Australia
"Contains an Enclosure"

Australia #7B (sealing flap on top 13 mm wide) sent from MELBOURNE (machine cancellation 14 FEB 1955).  

The sender, a stamp dealer, failed to comply with one of the basic rules for aerogrammes. He enclosed something inside the aerogramme (a price list for kiloware, as is revealed by the message on the writing panel).

The admonition on the back panel states "If anything is enclosed, letter will be sent by ordinary mail." The postal authorities detected the enclosure, h/s the aerogramme "Contains / an Enclosure" and diverted the aerogramme to surface mail, which was indicated by crossing out the "By Air Mail" routing instruction.

Australia
Airletter Service not Available

Airletter (Australia #1) sent from “R.A.A.F. P.O. .. PIRIE” on July 19, 1945 to Gladbrook, Iowa/U.S.

Airletter service to the U.S. became available only on February 10, 1947. Consequently, the airletter was h/s “Air Letter Service Not Available” and diverted to surface mail.

The boxed h/s “Postal Concession Rate / Department of Air” was applied routinely and has no special meaning here as there was no concession rate for airletters.

Sydney Morning Herald -- Feb 10, 1947

Australia
Privately Manufactured Aerogramme as a Souvenir for the 1954 Royal Visit

This aerogramme form was manufactured by Blake & Hargreaves Pty Ltd. of Marrickville, NSW (Postmaster-General's permit no. 2) as a souvenir for the 1954 Royal Visit to Australia. It shows the coats of arms of the Australian States in gold and red on the writing panel (picture below).

The aerogramme was sent from MELBOURNE (cds 26 MAR 1954) to the UK. Two stamps (Stanley Gibbons #272 and #273) with a face value of 11d were affixed, which overpays  the aerogramme rate of 10d by 1d. Apparently, the sender wanted to use the commemorative stamps issued for the Royal Visit and as no 10d stamps or stamps where the face values add up to 10d were issued on this occasion he/she took those coming most near to the required postage rate.

Rhodesia & Nyasaland
Enclosure - Diverted to Surface Mail

This aerogramme form was sent from LUSAKA (cds 12 MAR 1959) to New Jersey, U.S. The 1s stamp correctly paid the aerogramme rate to the U.S. in 1959, but the post office clerk detected an enclosure in the aerogramme and endorsed "ENCLOSURE" to indicate the violation of a basic rule for aerogrammes: "An air letter should not contain any enclosure; if it does it will be surcharged or sent by ordinary mail".  Accordingly, the aerogramme was treated as an airmail letter for which it was short paid. Hence, the aerogramme was diverted to surface mail.

India
Under Certificate of Posting

This aerogramme (Wiegand no. 40)) was sent from CALCUTTA to Sheffield, UK.

In India, any unregistered postal items could be posted under certificate of posting, which worked as a proof of posting. Usually, the sender prepared a list of the items to be mailed under the certificate and affixed stamps to pay for the certificate. The post office clerk, then, confirmed the acceptance of the items by cancelling the stamps paying the certificate's fee with a date stamp.

This service was discontinued in 2011.

References
Wiegand stands for Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Asien, 2000

 

Burma
Double Printing of the Indicium

The aerogramme (Wiegand no. 7) was sent from RANGOON (cds 7 FEB 67) to Tucson, U.S. Even if the aerogramme went through the postal network it is philatelic to some extent. The addressee, Walter R. Guthrie, was a well known aerogramme collector and loads of aerogrammes without any message on the writing panel exist adressed to him.

This aerogramme shows a double printing of the red indicium, see detail below.

References
Wiegand stands for Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Asien, 2000

Australia
Privately Manufactured Aerogramme Form for Official Use

In Australia, it was allowed to manufacture, sell, and use privately manufactured aerogramme forms provided that the aerogramme form has been accepted by the postal authorities before. These "permit" or "licensed" aerogramme forms have an authorization imprint, e.g. "Approved by Postmaster-General for acceptance as ..." usually in the lower left corner of the front panel.

