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The most famous crash associated with Australian airmails.

Empire flying boats left the UK with commercial mails for Alexandria Egypt, where Australian and New Zealand mail was loaded on the Empire flying boat "Calpurnia" G-AETW.

The flight from Alexandria was to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, and from there to Lake Habbaniyah near Baghdad, Iraq.

On November 27 1938, in the dark, and during a sandstorm, the "Calpurnia" crashed in Lake Ramadi (12 miles from Lake Habbaniyah) killing the four flight crew: Pilot Captain Attwood, First Officer Spottiswood, Radio Operator Bayne-Rees and Flight Clerk Ubee.

The RAF retrieved a large part of the mail from the water. An attempt was made to dry the mail before it was sent to Sydney. The New Zealand mail was sent on to Auckland where it was dried further.

This cover was clearly sodden. The stamp has washed off, and the pen writing from letter inside has bled into the envelope paper. All flaps ungummed which is lucky, as it now can be opened out flat as shown - on a Hagner or album page.

Best of all - the original PO letter has been retained, and even the outer OHMS cover that both arrived in - in great condition for 73 years old. The latter and outer both have DIFFERENT pink "Dead Letter Office Sydney" handstamps - one with date in 3 lines, the other in 1 line.

Only a few sets of PO letter and outer cover have survived as recipients had no idea to keep them. Remember all mail was COMMERCIAL mail not philatelic, so the public at large did not even retain the crash covers, much less the covering letter and outer cover!

Eustis 834 "From $125" - and with the PMG letter and original outer cover, a snip at $A150.

$A150, plus shipping $4 globally

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REMEMBER - All parcels leaving me this month will have these GEMS as franking!
Remember, adding another lot of mine (posted by either Admin or GlenStephens or Global Administrator, or ozstamps) - here (or on my website) for sale in general adds ZERO to your shipping cost, so have a good look at what is on offer here in case something else appeals:

https://www.stampboards.com/viewforum.php?f=27

All payment details are on - https://www.glenstephens.com/payment.html

Call it "Calpurnia - stock number 387YE" and please order via:

https://www.glenstephens.com/order.html

For overseas members, to find out the approx cost in YOUR currency, click here - https://www.xe.com

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE - don't like it - mail it back within 48 hours of receiving it. No-one ever has yet.

- and "lay-by/layaway" is always possible - email me with any queries to glen [at] glenstephens.com - OR "trade-ins" always possible! If you have a pile of surplus stuff I may well be happy to offset that against this item - see https://www.glenstephens.com/buying.html

And many similar mouth watering NETT price offers are being loaded weekly onto -

https://www.glenstephens.com/rarity.html and https://www.glenstephens.com/specials.html

As per stampboard convention - this lot is offered exclusively to board members - and on no other sales venue.

For members who make a BANK TRANSFER payment you WILL generally get your goods faster as it saves me some hassle.
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Reduced 20% from $200 to $150 for Xmas! 8)