| Item | Description | Price |
| The Imperial Airways Service - Basrah/Baghdad/Cairo | ||
| Early items were carried by surface (i.e. sea) from Bahrain to Basrah where they were picked up by the Imperial Airways Basrah-Baghdad-Cairo service which cut 10 days off the previous (surface) transit time from the Gulf to U.K. | ||
| BPH4/01 | 1927 cover to U.K. Postage paid by booklet pane of India KG V 1 Anna x 4, plus a single copy of the same stamp, cancelled 17 DEC 27 (Donaldson Type 6). View
The front of the envelope is pre-printed BASRAH-CAIRO / AIR MAIL (as pictured on page 61 of Donaldson's book) and the cover carries a BASRAH transit cds dated 24 DEC 27, and a strike of the Indian P.O. double ring handstamp BY / AIR View | £ 95 Sold |
| First Airmail Route via Bahrain | ||
| In 1932 Imperial Airways decided to switch the Basrah-to-India flight from the Persian side of the Gulf to the Arabian side. | ||
| BPH4/02 | First flight London-Bahrain sector. Pre-printed envelope. Bahrain receiver 7 OCT 32 (Donaldson Type 5B). Very similar item is lot #819 in Harmer's auction of 18th Dec 2001. Harmers state "only 14 flown" and estimate at £100 (+ commision, etc). View | £ 70 |
| BPH4/03 | First flight London-Bahrain sector. Imperial Airways official souvenir envelope for officials and agents. Bahrain receiver 7 OCT 32 (Donaldson Type 5B). View | £ 40 Sold |
| BPH4/04 | First flight Basrah-Bahrain sector. Iraq stamps of King Faisal issues, cancelled by strikes of the bilingual cds of BASRAH SOR, dated 5 OCT 32. Bahrain receivers of 7 OCT 32 and 8 OCT 32(Donaldson Type 5B). View. Apparently only 40 flown. | £ 75 |
| BPH4/05 | First flight Bahrain-Karachi sector (scarce). Stamps of India, cancelled by a single strike of the large killer cds of Bahrain, dated 5 OCT 32. Manuscript By first Bahrain-Karachi Air Service. Indian P.O. double ring handstamp BY / AIR. View. On the reverse, a strike of the KARACHI DELY receive, dated 8 OCT 32. Similar offered by Western Auctions (July '86) made £70. | £ 75 |
| BPH4/06 | First flight Karachi-Bahrain sector. Envelope with pre-printed AIR MAIL etiquette. Typed notation ROUTE CHANGED / FIRST FLIGHT VIA BAHRAIN / KARACHI - BAHRAIN. Stamps of India cancelled KARACHI 4 OCT 32. Indian P.O. double ring handstamp BY / AIR. View. On the reverse, a BAHRAIN receiver of 13 OCT 32 (Donaldson Type 5B). Another of 18 OCT 32 presumably identifying the re-handling for the return to sender. | £ 45 |
| BPH4/07 | First flight Bahrain-Athens sector. One of 17 carried, according to Donaldson. Stamps of India (2 As Air Mail plus KGV definitives), cancelled by strikes of the large killer cds of Bahrain, dated 5 OCT 32. Indian P.O. double ring handstamp BY / AIR. Adhesive AIR MAIL etiquette and a good strike of the Greek aircraft handstamp in red.View. On the reverse, Athens reveiver dated 10.X.32 and another good strike of the red aircraft hansdtamp. | £135 |
| BPH4/08 | First flight Bahrain-London sector. Stamps of India (6 As Air Mail plus KGV definitives), cancelled by strikes of the large killer cds of Bahrain, dated 5 OCT 32. Indian P.O. double ring handstamp BY / AIR. Adhesive AIR MAIL etiquette obliterated by heavy black cross handstamp, presumably when the mail route hit land at Brindisi.View. On the reverse, transit cds of BRINDISI (10.10.32) and receiver machine slogan of KENSINGTON, dated 13 OCT 1932. | £ 95 Sold |
| Extensions of the Airmail Route via Bahrain | ||
| Donaldson record very low numbers for covers carried on these flights from Kuwait (e.g. 5 to 7 for Akyab, 25 to Singapore) There are no numbers recorded for Bahrain but one could anticipate numbers somewhat higher but of the same order. | ||
| BPH4/09 | 1933 Calcutta - Bahrain. Aero Philatelic Club of Calcutta envelope addressed c/o the Political Agency in Bahrain. Stamps of India, cancelled Calcutta 10 JUL 33. View. Reverse is fully illustrated and carries the boxed h/s CALCUTTA - KARACHI / 11 JLY 33 / FIRST / AIRMAIL and the BAHRAIN receiver of 13 JLY 33 (Donaldson Type 5B). View. Said to be 46 items loaded at Calcutta for Bahrain. | £ 65 |
