NZ to US and Canada Although there was an experimental official airmail flight to the United States in 1938, a regular New Zealand – USA airmail service did not start until 1940. However, mail from New Zealand could connect with airmail services provided by other countries, including the USA and Canada. Before July 1930, the […]
US Military Post Offices in New Zealand The location of US ships, army divisions, etc. was not publically known and mail was sent via Fleet Post Offices or Army Post Offices. Numbers were allocated and the associated location often changed as units were moved around. Various Naval and Army Post Offices were based in New
1935 Airmail Stamps New airmail 1d, 3d and 6d stamps were issued on 4 May 1935. The design by J. Berry was based on a photograph of Bell Block aerodrome, New Plymouth and the plane is a prototype of the DH 86 Express. The dies and plates were produced at the Australian Note and Stamp
The 1935 Airmail Plates There was one plate for each value; plate 1 for the 1d, plate 2 for the 3d and plate 3 for the 6d. The plate numbers were in the top right corner along with a sheet number. 1d plate 3d plate 6d plate back The above information is taken from The
Airmail Booklets In 1995, New Zealand trial AirPost International booklets were issued with the $1 Butterfly definitive se-tenant with an air mail label. A further AirPost International booklet was issued in 1996 and and an Air International booklet in 2000. AirPost International Booklet 1995 The booklet was issued on 1 September 1995 and contained five
Kaitaia – Auckland, 1931 The Kaitaia Aero Club started an intermittent passenger service betwen Kaitaia and Auckland with the first flight on 29 November 1930. The plane was a DH 60 Moth owned by the Air Survey and Transport Co and the pilot was F.D Mill. The first Auckland – Kaitaia airmail was on 24
Wellington – West Coast On January 20, 1932 a survey flight was made from Wellington to Hokitika on the west coast of the South Island with the return on the same day. Stops were made in both directions at Nelson and Westport. The company involved was Air Travel, the pilot was M.C. McGregor and the
Survey Flights 1930-32 Although New Zealand is larger than the United Kingdom, its population is less than 3.5 million. The distance by road from the north of the North Island to the south of the South Island is greater than the distance between Edinburgh in Scotland and Milan in Italy. The combination of it being
Gisborne Air Transport Gisborne Air Transport ran a Gisborne – Hastings airmail service from March 1931 to December 1932. Gisborne Air Transport took over the Dominion Airlines route with the first flight being on 10 March 1931. The plane was a DH 60 Moth and the pilot was W.H. Lett. The airmail cost was 6d
Hawkes Bay Earthquake 1931, Emergency Flights On 3 February 1931 there was a devastating earthquake in the Hawkes Bay area killing 161 people in Napier, 93 in Hastings and 2 in Wairoa. As the road had been badly damaged, special emergency flights took place to carry emergency medical supplies although mail was also carried. Mail
Christchurch-Dunedin, 1930 Air Travel operated a daily passenger service between Christchurch and Dundedin from 6 November 1930 until April 1931. The plane was a DH 50 and the pilot was Sq-Ldr M.C. McGregor. An official airmail was carried on the first day flights: from Christchurch in the morning and the return from Dunedin in the
Dominion Airlines 1930-31 Dominion Airlines ran a weekday passenger and airmail service between Gisborne and Hastings in December 1930 and January 1931. The service began on 22 December 1930 with airmail payment by a special 6d label. Letters were posted on arrival and so there was also the ordinary 1d postage. Sixpence label 44 letters
Christmas Eve Flights 1932 The 1932 Christmas Eve airmail flights were organised along the same routes as in 1931. The mail was smaller (6,709 compared with 16,836). A much fancier cachet was applied compared with the earlier survey flights. Once again, Palmerston North was the centre of operations. Mail from Auckland was sent by the
Auckland – North Auckland The route of the survey flight on April 30, 1932 was Auckland, Dargaville, Russell, Whangarei and back to Auckland. Again, the company involved was Air Travel, the pilot was M.C. McGregor and the plane was a Simmonds Spartan. An official airmail was delivered and picked up at each stop with the
New Zealand Airmail Stamps At a Universal Postal Union Convention held in London, it was agreed that, from 1 July 1930, mail posted in New Zealand would be accepted by air services in Australia, Canada, USA and on the Karachi – London route. As there had also been experimental internal airmail flights, it was decided
First Regular US-NZ Airmail, July 1940 After the loss of the Samoan Clipper in 1938, Pan American did not set up a regular New Zealand – USA service until 1940. There were two survey flights in 1939, the first was from San Francisco to Auckland between 22 and 30 August while the second was between
1938 NZ to Samoa and Hawaii The first official airmail flight from New Zealand to USA was in January 1938 via American Samoa, Kingman Reef and Hawaii. The flight left Auckland on 2 January and the pilot was Ed Musick. To Samoa The first leg of the 1938 Auckland to US flight was to American
Trans-Tasman Airmails Two figures dominate early direct flights to and from New Zealand: Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm. They made the first trans-Pacific flight from the USA to Australia in May/June 1928 in the Southern Cross, a Fokker monoplane and followed that with the first trans-Tasman flight to New Zealand in September. Kingsford Smith
Kingsford Smith and Ulm On 19 March 1931, Australia issued a set of stamps to commemorate Kingsford Smith’s World Flights. His 1928 flights included the first trans-Pacific flight from the USA to Australia, the first trans-Tasman flight from Australia to New Zealand and the first flight in the reverse direction from New Zealand to Australia.
Internal Airmails 1934-1938 Although there were experimental air mails between 1930 and 1932, the first regular service did not start until late 1934. Airmails were developed along with freight and passenger services. The first regular New Zealand airmail service connected Hokitika with Haast and Okuru in December 1934. It was operated by Air Travel (NZ).
