An experiment in the utilisation of aeroplanes in the postal service of the country is likely to be undertaken in the very near future by the General Post Office. The proposal is to establish a regular aerial service for a limited period between London and Windsor.

At the General Post Office, yesterday, a Press representative was informed that officially nothing could be said about the scheme. Many details had still to be settled.

Negotiations were now proceeding with a well-known aviator for the supply of suitable machines. On the result of these negotiations depended whether the experiment was carried out or not.

The scheme owes its inception it is learned, to the enterprise of a few gentlemen in London interested in aviation. They had a threefold object in view: to demonstrate the utility of the aeroplane; and to benefit certain charities. The last-named object was to be achieved by issuing special postcards and envelopes for the aerial service at 6d. and 1s. each respectively. All takings in excess of working expenses could then be divided among the selected institutions. To carry this scheme into effect the authority of the Postmaster General had to be obtained. Mr. Herbert Samuel was approached, and he not only gave his consent, but also readily agreed to co-operate. Certain details were then determined upon. The aerodromes at Hendon and Windsor Park were selected as the points to be connected by the service.

Postmaster General, Herbert Samuel

How far the scheme has progressed may be gauged from the fact that arrangements have been made with large West End stores, and other firms, for the fixing in their establishments of special “aerial” letter boxes, in which letters intended for the aerial service must be posted. Daily clearances will be made by postmen, and the collections will be despatched to the central clearing house. Here the letters will be placed in sealed bags, and conveyed by motor van to Hendon. At the aerodrome they will pass from the direct control of the postal officials into the hands of the aeroplane staff. The bags will be securely fixed to the machines, and the aviators will then start on the journey to Windsor, covering the distance of twenty-one miles in, it is estimated, half an hour.

Of course the number of machines engaged in the service will depend upon the bulk of the deliveries. At Windsor the aeroplane staff will be responsible for the conveyance by road of all the letters to the town post office. They will then be dealt with in the usual way, those intended for local residents being delivered by postmen on their next round, and those destined for any other part of the country, or the world, being dealt with in the usual way, as if they have been posted originally in Windsor.

There will be no special stamp issued for the service, but each stamp will be obliterated in the usual way that will clearly indicate that it has passed through the “aerial” post.

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Mr. Reginald Lloyd, whose portrait appears on this page, is an opportunist. Returning to Sydney a few weeks ago from England, he has already done much to arouse public interest in the important subject of aerial mail services. He is confident that the Old World is separated from the New by not more than a week’s journey through space. Further, he has undertaken to prove it.

That Mr. Lloyd’s opinion is favoured by many of our most astute business men is evident by the alacrity with which these latter have supported the new enterprise.

At a private meeting convened recently (at 24 hour’s notice) by H. M. Mackenzie, F.I.I.A., at his offices at Australasian Chambers, Sydney, and attended by a representative group of men prominent in the world of commerce and finance, Mr. Lloyd outlined his project in the following terms:-

“We are here to-day, gentlemen, to do something concrete. We are here to decide definitely whether or not, Australia is to be brought within 150 flying hours of London; and if we decide that that is to be done, I am here to consummate and to put into immediate effect that decision, aerial science having rendered possible such an achievement.

Mr Reginald Lloyd, who has undertaken to bring Australia within 150 hours’ flight from England.

“Before you are asked to decide anything, however, I will briefly outline the modus operandi to be pursued in establishing a long-distance aerial mail service.

“As things are to-day it is not possible to cross with safety from London to Australia by air. Not because the machines cannot perform the work they can but because it is not known definitely where landing places are, although it is known that suitable landing places exist; nor does anyone definitely know which is the most suitable route to fly.

“It is obvious, therefore, that the initial thing to do in establishing any air service is to survey the route, and to locate the landing places.

“No one machine could fly with safety from London to Australia. That task can be accomplished only in relays; and, when it is a matter of maintaining a mail service, the pilots also will have to be worked in relays.

“While I have already suggested that each landing station and each relay station should be distant 300 miles, it does not follow that each machine and each pilot is going to travel only that distance.

