Australia: Military Aerogramme FDC

 

Australian military aerogramme (Stein AM-1, yellow-ochre paper) sent from Albury (11 SEP 1944) addressed to LAC (Leading Aircraftman) Tindall M., c/o Air Ministry, London WC1, Great Britain.

This is a first day cover!

According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald (Sep 23, 1944; p. 3)

"Of approximately 25,400 letters in the first week, 17,000 were for civilians and 8,400 for members of the Forces More than 80 per cent of the letters were for addresses in the United Kingdom."

 

Opened and censored (Passed by Censor 425). Re-direction label of Record Office, R.A.F. Cloucester. Returned via Durban, South Africa (transit cds 15 XII 44) to Australia. The next attempt was made at Westlake, Qld. Endorsement in red "Not known at Westlake 30/12/44" and finally returned in Febriary 1945 (transit cds Westlake, 17 FEB 45, on reverse) to the sender's address at Geelong, Vic.

As there is no message on the writing panel and the sender had instructed to return the air letter "if unclaimed within 21 days", the FDC is most likely philatelic -  but very rare anyway.


Reference:
Stein, The Aerogrammes of Australia and Its Dependencies, 1944-1980