Early External Flights New Zealand is distant from other countries. The Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia is two-thirds the width of the Atlantic Ocean and is notorious for sudden violent storms. That not only meant that air mail is very important to New Zealand external communications, but that it was relatively late (1940)
UK – NZ via Karachi 1929 – 34 Mail could be sent to New Zealand by the London – Karachi air mail service from 1929, although it was not until July 1930 that airmail could be sent from New Zealand. The cover shown below is one of only three known covers addressed to New Zealand
NZ – Tasmania, 1931 – 1934 There were several services between Melbourne and Tasmania and there were acceptances for them both from and to New Zealand. The first was with the short-lived ANA service in 1931. Services were then started by Hart Aircraft Service and Matthews Aviation in 1933 and by Holyman’s Airways in 1935.
Crash of the Scipio, Cygnus, Calpurnia, Belfast The Short S17 Kent flying boat Scipio crashed on landing in Mirabella Bay, Crete on 22 August 1936. It was carrying mail on the Alexandria – Brindisi leg of the Imperial Airways Australia – England airmail service. On 5 December 1937, the Short S23 Empire flying boat Cygnus
NZ via Perth – Adelaide The West Australian Airways (WAA) trans-continental airmail service between Adelaide and Perth started in June 1929. Mail both from and to the UK was carried on the first flights. Mail addressed to New Zealand was flown on the first flight from Perth, but it was not until August that mail
New Zealand to Persia, 1932 From June 1932, air mail was accepted from New Zealand for Persia, Iraq, Palestine and Egypt as well as for Africa. Mail was carried to Karachi by surface with the first flight leaving Karachi on 27 July. No special cachet was applied. Route The route from Karachi was along the
Papua and New Guinea, 1938 In May 1938, Carpenter Airlines began a regular air mail service between Sydney and Papua New Guinea. Mail was accepted from New Zealand for the inaugural flight and addressed to New Zealand on the return flight. On 30 May, a DH 86 of Carpenter Airlines flew from Sydney to Townsville
Cancelled Jubilee Flight The first through airmail from New Zealand to the UK was planned for 17 May 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. The aim was to link up with the Australia – UK service at Sydney. The trans-Tasman air mail rate was 7d while the Australia – UK air
Attempted Jubilee Airmail To commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith planned a trans-Tasman airmail from Sydney to New Plymouth and a return from New Zealand to Sydney. Connection with the Australia – UK airmail would give the first official airmail from New Zealand to the UK. The
New Zealand – USA – UK: 1942-44 The Pan Am trans-Pacific air mail service FAM 19 between Auckland and San Francisco was suspended in December 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. That meant that there was no longer an all air service between New Zealand and Britain. With the cut in the Horseshoe Route
New Zealand Prisoner of War Mail About 9000 New Zealand troops were captured during World War II with about 4000 in Greece and Crete in April/May 1941 and 2000 in North Africa in November/December 1941 [2, 5]. Mail from POWs went free by surface, but air mail had to be paid for. Air mail from
Other Airmail 1940-41: New Zealand – USA – UK From July 1940, there was a regular trans-Pacific airmail service (FAM 19) by PanAm between New Zealand and the USA. However, this service was expensive. The airmail rate to the UK was 6s 3d, reducing to 5s 9d in September 1940 and there were alternative (partial)
USA to NZ via Hawaii, Philippines, Hong Kong and Macau, 1935 – 37 The first flight of the regular Pan American airmail service (FAM 14) from USA to the Philippines (Manila) left San Francisco on 22 November 1935. The route was via Hawaii, Midway Island, Wake Island and Guam. The aim was to provide a
NZ – US Airmails: August 1940 – Oct 1941 Initially, the rate from New Zealand to Europe via USA was 6s 3d while from September 1940 it was reduced to 5s 9d. The rate from UK to New Zealand remained at 4s 6d. The rate to USA was 4s 0d and that rate could also
First PanAm Airmail 1938 Pan American Airways planned a regular trans-Pacific airmail service between Auckland and San Francisco, a distance of 6,900 miles. A survey flight was made in March 1937 by Pan Am’s chief pilot: Ed Musick. The first official New Zealand air mail to the United States left Auckland on 2 January 1938.
USA to Hong Kong, 1937 The weekly Pan American USA – Philippines (Manila) route (FAM 14) was extended to Hong Kong via Macau in April 1937. The Martin M130 flying boat China Clipper left San Francisco on 21 April 1937. The trans-Pacific route to Manila was via Hawaii, Midway Island, Wake Island and Guam. To
First Regular NZ-US Airmail, July 1940 The trans-Pacific flight from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Auckland on 12 – 18 July 1940 carried the first ever official airmail from America to New Zealand. The return flight from Auckland to San Francisco was on 20 – 24 July although the elapsed time was one day
Addition of Fiji to FAM 19, November 1941 For the flight leaving San Francisco on Wednesday 5 November 1941, Suva in Fiji was added to the Pan American route FAM 19 from USA to New Zealand as an extra stop between Canton Island and Noumea. Another change was that mail was now accepted from San
End of Pan American Service, Dec 1941 There were only three flights from San Francisco to Auckland via Fiji and two flights from Auckland (either 13 [1] and 27 November [1, 4] or 12 and 25 November [2, 3]) before the New Zealand – US service was suspended until 1946 due to the Japanese attack
WW 2 Airgraphs Airgraphs were developed by Kodak. The idea was that a letter was written on a special form which was then photographed. A large number of letters could be put on a single roll of film which was then flown to its destination. On arrival, the film was processed on to a roll