“The fuel-carrying capacity of a machine may he taken, perhaps, as the determining factor in establishing the distance between landing stations.

“Experts only, however, can decide this point with accuracy.

“The only business-like method, in my opinion, to adopt in selecting a route is to attempt no such task until after consultation with Geographical Authorities at the University, a Meteorological Authority from the Observatory, and in conference with experts who know and who have traversed the country.

“In deciding the question of route the following points must be borne in mind: The shortest route compatible with suitable geographical and meteorological conditions should be selected, having in mind also road accessibility for the convenient transport of petrol, spare parts and general equipment accessories, and with adequate water supply near each locality likely to be selected for a relay or for a landing station.

“The route first to be dealt with should be, I think, to the farthest point in Australia from Sydney, and which point would be the nearest point to the Malay Archipelago.

“The route having been decided upon, the next step would be to traverse it.

“My suggestion, therefore, is to engage the services four men, a motorcycle expert, a flying expert, a surveyor and a propagandist respectively, each skilled in motor-cycle riding, and equip each for the trip across the Australian continent from Sydney to Cape York Peninsula, if that point be the point decided upon, having arranged previously for a supply of petrol to be available in those parts of the country where in the ordinary way petrol would not be procurable.

“These men, accompanied by myself, would survey and lay out the entire route, their respective duties being: motor expert to keep machines in order, flying expert to select the relay and landing places, the surveyor to measure off under instructions from the flying expert, and to procure in each case the option of a lease or the option of purchase, or both, while the propagandist would study the situation and equip himself for work later.

“Photographs must be taken of each relay and each landing station, and also of any essential features, or points, in route, such as mountains, waterways, and heavily timbered country. The distance between each landing station must be recorded, using the speedometer of the motor cycle to gauge the distance, and its latitude and longitude noted. Similarly, any obstacles opposed to easy flying must be recorded, as must also their latitude and longitude.

“On finishing the Australian survey, the route party would proceed to Siam or Burmah, via new Guinea, Celebes, Borneo and Penang; either by pearling lugger or a small motor-propelled boat: taking their motor cycles with them.

“They would survey and lay out the routes as they passed across the Malay Archipelago, and would decide upon landing and relay stations until they reached the continent of Asia; where similar operations would be repeated throughout India, Arabia and Egypt.

“On arrival at Port Said (Egypt), the mapping out of the route would be temporarily finished, because the territory between Port Said and London need not be surveyed until a date much later. Only recently the following cables appeared in the Press :-

TWO BRITONS FLY 2.000 MILES. FROM ENGLAND TO EGYPT IN BATTLEPLANE.
London, Saturday–Two Royal Air Force Officers, with two mechanics, have completes a flight from England to Egypt, a distance of 2,000 miles, in a type of aeroplane that has seen considerable service on the Front.

“The official report, in announcing this feat, says:-

One or two halts were made for petrol, but the flight was merely a bit of routine work.

“The exploration staff, however, must not be disbanded on arrival at Port Said.

“Arrangements would be made to carry by air a letter from His Majesty the King in London to his Deputy the Governor-General of Australia in Sydney thus demonstrating the practicability of the undertaking.

“As no country now is without its air service, and as at this stage we have no aeroplanes, arrangements would have to be made with each of the nations over whose territory these letters would have to be carried for relays of airmen to pick the letters up at a point to be nominated. For instance, at the commencement of the journey, a British airman would make the flight to Paris. From Paris a French aviator would carry on to Italy, whence the flight would be continued in relays by the flyers in other countries, including India, until the letters arrive in the North of Australia, where they would be taken charge of by an Australian airman, and in relays brought on for delivery to their Sydney addresses.

“In conclusion, permit me, gentlemen, to point out–and I cannot emphasise too strongly the point–that to fly from London to Sydney is a simple matter, provided always that landing stations and relay stations are accessible, while to maintain a regular mail service, either weekly or daily, over the same area is by no means a difficult task. The flight of 2,000 miles, from England to Egypt, referred to earlier, ia a practical demonstration of my contentions.”

