguar 385  hp engine, an excellent group (x7).rnRemark: Alan Cobham was the first person to fly from England to South Africa and back, which he achieved in his De Havilland D.H. 50J biplane, with his flight Engineer Arthur Elliott.The flight took off from Stag Lane Aerodrome in Edgware, London, on 16 November 1925. The outward journey spanned 94 days and over 8,125 miles by the time he and Elliott reached Cape Town, South Africa on 17 February 1926. On 26 February 1926, they began the return flight to London reaching Stag Lane Aerodrome 16 days later on 13 March 1926.  Upon landing King George V invited them to Buckingham Palace, where Cobham received the Air Force Cross for his pioneering flight. Cobham went on to pioneer within aviation and died in 1973. Elliott sadly died a year after this flight. He was shot as they left Baghdad on 5 July 1926 during a flight to Australia. Stag Lane Aerodrome was a private aerodrome between 1915 and 1933 in Edgware, north London. It became the main base of The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited in 1920. Former wartime aircraft were refurbished in the early years, and the company designed and built large numbers of aircraft at Stag Lane in the 1920s and early 1930s. Stag Lane Aerodrome was sold for housing development in 1933.
    Starting bid : 1,800 CHF
    Hammer price : 2,600 CHF