| BPH4/10 | 1933 Cawnpore - Bahrain. This cover is ex-TE Field. The envelope contains cuttings from the original TEF album pages, one of which reads, "Cawnpore does not appear to have used any distinctive postmark but cancelled the stamps with the special cachet". Stamps of India cancelled by good strikes of the h/s CALCUTTA - KARACHI / 11 JLY 33 / FIRST / AIRMAIL.View. On the reverse a receiver of BAHRAIN, dated 13 JLY 33 (Donaldson Type 6) and other transit marks associated with returning to sender. | £ 80 |
| BPH4/11 | 1933 Bahrain-Akyab. Souvenir envelope with a mix of overprinted and unoverprinted stamps, cancelled (Donaldson Type 6) 27 SEP 33. View. On the reverse a receiver of AKYAB, dated 1 OCT 33. | £ 85 Sold |
| BPH4/12 | 1933 Rangoon-Bahrain. Souvenir envelope with Air Mail and definitive stamps of India cancelled Rangoon 1 OC 33. View. On the reverse, the cachet, in red, FIRST AIR MAIL / INDIAN TRANS-CONTINENTAL / AND IMPERIAL AIRWAYS / RANGOON-KARACHI-LONDON, dated 2 OCT 33. View. | £ 45 |
| BPH4/13 | 1933 Singapore-Bahrain with large "horseshoe" Postage Due. Souvenir envelope with stamps of Straits Settlements cancelled 29 DEC 33. Large horseshoe Postage Due handstamp of BAHRAIN (Donaldson Type 20), most unusually invalidated by two lines in red ink View. On the reverse, transit cds of Baghdad (6 JAN 34) and Basrah (8 JAN 34) and BAHRAIN receiver (Donaldson Type 5B) dated 16 JAN 34. This misdirection and delay is commented upon by Donaldson (page 62). Cover with horseshoe offered at Empire Auction July '92, estimated at £120. | £ 95 Sold |
| BPH4/14 | 1934 Bahrain-Darwin. Souvenir envelope carrying range of KGV stamps of Bahrain cancelled (Donaldson Type 5C ?) 12 DEC 34. Indian P.O. double ring handstamp BY / AIR.View. The reverse shows the Darwin receiver of 19 DE 34. | £ 55 Sold |
| Wartime Airmail - A group of covers with handstamp routing instructions, mainly for Trans-Pacific routes. | ||
| BPH4/20 | 1941 Handstamp Via Air Mail / India-Hongkong / & U.S.A.. View.
Cover to California inscribed TRANSPACIFIC AIRMAIL.. Postage paid by KGV and KGVI stamps of Bahrain, cancelled by strikes of the BAHRAIN AIR / PERSIAN GULF (Donaldson type 7) cds, dated 2 APR 41. Opened and re-sealed by the Calcutta censor. View. | £ 80 |
| BPH4/21 | 1941 Handstamp Via Air Mail / India-Auckland / & U.S.A. (view) directs this cover via the Pacific Clipper, going further south to avoid Japanese interference. Postage paid by KGV and KGVI stamps of Bahrain, cancelled by strikes of the BAHRAIN AIR / PERSIAN GULF (Donaldson type 7) cds, dated 13 SEP 41. Cover is roughly opened and (sadly) slightly reduced to improve its appearanceView. Opened and re-sealed by the Calcutta censor. | £ 80 |
| BPH4/22 | 1942 Handstamp Via B.O.A.C. to Aucklnd / Pan American Airways / to Sanfrancisco on the front and back of this cover is evidence that mail is forced even further south to avoid the Japanese invasion of the Pacific. Stamps are 3As6Ps, 12 Annas, and 2 Rupees (last two scarce on cover) cancelled (Donaldson Type 5C ?) 11 JLY 42. Opened and re-sealed by the censor. A beautiful cover. Similar offered in Yorkshire Cover Auctions (March 2000) Sold at £ 100 View. | £ 95 Sold |
| BPH4/23 | 1942 Handstamp Air Mail / Bahrein-Lagos-U.S.A (view) directs this cover to the South Atlantic Clipper route. Cover addressed to New Jersey. Postage paid by KGVI stamps of the 1942 issue (including 8 As), cancelled by the cds + wavy lines (Donaldson type 8) dated 1942. Opened and re-sealed by the censor. View. | £ 90 Sold |
| BPH4/24 | 1942 air mail cover addressed to New York City "via Logas" (i.e. Lagos). Postage paid by 2 x 1Rupee KGVI stamps of the 1942 issue, cancelled by the cds + wavy lines (Donaldson type 8) dated 1942 | £ 35 Sold |
| 1947 Flying Boat "Portland" Crash | ||
| India aerogramme from this crash, with h/s but without CAA report was lot #324 in Harmers auction of 19/4/00, estimated at £75 plus 15% premium, vat, p&p, etc. | ||
| Three covers from this crash formed lot #2430 in Harmers auction of 06/12/01, estimated at £250 plus 15% premium, vat, p&p, etc. | ||