* * * *

At the conclusion of this address practically the whole of the money to finance the expedition was subscribed in the room, a large proportion being contributed personally by Mr. Lloyd.

In his office in Culwulla Chambers, Sydney, Mr. Lloyd informed Sea, Land and Air that the expedition will leave Sydney on November 14, and that the preliminary survey will probably occupy six months. Arrangements have been concluded whereby our readers will be kept informed from month to month as to progress of the expedition.

Mr. Lloyd expresses the fullest confldence in the success of his project, which, in his opinion, is entirely a matter for private enterprise. The Government, he points out, does not own the mail steamers, seldom the mail trains and never the coaches which carry its mails. For this reason he anticipates no Governmental obstacle which would prevent a similar service being performed by aircraft.

Mr. Lloyd informs us that it is the intention of Mr. Webster, P.M.G., to submit these plans in detail to the Federal Crown Solicitor and later, if necessary, to the Secretary of the International Postal Union.

The new company contemplates the establishment of headquarters in Sydney and in London, with probably a third branch at Port Said. It will be registered, we are informed, under the title “Aerial Services, Limited,” with a capital of £500,000, shares to be held partly in England and partly in Australia. From other sources we understand that Mr. Reginald Lloyd George will be invited to act as Managing Director.

The initiator in furnishing certain details, which under the existing War Precautions Act we are not at liberty to publish, stated that some forty relay stations will be erected along the proposed routes. Each of these will carry large stocks of spare aeroplane-parts, petrol and other requirements for effecting minor repairs. In addition there will, at stated intervals, be Central Repairing Depots.

Mr. Reginald Lloyd is the youngest son of the late Hon. G. A. Lloyd, M.L.C., who for many years was a member of the New South Wales Upper House. He estimates that, to successfully conduct the proposed services, not less than one hundred aeroplanes will be required. These are to be purchased entirely at the new syndicate’s discretion, and Mr. Lloyd would strongly urge that aerial mails from Australia be carried by planes of our own construction.

In view of the statements made by Major-General Legge, Chief of the Commonwealth General Staff, and printed in another portion of this journal, there would be no cogent reason why Australian aerial mail services should not be Australian in every sense of the word.

Mr. Lloyd is confident that this project will be in operation within four months of completing the preliminary survey. In other words that before the end of 1919 direct aerial postal services will be operating at weekly intervals between Australia and England.

For more information on Lloyd see Northern Territory Times and Gazette (14 June 1919)

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Issued on 14 May 1904, the Edward VII 6d purple, overprinted I.R. Official, has earned the handle “Britain’s rarest stamp” due to the fact that it was issued on the very day that an official order came into effect  withdrawing all official stamps from use.

The only known examples of this stamp in existence today belong to the Royal Collection and one or two museums such as the National Postal Museum.

‘Examples of this rarity just don’t come on to the open market’ said Stanley Gibbons Director of Great Britain Stamps, Vince Cordell.

This wonderful philatelic treasure is the key stamp for any collector hoping to build a complete collection of Great Britain.

‘This is an extraordinary opportunity to acquire one of the rarest and most coveted stamps in the world’ said Mr Cordell.

This stamp is the only known example to have been in private hands, which came from a collection in Switzerland in the 1950s and has been passed from one private collection to another before being offered to Stanley Gibbons earlier this year.

For these reasons, the 6d I.R. Official has become known as a ‘mythological’ stamp. Collectors from around the world, visiting the London 2010 International Stamp exhibition have been fascinated by this rarity on the Stanley Gibbons stand.

‘It’s great to see people’s eyes widen when they see we have the 6d I.R. Official here on the stand. They can see that it really is here and we do have it for sale’ said Stanley Gibbons Director of Group Sales and Marketing, Keith Heddle.

So far no one has parted with the £375,000 needed to own Britain’s rarest stamp but collectors around the world are enjoying the spectacle of seeing this rare philatelic treasure for themselves.

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Ilkley Post Office, Station Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, UK.

Ilkley town centre.

