Armed Forces

AUSTRALIAN CORONATION CONTINGENT, 7 MAY 1937 at CROWNING of KGVI [ENGLAND]

This cover was addressed to No 1157. L.A.C. Palmer, T.P., R.A.A.F. Detachment, Australian Coronation Contingent, Australia House, London W.C. 2, England, and the two mauve 9d ‘Kangaroo on Map of Australia’ stamps were postmarked with an ASHFIELD/ 1 AM/ 7 MAY/ 1937/ N.S.W with a slogan roller cancel. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). The addressee was Thomas Perceval Palmer, identified in the WW2 Nominal Roll as being in

COLONEL H.F.N. JOURDAIN C.M.G., OXFORD, U.K from MUDAMUCKLA, S.A

How could one resist researching a cover sent from a village with such a non-harmonious name as Mudamuckla to a Gallipoli hero? The cover has a blue registration label for Mudamuckla, South Australia, and it is addressed to Editor, Colonel H.F.N. Jourdain, C.M.G., Fyfield Lodge, Fyfield Road, Oxford, England. The orange-brown 5d KGV Head stamp is cancelled MUDAMUCKLA/ 27 JL 37/ S.A (Figure 1). The reverse has the identical Mudamuckla

COCHRANE FAMILY MEMBERS, NOTABLE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL NAVY

Although the recipient or sender of the attached four covers, Captain The Honourable E.G.L. Cochrane, never rose to the naval heights that other family members ascended, he was responsible for much of the family mail, at least 10 covers at last count. He is shown as Captain of the H.M.S. Peterel, at the Cape of Good Hope. The two green 6d Queensland stamps are cancelled with the unframed duplex BRISBANE/ 2/

COBBITTY N.S.W. to LAWRENCE ASYLUM, OOTACAMUND, MADRAS, INDIA

This unusual destination cover was addressed to Miss F. Albert, Lawrence Asylum, Ootacamund, Madras, S. India and its pair of mauve 6d and a single dull red 1d N.S.W. stamps were postmarked with two examples of the rays ‘535′ of Cobbitty, N.S.W. There were two manuscripts per R.M.S Ellora to Melbourne and, R.M.S Nubia to Galle (Ceylon) (Figure 1). The point of origin postmark was COBBITTY/ MR 21/ 1874 (Type 1A, previous ERD* 1898) and the

JOHN EDWARD NEWELL BULL, MILITARY OFFICER & PUBLIC SERVANT

This O.H.M.S. cover is addressed to J.E.N. Bull Esqre JP, Res. Warden’s Office, Castlemaine and has a dull rose ‘Emblems’ 4d stamp (SG 68). It was sent in June 1858 from Maldon Victoria. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). He was born in Athlone, Ireland on 11 October 1806, the second son of Lt.-Colonel Robert Bull and his wife Harriet. He was educated in England and entered the Military

ILLUSTRATED COVERS to Pfc. GERALD O. KEATING, S.A.A.A.B. [U.S.A.]

Two letters to Private first class Gerald O. Keating, both illustrated by the same artist and sent by Mrs J. Keating from Brisbane appeared on eBay the same day. The first had a roller postmark with a boxed BRISBANE/ QLAND/ 2 23 JAN 2/ 1945/ POSTED IN/ PILLARS as well as a boxed 1/ PASSED/ BY/ CENSOR/ 164. The blue 3½d KGVI stamp was applied, and the most obvious finding

HUBERT WILKINS, OFFICER, AVIATOR, EXPLORER, & WAR PHOTOGRAPHER

Yet another philatelically-contrived Antarctic cover but with more than the usual historical interest. The purple 4d ‘Child Praying’ 1957 Christmas issue is postmarked HALLETT/ 13 FE 58/ SOUTH-AUST and is autographed by the sender Hubert Wilkins, and addressed in his hand ‘H. Wilkins, Gen Delivery, Hallett’. It has multiple hand-stamps, a small black circle denoting the Antarctic ‘Deep Freeze’ expedition; one large purple and one large octagonal International Geophysical Year

HENDON AMMUNITION FACTORY

I have seen other World War 2 illustrated comical Australian mail, but nothing to approach this one. The front of this red 2½d KG VI Letter Card has a roller cancellation of ADELAIDE/ 11-AM/ 19 APR/ 1943/ SOUTH AUST. It sold for THREEPENCE, had a red OPENED BY CENSOR label, a purple boxed A/ 10, a purple boxed ‘4 Passed by Censor. It was addressed to Lieutenant Chris Weske, Naval

HELEN BUDD HETHERINGTON, MATRON ROYAL PRINCE ALFRED HOSPITAL

The present cover appeared at an Australian auction site, but a scan only of the front was available. It was sent On His Majesty’s Service to Miss H.B. Hetherington, Matron, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Missenden Road, Camperdown, Sydney, N.S.W. It had a 1d Queen Mother stamp postmarked with an indistinct NAVAL P. O. HERNE BAY/ N,S,W,-AUST in 1945 (month not seen) and it was endorsed with a manuscript ‘Concession Rate’.

GOV. PHILLIP & CINDERELLA STAMPS for AUSTRALIA’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY 1937-38

Two covers appeared on Ebay displaying in total, on the two covers, the 15 different designs of the cinderellas stamps that are derived from a sheet of 30. The format of the sheet was six horizontally and five vertically, with the same order repetition of the first and last three stamps in each horizontal row of six (Figure 1). The first cover has nine of the 15 cinderella stamp designs

Royal Reels: Gambling

Armed Forces