The aerogramme form below, manufactured by Andrew Jack Dyson & Co. Pty. Ltd. of Notting Hill, Vic. has the Postmaster-General's permit no. 15. The permit no. refers to the manufacturer not to the individual aerogramme form.

Most of the permit aerogramme forms have been manufactured for private use. Few have been manufactured for official use as O.H.M.S ("On His/Her Majesty Service") aerogrammes. Offical O.H.M.S aerogrammes were available but, with rare exceptions, only used by the Postmaster-General's department.

The aerogramme has a "O.H.M.S." imprint in the upper left corner of the front panel and a  printed letterhead of the Department of Labour and National Service, Melbourne, on the writing panel. It was sent from Melbourne (10d meter stamp, 14. Nov. 57) to Surrey, UK.

Below is an advertisement of the company.

Burma (Myanmar)
Short Paid Aerogramme to India

Aerogramme (Wiegand no. 3) used from EINMEN (a small town in the Irrawaddy district, cds 13 MY 53 to Karaikudi, South India (arrival cds 22 May 53 on back panel). Transit via Madras (cds 21 May 53 on back panel).

Since July 1, 1952 the Kyat (1 Kyat = 100 pya) was the new currency in Burma replacing at par the Rupee which was used when Burma was a British colony (1886 to January 3, 1948) and also in the first years as an independent state. Aerogrammes in the new currency were only issued in 1955. In the meantime, the old postal stationeries and stamps have to be used up.

In May 1953 the postage rate for aerogrammes to India was 8 annas (with 1 anna = 1/16 rupee) or 50 pya, so the aerogramme was pre-paid 2 annas (12.5 pya) short.

The Burmese postal authorities applied a "T" tax stamp and endorsed "16" in red, which is the equivalent of double the deficiency (4 annas = 25 pya) in UPU gold centimes at an exchange rate of 1 anna = 6.25 pya = 4 centimes). 

The rupee used in Burma before and the Indian rupee were at par, so the postage due was converted into 4 annas Indian currency which was endorsed  in blue within the Indian postage due stamp (in the lower right corner) of the front panel, that was applied at Madras airport.


References
Wiegand stands for Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Asien, 2000

United Kingdom
6d Aerogramme Posted at Sea

This aerogramme was written aboard S/S Southern Cross when "nearing Fiji". As she sailed under British flag, it was allowed to use British stamps and postal stationery for posting abord. When calling at the first port of a country, the postal items were transferred  to the local postal authorities and h/s "PAQUEBOT". The item above was fed into the postal network at Suva, Fiji (cds 8 Jan 66).

According to Wikipedia S/S Southern Cross sailed on the Great Britain to Australia route. Taking 76 days for one circumnavigation, she sailed from Southampton to Cape Town, from there to Australia and New Zealand, and then continuing eastwards across the Pacific to Europe via the Panama canal. Normally she made four such circumnavigations every year.

Australia
First Airmail Flight of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Ltd.

Aerogramme (Roggenkämper et al. no. 2) carried on the first airmail flight of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Ltd., Trans-Pacific Air Service Australia-Canada from Sydney airport at Mascot on September 15, 1946 to Vancouver (arrival cds September 18, 1946 on back panel). 

It is reported, that only 100 covers were flown. Special cachet in purple and specific dark-blue imprints on the aerogramme.

from: Chronicle (Adelaide, Sep 19, 1946)


































References
Roggenkämper et al. stands for Roggenkämper, Russ, and Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Australien und Ozenaien, 2003

Ceylon
Postage Due

The 35c aerogramme above (Wiegand no. 6, i.e. no watermark and "Fold here - Do not write on reverse of this flap" on the top sealing flap is 53.5 mm wide) was sent from TELLIPALLAI (today Tellippalai, cds 22 JL. 49), to New York, USA.

