Southern Rhodesia: No Air Letter Service to Switzerland

Southern Rhodesia #1 sent to Switzerland by an Italian internee at Camp 3 (Gatooma internment camp) on 4 NOV 1946.

Air letter service to Switzerland was not yet established at that time. Air letters - Aerogrammes - became a regular service of the UPU on 1 July 1953. Before, the acceptance of air letters in outgoing international mail was subject to bilateral agreements. 

Hence, the air letter was uprated to meet the 1s 3d ordinary air mail letter rate. Nonetheless, the air letter received the "By Air to London only" instructional handstamp. This handstamp was in use at Bulawayo from 1945 to 1947 and "is most often seen on covers addressed to the U.S.A." (McQueen, 1995, p. 165).

At London, the "By Air Mail" admonition was cancelled with a red handstamp (two parallel bars) and the air letter was transported to its destination by surface mail.


References
McQueen, I. (1995). Jusqu'a Airmail Markings (A. Study). Supplement. W. A. Page, Dartford.