Stamps

Lot 1060    SESSION 4 (4.30PM TUESDAY 2ND APRIL    Stamps

Estimate $100
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $300

AUSTRALIA, 1943 Parachute Mail cover by Flying Boat "Coolangatta" to Mornington Island, 24 Dec. 1943, cover signed by Commander K.G. Caldwell, addressed to E.A.Crome, and endorsed by J.B.McCarthy, (AAMC 970 cat $150); together with a cover from Blenheim, 30 March 1938 via Darwin, 23 March, 1938 to London 26 March 1938, addressed to Flying Officer Clouston and Victor Ricketts, Australian Consolidated Press, London, fixed with 1d kiwi, 1d QE, issues, cover claimed only 12 were flown on trip. Both very fine and scarce. (2)

Ex J.P.Melick Collection, the first ex Charles Leski Auction 165 (lot 2589) and second from Status Sale 189 (lot 659).

A.E.Clouston and V.Ricketts made a record flight from London to New Zealand and return in March 1938. Their plane was the DH 88 Comet that had won the MacRobertson Air Race in 1934. They left London on 15 March and arrived in Sydney on 19 March. They then flew from Sydney to Blenheim on 20 March and back to Sydney on 21 March, arriving back in London on 26 March.

They carried a small unofficial mail that had stamps and postmarks added at significant points on the journey to authenticate arrival dates.