The postage rate was 50c, so the aerogramme was shortpaid 15c. The Ceylonese postal authorities converted double the deficient postage (30c) into UPU gold centimes at an exchange rate of 1c = 0.8 centimes, which resulted in a postage due of 24 ctms as it was endorsed in manuscript at the right hand side of the FTS taxation stamp. "FTS" stands for "Tax - Foreign Service".

The U.S. postal authorties converted the amount postage due into 8c U.S. currency at an exchange rate of 1 U.S. cent = 3 UPU gold centimes and affixed 5c and 3c postage stamps accordingly.

Below is a 35c aerogramme (Wiegand no. 7f, yellowish paper, watermark "TITAN BOND", "Fold here - Do not write on reverse of this flap" on the top sealing flap is 64 mm wide) posted from COLOMBO (cds 24. SE 48) to Holland, Michigan/USA, duly uprated with a 15c stamp to meet the 50c postage rate.

References
Wiegand stands for Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Asien, 2000

Burma
Posted Under Certificate

Aerogramme (Wiegand no. 5) sent from RANGOON SORTING (cds 5 NOV 55) Attendorn, Germany. H/s "Posted Under Certificate".

In Burma, any unregistered postal items could be posted under certificate of posting, which worked as a proof of posting. Usually, the sender prepared a list of the items to be mailed under the certificate and affixed stamps to pay for the certificate. The post office clerk, then, confirmed the acceptance of the items by cancelling the stamps paying the certificate's fee with a date stamp.

The handstamp shown on the aerogramme above was not applied by the post office clerk but by the sender.



References
Wiegand refers to Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Asien, 2000

Australian Aerogramme Used in the UK
"Form not approved ..." - Diverted to Surface Mail

Australian 9c aerogramme (Roggenkämper no. 26) issued on Nov 23, 1966. Used from CATFORD SE6 (cds 17 AUG 1967) in the UK to Elizabeth West, South Australia.

Royal Mail detected that an Australian aerogramme was used, h/s “Pattern of form / not approved by P.M.G.” and cancelled the “Aerogramme / By Air Mail ...” legend with six parallel bars to indicate the diversion to surface mail.

Neither British nor Australian taxation marks.


References
Roggenkämper refers to Roggenkämper, Russ, and Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Australien und Ozeanien, 2003

Australia
P.O.W. Aerogramme / Camp Myrtleford

Aerogramme A2 sent (cds MYRTLEFORD 9 AU 46) to Palermo, Italy, by an Italian prisoner of war.

On the left hand side of the aerogramme, there is a faint impression of the h/s "Approved for Transmission by Camp Commandant / No. 5 P.W. Camp Myrtleford", see enlarged detail (turned 90 degrees clockwise) below.

"Australia, at the request of Britain, took a total of 18,432 POWs between April 1941 and February 1945, approximately one quarter of whom were shipped directly to Australia from Egypt during 1941, and three-quarters via POW camps in India between 1943 and 1945." [1]. About 3,500 were Italians. By mid 1947 most P.O.W's were repatriated.

According to the records kept for the prisoners of war in Australia, the sender of the aerogramme was captured on Jan 4, 1941 at Bardia, a city in eastern Libya. He was transferred on the Queen Mary to Sydney on Aug 16, 1941 and marched into Camp Murchinson the next day. On June 9, 1942 he was transferred to Camp Myrtleford, where the above letter was written. He was repatriated on December 14, 1946 from Moreton Bay.




References
[1] O'Connor, From Tobruk to Clare: the experiences of the Italian prisoner of war Luigi Bortolotti 1941-1946. Flinders University Languages Group Online Review, Vol. 1, Issue 3, December 2003

South Africa
Short Paid Aerogramme
Insufficiently Prepaid, Diverted to Surface Mail

Domestic aerogramme (Müller/Wiegand no. 413) used for international correspondence to Germany in Dec 1968.

H/s “Insufficiently / Prepaid” and “Surface” to indicate diversion to surface mail.

The proper surface mail rate for first weight step letters to Germany would have been 5c. Accordingly taxed “5/5”, in which “5” in the numerator stands for double the deficient postage (2 × 2.5c) and “5” in the denominator stands for the surface letter to European destinations.

