Armed Forces

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

CHARLES H. & JOHN R. COUSENS, WW2 PRISONERS of WAR [JAPAN/GERMANY]

The first cover was sent registered to Captain C.H. Cousens, N.X. 34932, 2/19th Battalian A.I.F., Malaya, the registration label No. 1 with a manuscript ‘Mt Wilson’ and it had a purple S. 74 censor’s handstamp. There is a total postage of one shilling made up of the 9d ‘Platypus’ and the 3d blue KGVI stamps, with a partial MT. WILSON/ N.S.W Type 2A postmark , with an illegible date (Figure

CHARLES DIBBIN, BOY, ROYAL MILITARY ASYLUM, CHELSEA, nr. LONDON

The cover was sent to, Charles Dibbin, Boy, No 1 Company, Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea, Nr. London, Per Simla and had a dull orange-brown imperforate ‘SIX PENCE’ wood block stamp, cancelled by a BN ‘1′ of Melbourne. An additional marking was a red PAID/ DD/ 3 AU 3/ 1857, presumably applied in London. Not seen, was an originating postmark of Melbourne May 28, 1857, on the reverse (Figure 1). The

CAPTAIN RONALD EDGAR SMITH, 2ND SON of JAMES “PHILOSOPHER” SMITH

A large number of covers have been seen at stamp auction sites addressed to Westwood Forth, Ulverstone Forth, or Ulverstone either to Lieutenant, Captain or Major R.E. Smith over the past 3 years, but none compare with the present one sent by Captain R.E. Smith to his mother. The cover has a blue garland of ribbons and leaves, surrounding a monogram of EPH, with the words Excelsior Palace Hotel, A.

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

GENERAL SIR JOHN MONASH, SOLDIER, ENGINEER & ADMINISTRATOR

The designer of this home-made first day cover has provided an unique cover, but what a pity he could not spell and that he did not realise that the yellow colour would fade badly. It has a single copy of the 5d John Monash in uniform stamp and is postmarked with the familiar Philatelic Bureau Melbourne First Day of Issue 23 June 1965, the centenary of his year of birth. It

GENERAL JOHN FRENCH, HERO in the BOER WAR [SOUTH AFRICA]

This Boer War recruitment publicity postcard with ‘General French War South Africa’ has a portrait of the general on a medal, shows British flags, a crown and crossed swords, plus an inscription ‘We Conquer Step by Step”. It is postmarked with a partial squared circle ALDGATE/ 2/ JY 30/ 00/ S.(A). There is an additional faint circular cancel confirming the JY 30/00 date. The message dated 28th July 1900 reads

Royal Reels: Gambling

Armed Forces