Feb 22, 2013 Prestige Philately - Auction No 179 Page: 1 Lot Type Grading Description Est $AUD COCOS ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY - Pre-World War II Mail [Prior to World War II the only postal facility was a Straits Settlements Agency that operated between 1933 & 1937. Otherwise mail was processed through various unofficial channels. Lot 1422 1422 CL B 1938 (May 24) Archbold Trans-Pacific Flight commemorative cover to New York with US 2c tied by New York machine cancel of MAY24/1938, then on the return flight with Netherland Indies 10c & 'HOLLANDIA/10.5.39' (Dutch New Guinea) cds, Australian 5d with 'ROSE BAY EAST' cds & Seychelles 6c (uncancelled), fine double-circle 'C.&W.LTD/12JUN39/COCOS' transit b/s, signed "Richard Archbold" on the face, two vertical folds. [Kim Dwyer's long return flight cover from Australia to the USA via Africa - with the Cocos cds on the face - sold for $2300] 750T Lot 1423 1423 CL B 1939 Indian Ocean Survey Flight per Flying Boat "Guba" long commemorative cover with printed Indian Ocean map, flown from Port Hedland (Western Australia) with stamps of Australia, Netherlands Indies, Seychelles & Kenya Uganda Tanganyika all tied by the appropriate cds, fine 32½mm 'C.& W. LTD/8JUN39/COCOS' backstamp and the personal handstamp of John Clunies-Ross on the face, small photograph of the crew affixed, signed by the pilot "PGTaylor", a little soiled. Ex Kim Dwyer: acquired for $1322. [Kim Dwyer stated that only 6 such covers have been recorded] 1,200 Lot 1424 1424 C A 1939 Indian Ocean Survey Flight per Flying Boat "Guba" cover to Sydney with stamps of Australia, Seychelles & KUT all tied by the appropriate cds, superb 'C.& W. LTD/12JUN39/COCOS' b/s, registered at 'KISUMU' (Kenya) for the return journey & with Sydney arrival b/s of 6JY39. [Kim Dwyer's similar cover sold for $1610] 1,000T Feb 22, 2013 Prestige Philately - Auction No 179 Page: 2 COCOS ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY - Pre-World War II Mail (continued) Lot Type Grading Description Est $AUD Lot 1425 1425 CO B 1939 Indian Ocean Survey Flight per Flying Boat "Guba" oversize cover (255x176mm) with handwritten list of the "Guba" crew, endorsed "carried in safe hand pouch from Rose Bay Flying Boat Base...to Port Hedland & thence to Mombasa" and signed by "Jack Percival", KUT 5c & 15c tied by 'MOMBASA' cds, wrinkles. [Percival was the radio operator & official journalist on the flight] 600T Lot 1426 1426 CL B 1939 Indian Ocean Survey Flight per Flying Boat "Guba" long cover registered at 'KISUMU' for the return flight, neatly endorsed by hand "CARRIED ON FIRST INDIAN OCEAN SURVEY FLIGHT PER/GUBA BY COURTESY DR R ARCHBOLD", double-circle 'C&W LTD/12JUN39/ COCOS' transit & Sydney arrival b/s of 6JY39. Ex Kim Dwyer: acquired for $1092. [The American adventurer Richard Archbold owned the "Guba". It was chartered by the Australian government for the flight & Archbold went along as a crew member] 1,200 Lot 1427 1427 C A- 1939 Indian Ocean Survey Flight per Flying Boat "Guba" cover originating on Cocos with the personal handstamp of John Clunies-Ross & date h/s '12JUN1939', Chagos postmaster's initials & Seychelles 2c strip of 3 cancelled on arrival, endorsed on the reverse "carried between/Diego Garcia & Seychelles/.../Jack Percival". Ex Kim Dwyer: acquired for $437. 400T Feb 22, 2013 Prestige Philately - Auction No 179 Page: 3 Lot Type Grading Description Est $AUD COCOS ISLANDS POSTAL HISTORY - 1945-1952 Local Administration For most of this period, there was again no official post office. ER Leigh-Parkin, an employee of Cable & Wireless Ltd, was the de facto postmaster. A RAAF PO opened at the end of 1951, from which time most mail was then processed through that channel. Lot 1435 1435 C B 1951 (June) Qantas return flight Cocos-Australia AAMC #1273c (through to the United States) with Federation 1/6d cancelled on arrival at Sydney, superb strike of the double-circle 'C.&W.LTD/11JUN51/COCOS' cds ties type- written 'PER QANTAS/CATALINA/VH-EBA' label to the reverse, minor spotting. [20 covers were prepared by ER Leigh-Parkin, who also created the labels & "lightning flash" cachet on the face. A similar cover sold for $3105 at our auction of 24/5/2008] [Illustrated above Lot 1434] 2,000T.