No German taxation marks. As the first weight step surface letter from Germany to South Africa cost 0.50 DM in 1968, the postage due to be collected from the addressee should have been 5 / 5 × 0.50 DM = 0.50 DM (German Mark).

Below is a comparative example correctly prepaid aerogramme (uprated with 1 1/2 c stamp).

 

References
Müller/Wiegand stands for Müller/Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Afrika, 1995

Tonga
New Zealand Aerogramme Form

New Zealand ("N.Z.") aerogramme form used in Tonga, "N.Z." crossed out and ammended "Tonga" in manuscript.

"NUKUALOFA" (cds 27 AU 49) to England, where it was redirected to Ireland. 6d and 2d postage stamps to pay for the 8d postage rate.

Aerogramme Postage Rates
Austria

from: Kotal, Österreich - 2. Republik: Die Gebühren der Briefpost, 2011

Format: Period: Postage rate to overseas countries / Postage rate to European countries

• Jan 5, 1952 to Jun 30, 1953: 3.80 S  / ---
• Jul 1, 1953 to Jun 30, 1954: 3.60 S  / --- 
• Jul 1, 1954 to Jun 30, 1957: 3.60 S  / 2.80 S 
• Jul 1, 1957 to Jan 31, 1960: 3.60 S  / 2.80 S [A]
• Feb 1, 1960 to Dec 31, 1966: 4.20 S  / 3.40 S [A]
• Jan 1, 1967 to Jul 31, 1967: 5.00 S  / 4.00 S [A]
• Aug 1, 1967 to Dec 31, 1975: 5.00 S  / ---
• Jan 1, 1976 to Feb 28, 1982: 7.00 S  / --- 
• Mar 1, 1982 to Jan 31, 1986: 9.00 S  / ---
• Feb 1, 1986 to Jun 30, 1997: 11.00 S / ---

Currency: Austrian Schilling (ATS), 1 Schilling (S) = 100 Groschen (g) 


[A]: also for aerogrammes to Egypt, Algeria,the Azores, Israel, Jordan, the Canary Islands, Lebanon, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Cyprus

On Jul 1, 1966 the airmail surcharge for European destinations was disestablished.

Since Jul 1, 1997 the only differences made is Priority or Non Priority (later named Economy)

Examples 
 

Greiner no. 1 / WIEN 29 VIII 53 to U.S. -- so overpaid by 20g

Greiner no. 7 uprated / THÜRINGEN (VORARLBERG) 19. IV. 61 to Los Angeles, U.S.

Greiner no. 8 / SALZBURG 2.9.63 to Stuttgart, Germany

Greiner no.17 / WIEN 17.10.69 to New York, U.S.

USA
Returned for Additional Postage

U.S. 11c aerogramme (Wiegand no. 11, pale blue paper) issued in 1966.
Used from CHICAGO (cds Oct 18 1967) to Tel Aviv, Israel. 

Since May 1, 1967, the rate for aerogrammes was 13c. Hence, the aerogramme was h/s “Returned for 2 cents additional postage / Chicago, Ill. P.O. Forgn. Sec. I” and returned to the sender. 

A 5c stamp was affixed, overpaying the required postage by 3c.  Most likely, the sender did not have a 2c stamp available and therefore used what she had at her fingertips.

References
Wiegand refers to Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Canada, USA, UNO-New York, 1994

Israel and Italy
Postage due for "Poste Restante"

Aerogramme (Wiegand no. 22) sent from BET YIZHAQ, Israel (cds 1.9.63) to FLORENCE, Italy (arrival cds on back 4.9.63).