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A considerable amount of mail also went via Melbourne and Point de Galle; this route, however, took longer than the San Francisco service. The following report of the outward voyage from the United Kingdom of R.M.S. Coptic is reprinted from the Otugo Daily Times of 8th May, 1889. Coptic was a steamship of 4,367 tons, built for the White Star Line in 1881-3, and was managed by Shaw Savill and Albion. Coptic made its first voyage from London under the command of Captain W. H. Kidley, on 26th May, 1884, arriving at Port Chalmers on 13th July, 1884.

ARRIVAL OF THE COPTIC
May 8th, 1889

The R.M.S. “Coptic”, Captain Burton, R.N.R. from Plymouth via Teneriffe, Cape Town, and Hobart, arrived off Taiaroa Heads at 10.20p.m. on Monday and anchored until 7 a.m. yesterday, when she crossed the bar under the charge of Pilot Paton; and while steaming up the harbour she was met by the Customs boat, and the answers to the usual questions relative to the health of all on board being satisfactory, she was at once admitted to pratique by Dr. Drysdale (health officer), and boarded and cleared in by Mr. Montgomery (acting Customs surveyor), continuing her course and berthing at the George Street pier at 8 a.m. when she at once commenced to discharge her cargo for this port. Captain Burton, R.N.R. is still in command. Amongst the other officers there has been a slight change since her last visit to this port. Mr. Kempson (formerly chief officer); has been transferred to the R.M.S. “Celtic”, one of the Atlantic White Star liners, and Mr. Unsworth (formerly of the “Celtic”) has taken his place. Dr. McAscar has taken the place of Dr. Humphrey; and Mr. Hayes has taken the place of Mr. Thornton as fourth officer, Mr. W. J. Rae still occupies his old position as purser, and to that gentleman we are indebted, with his usual courtesy, for the particulars of the voyage and the latest Plymouth and Cape Town papers.

The “Coptic”, which comes into port in her usual good order, brings some 1734 tons of cargo. of which 688 tons are for Dunedin, 251 for Lyttelton, 88½ tons for Wellington, 204 tons for Gisborne, 137 tons for Auckland, 10 tons for Nelson, 330 tons for Napier, 6 tons for Blenheim, 4 tons for Greymouth. 2 tons for New Plymouth, 1 ton for Invercargill, 6½ tons for Timaru and 6 tons for Oamaru. She also landed 184 tons of cargo at Hobart, – in addition to which she brought 7 bags of mail and 20 cases of parcel posts and 61 passengers, of whom 6 were saloon, 18 second cabin, and 37 steerage. Of these, 7 are for Dunedin, 4 for Canterbury, 24 for Wellington and 26 for Auckland. The whole of the passengers enjoyed excellent health and no births or deaths occurred. The usual entertainments have been freely indulged in – magic lantern exhibitions. dances, concerts, theatricals, etc., – and the passengers appeared to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and speak in high terms of the comfort and attention they have received during the voyage.

The “Coptic” left the Royal Albert Docks at 2.40p.m. on March 21: passed Gravesend at 4.25p.m. and Dover at 7.6 a.m. on the 22nd. St. Catherine at 4.30p.m. and arrived at Plymouth at 2.30a.m. on the 23rd; embarked mails, passengers, and the latest despatches, and left again at 0.37 p.m. same day, passing the Eddystone at 1.37 p.m.; experienced moderate winds and fine weather to arrival at Teneriffe at 0.30p.m. on March 28th; 6 passengers landed here and 4 embarked, and, after having coaled, the voyage was resumed at 6.50p.m. same day; experienced light variable winds and fine weather to the Equator, which was crossed on April 4. in long. 10 W.; thence she met light to fresh head winds to arrival at Table Bay at 2 a.m. on April 14; landed 9 passengers and embarked 3, coaled and left again at 10.47 a.m. on the same day, with a strong westerly breeze which held for three days, and was succeeded by a N.E. gale. with a very high sea, until the 21st, followed by strong N.W. winds and occasional snow squalls until April 30th, when she had more moderate weather, and arrival at Hobart at 8.50p.m. on May 2nd; the easting was made in lat. 49 S. After landing cargo and passengers her voyage was resumed at 11.51 a.m. on May 3; experienced strong westerly winds and high seas across, and passed the south-west cape of Stewart’s Island at 7.30 a.m. on the 6th inst.; signalled off the Nuggets at 4.45p.m., and anchored off the heads at 10.20p.m. until yesterday morning, when she steamed into port. The “Coptic”, after discharging, will take in some 8,000 carcases frozen mutton and about 1,000 bales wool, and leave again on Saturday for Lyttelton; after discharging and taking in cargo at that port, she proceeds to Napier, and thence back to Wellington, that being her final port of departure.

