Lot Number: 93

(Belgian Congo) First acceptance of mail from the Congo for Nyasaland, bs Limbe 9/3, via Broken Hill 8/3, and Blantyre 9/3, plain pale grey cover franked 3F airmail plus 2.5F overseas postage, canc Elisabethville cds, black boxed 'Avion' hs, violet st line "First Official Air Mail" cachet, black "S.Rhodesia-Nyasaland" hs, black boxed 'Avion' hs. Carried from Elisabethville to Broken Hill by Aero Club de Katanga, then to Salisbury by Imperial Airways, then Salisbury-Blantyre on the return F/F of the new RANA service. A rare item in fine condition. Only 4 flown, see Godinas F, 1951, p133.

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Date: 1934, Mar 7
Est. price: £375.00 £318.75
Category: Belgian Congo

Description: First acceptance of mail from the Congo for Nyasaland, bs Limbe 9/3, via Broken Hill 8/3, and Blantyre 9/3, plain pale grey cover franked 3F airmail plus 2.5F overseas postage, canc Elisabethville cds, black boxed 'Avion' hs, violet st line "First Official Air Mail" cachet, black "S.Rhodesia-Nyasaland" hs, black boxed 'Avion' hs. Carried from Elisabethville to Broken Hill by Aero Club de Katanga, then to Salisbury by Imperial Airways, then Salisbury-Blantyre on the return F/F of the new RANA service. A rare item in fine condition. Only 4 flown, see Godinas F, 1951, p133.

Lot Number: 106

(Belgium) Pelican Missionary Flight Belgium-Congo, and return, Brussels to Leopoldville and return, 5/11, commemorative 'Pelican' card in French with map of route verso, franked 3.30F Belgian and 3.30F Congo stamps, green and purple cachets.

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Date: 1937, Oct 20
Est. price: £15.00 £12.75
Category: Belgium

Description: Pelican Missionary Flight Belgium-Congo, and return, Brussels to Leopoldville and return, 5/11, commemorative 'Pelican' card in French with map of route verso, franked 3.30F Belgian and 3.30F Congo stamps, green and purple cachets.

Lot Number: 107

(Belgium) Phalene Missionary Flight Belgium-Congo, and return, Brussels to Leopoldville, 6/11, and return, 12/11, to Awant-Dinant, commemorative 'Phalene' card in French with map of route verso, franked 3.30F Belgian and 3.30F Congo stamps, green two line 'Phalene' cachet, and scarcer red toothed oval flight cachet. SIGNED BY THE PILOT PIERRE BRADFER. Nice item.

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Date: 1937, Oct 20
Est. price: £40.00 £34.00
Category: Belgium

Description: Phalene Missionary Flight Belgium-Congo, and return, Brussels to Leopoldville, 6/11, and return, 12/11, to Awant-Dinant, commemorative 'Phalene' card in French with map of route verso, franked 3.30F Belgian and 3.30F Congo stamps, green two line 'Phalene' cachet, and scarcer red toothed oval flight cachet. SIGNED BY THE PILOT PIERRE BRADFER. Nice item.

Lot Number: 527

(Scarce and Unusual Routings) Madagascar to French Congo, ANTSIRANA to BRAZZAVILLE. Posted Antsirana 28/3 cds then carried by 90 miles by train to Tananarive bs 28/3, then 380 miles by postal van and river barge to the port of Majunga bs 5/4 cds, then by the Messageries Maritimes paquebot 'General Netzinger' to Dar es Salaam bs 9/4, then by WILSON AIRWAYS to Nairobi where transferred to IMPERIAL AIRWAYS Africa southbound service AS 162 (Hadrian) which left Nairobi 10/4 for Broken Hill bs 12/4 via Dodoma bs 11/4. Then transferred to the AERO CLUB DU KATANGA service to Elizabethville bs 13/4, where offloaded and on by rail/river to Port Franqui, then likely SABENA internal service to Leopoldville bs 25/4, delivered Brazzaville bs 25/4. Plain cover, red/black 'PTT Madagascar Serie E no 131/Par Avion' label graded rare by Mair, ms 'Par Avion' correctly RATED F4.50 for 50c domestic and 4F/5g air surtax. An aerophilatelist's dream - an early airmail carried over land, sea and river, and by air involving three (possibly four) airlines; a scarce and complex itinerary; and detailed route marks. Ex the late Ted Proud collection.

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Date: 1934, Mar 28
Est. price: £250.00 £212.50
Category: Scarce and Unusual Routings

Description: Madagascar to French Congo, ANTSIRANA to BRAZZAVILLE. Posted Antsirana 28/3 cds then carried by 90 miles by train to Tananarive bs 28/3, then 380 miles by postal van and river barge to the port of Majunga bs 5/4 cds, then by the Messageries Maritimes paquebot 'General Netzinger' to Dar es Salaam bs 9/4, then by WILSON AIRWAYS to Nairobi where transferred to IMPERIAL AIRWAYS Africa southbound service AS 162 (Hadrian) which left Nairobi 10/4 for Broken Hill bs 12/4 via Dodoma bs 11/4. Then transferred to the AERO CLUB DU KATANGA service to Elizabethville bs 13/4, where offloaded and on by rail/river to Port Franqui, then likely SABENA internal service to Leopoldville bs 25/4, delivered Brazzaville bs 25/4. Plain cover, red/black 'PTT Madagascar Serie E no 131/Par Avion' label graded rare by Mair, ms 'Par Avion' correctly RATED F4.50 for 50c domestic and 4F/5g air surtax. An aerophilatelist's dream - an early airmail carried over land, sea and river, and by air involving three (possibly four) airlines; a scarce and complex itinerary; and detailed route marks. Ex the late Ted Proud collection.