Tax-marked "T" on arrival and a 20 Lire postage due stamp was affixed. 20 Lire was the fee to be paid for general delivery mail ("Poste restante") when it was called for.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) rules allowed countries to charge a fee for incoming international mail sent to a poste restante (general delivery) address provided those countries also imposed a charge on domestic poste restante mail. [1]

 

References

Wiegand refers to Wiegand, Katalog der Aerogramme von Asien, 2000

[1] http://greatbritainphilately.blogspot.de/2011/02/charged-international-poste-restante.html

Australia
Danish Aeorgramme Form Used as Airmail Letter

Danish aerogramme form used in Australia (MELBOURNE 9 JAN 1968) as an airmail letter. The airmail letter rate per 1/2 oz to European destinations from February 14, 1966 to September 30, 1968 was 25c.

If it were posted as an aerogramme, the rate would have been 10c. But Australian postal authorities only allowed privately manufactured aerogramme forms to be used if the forms had been presented for approval before. 

The sender was a Danish crew member of M/S Nella Dan, a scientific research vessel, deployed for the A.N.A.R.E. (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions.

"Over the period Jan. 5, 1968 - Mar. 19, 1968 under the command of Donald Styles, on this voyage the crew carried out a topographical survey of the eastern side of the Amery Ice Shelf conducted from Nella Dan. A field station was established at the Amery Ice Shelf in Feb 1968 (occupied to Feb 1969)". [1]

He wrote his letter on December 25, 1967 on Macquarie Island, where A.N.A.R.E. had its headquarters since May 25, 1948 [2]. On January 5, 1968, M.S. Nella Dan was scheduled to leave for the South Pole ("Den 5 januar sejler vi till sydpolen").

Instead, the vessel first went back to Melbourne. According to the records kept by Australian Antarctic Division [3], M/S  Nella Dan

• Depart Melbourne:        Dec 12, 1967 
• Arrive Macquarie Island: Dec 16, 1967
• Depart Macquarie Island: Dec 26, 1967
• Arrive Melbourne:        Dec 31, 1967

From Melbourne M/S Nella Dan started to the Amery Ice Shelf. It is also mentioned in the records, that "the Deputy Voyage Leader collapsed and died at Macquarie Island on 24 Dec 1967". It is most likely that this was the reason for the extra trip to Melbourne.

References
[1] http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/31661761?q=subject%3A%22Nella+Dan+%28Ship%29+--+Maps.%22&c=map&versionId=38391593
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macquarie_Island
[3] Information received from AAD

Belgium
Short Paid Aerogramme

 

Belgian 4F aerogramme (Greiner no. 14, watermark I) issued Nov 7, 1958.

Used from BRUXELLES (cds 13-5-68) to Vienna, Austria. 4F was the (state-subsidized) rate for aerogrammes to the colony of Belgian Congo; the rate to European countries was 6F. Hence, the aerogramme was short paid by 2F.

The Belgian taxation "4/6" shows double the deficient postage (2 × 2F) in the numerator and the first weight step rate for surface letters (6F) in the denominator.

Based on the first weight step rate for surface letters from Austria to Belgium, which was at 3.50S from Jan 1, 1967, to Jun 30, 1971, the postage due calculated in Austria was: 

4F / 6F × 3.50S = 2.33S and rounded up to the nearest 0.10S, which gives 2.40S as in the Austrian postage due mark (“Nachgebühr”).

 

References

Greiner refers to  Greiner/Greiner, Aerogramme von Europa, 3e, 1993

Australia
Privately Manufactured, Licensed Aerogramme Form (Approval No. 2)
First Day of Decimal Period
First Day of 9c Aerogramme Rate


In come the dollars, in come the cents,
to replace the pounds and shillings and the pence.
Be prepared for changes when the coins begin to mix,
on the 14th of February, 1966.

At the time this aerogramme form was manufactured by Blake & Hargreaves Pty Ltd of Marrickville, NSW, the Australian pound (A£) was still the currency in Australia. The aerogramme rate was 10d. 

On 14 February 1966, the Australian dollar of one hundred cents was introduced.

This aerogramme was posted on February 14, 1966 - the first day of the decimal period in Australia and also the first day of the 9c postage rate for aerogrammes.

This is a commercial aerogramme, not a philatelic one.