Republished by kind permission of the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand

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George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 1910 through World War I (1914–1918) until his death in 1936. He was the first British monarch of the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

From the age of twelve George served in the Royal Navy, but upon the unexpected death of his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, he became heir to the throne and married his brother’s fiancée, Mary of Teck (known as “May” to her family after her birth month). Although they occasionally toured the British Empire, George preferred to stay at home with his stamp collection and lived what later biographers would consider a dull life because of its conventionality. George became King-Emperor in 1910 on the death of his father, King Edward VII. (Wikipedia)

First Day Cover

Pack Set

Sheetlets

To order please visit Gibraltar Stamps.

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IF THE EXPRESSION “to-day,” forming part of the general title of these articles, be interpreted literally, it may be said that Mr. A. H. Clark is not merely a “Philatelist of To-Day,” but the philatelist of Saturday, February 4th, 1911 ; for the success which now seems assured for the South Essex Philatelic Society’s Exhibition will be very largely a personal success for the Society’s President. From first to last Mr. Clark has been untiring in his labours for the display which will be inaugurated at Walthamstow to-day, and he is entitled to the warmest gratitude from his fellow-members of the S.E.P.S. for the ardour and the enthusiasm he has brought to bear upon the undertaking.

The love of stamps was inherited, in Mr. A. H. Clark’s case, from his father, who was an enthusiastic collector. Naturally the subject of our sketch was encouraged to take an interest in Philately in his turn. In his school days he formed a small general collection from the duplicates given him by his father and the specimens he received from time to time from a friendly schoolmaster of philatelic leanings.

Becoming a member of the Junior Philatelic Society at the time of the Exhibition of British Stamps at Exeter Hall, Mr. Clark became more keenly interested in the hobby, and also took an active interest in the doings and the welfare of the “J.P.S.” He rendered valuable assistance at the later Exhibition of the Junior Society at Caxton Hall, Westminster, and served as Hon. Secretary of the Paper Making Exhibition at Clifford’s Inn Hall in 1909.

Invited to take part in the formation of the South Essex Philatelic Society, he devoted himself to the task heart and soul. The S.E.P.S. being successfully inaugurated, Mr. Clark was elected President, and with Mr. Douglas Armstrong as his fellow delegate, he represented the Society at the Second Philatelic Congress. In all likelihood he will visit Birmingham in a like capacity this year.

As a strong believer in the adoption of popular and attractive methods of interesting the general public in Philately, Mr. Clark holds that all philatelic societies should do something to justify their existence. He advocates the giving of attractive lectures in all parts of the country, for it is by such means that outside attention is attracted to the study of stamps, and many people destined to become good and useful philatelists are introduced to the charm and fascination of our hobby. In connection with Philatelic Societies, by the way, Mr. Clark holds that the high offices connected therewith should pass into new hands from time to time so that the proverbial benefits of an infusion of new blood may be experienced.

He is an ardent-lover of British stamps and has made no small number of interesting discoveries in the later issues during his experience as a specialist–notably the dot before “Postage” on the 1d. scarlet, and other minor varieties.

He has collected Gambia and other colonies and is now devoting himself to a group of European countries.

As chief organiser of the Exhibition opening its doors to-day, it has been Mr..Clark’s good fortune to bring into friendly association two old political opponents in Sir John Simon, K.C., M.P., and Mr. L. Stanley Johnson, who, as Patron and Vice-Patron respectively of the South Essex Philatelic Society, will be seen in company at the inaugural ceremony to-day

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