| BPH4/30 | 1947 (19 AUG) cover from India to London salvaged from the B.O.A.C. Flying Boat which crashed on landing in Bahrain. Boxed cachet DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER explains why one stamp is washed off (1 remains) View. With a photocopy of the Civil Aircraft Accident report into the crash. | £ 80 Sold |
| BPH4/31 | Another 1947 (19 AUG) cover from India to London salvaged from the B.O.A.C. Flying Boat which crashed on landing in Bahrain. Boxed cachet DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER explains why the stamps are washed off. View. With a photocopy of the Civil Aircraft Accident report into the crash. | £ 70 Sold |
| BPH4/32 | 1947 Cover from Rangoon to London salvaged from the B.O.A.C. Flying Boat which crashed on landing in Bahrain. Boxed cachet DAMAGED BY SEA-WATER. View. With a photocopy of the Civil Aircraft Accident report into the crash. | £ 70 Sold |
| BPH4/33 | 1947 Cover from Hong Kong to London salvaged from the B.O.A.C. Flying Boat which crashed on landing in Bahrain. Stamps washed off. Boxed two-line cachet DAMAGED BY SEA / WATER View. With a photocopy of the Civil Aircraft Accident report into the crash | £ 95 Sold |
| BPH4/34 | 1947 O.A.S. front from Burma to London salvaged from the B.O.A.C. Flying Boat which crashed on landing in Bahrain. Boxed cachet DAMAGED BY SEA / WATER View. With a photocopy of the Civil Aircraft Accident report into the crash | £ 45 Sold |
| Other Airmail Items | ||
| BPH4/40 | When is a Zeppelin not a Zeppelin ?
1934 cover to Brazil (view) with AIR MAIL and VIA ZEPPELIN etiquettes affixed but obliterated by red-bars h/s. Typed instructions By Airmail to London / By Zeppelin from Germany indicate that the cover was (addressed to Stoltz & Co in Recife-Pernambuco, exactly the same as that illustrated on Donaldson page 122) intended to be part of the Bahrain acceptance for connection with the Zeppelin service. KGV stamps of Bahrain are cancelled (Donaldson Type 5) 3 OCT 34, there is a Berlin transit cds dated 10.10.34 and a Pernambuco receiver cds dated 26 X 34 but no Zeppelin cachet !! My guess is that the item arrived in Berlin too late for one Zeppelin flight but too early for the next. Consequently it was relayed by the conventional route, arriving in Pernambuco 5days before the next Zeppelin (31.10.34). Any other ideas ? | £195 Sold |
| BPH4/41 | 1937 Overland Mail item. By 1937, airmail was the normal routing for western mail. This roughly opened cover to USA is exceptional, being hanstamped (in blue) (view) to ensure that the item was not transmitted by airmail which would have attracted Postage Due. KGV 2As x 3 stamps are cancelled (Donaldson Type 5B) 3 NOV 37 and the reverse carries transit cds Basra (6 NOV 37) and Baghdad (7 NOV 37). A similar item was offered by Empire Auctions in May 1987, estimated at £120. | £100 Sold |
| BPH4/42 | 1933 Indian Airmail stamps used in Bahrain. Very few have survived on cover. On this cover (view), 2 As Air Mail x 2 plus regular KGV stamps of India are cancelled (Donaldson Type 6) on December 22nd 1932. However, in changing the date from 21 DEC 32, the clerk has held the handstamp upside-down and has removed the year number (32) and replaced it with the new day number (22) which is consequently upside-down relative to the old day number and month. Bombay receiver cds 25 DEC 32 proves the year, and the fact that the Indian Post Office did not have a holiday on Christmas Day !! | £ 45 Sold |
| BPH4/44 | Empire Airmail All Up from UK. Postal Stationery envelope (view) of GB with embossed 11/2d stamp of KGVI, addressed to Bahrain and postmarked 20 FEB 1938. All-up (view) publicity cachet on the reverse with Bahrain receiver dated 27 FEB 38. | £ 40 Sold |
| BPH4/45 | 1944 Airgraph sent from the trader Abdulla Aujan & Brothers in Bahrain to B.A.T. in Surrey, dated 9 OCT 44 by a strike of Donaldson Type 5C and censored by boxed DHC/1 censor mark applied in Bombay. Very similar to that illustrated on page 66 of Donaldson and VERY SCARCE. View.
| £ 100 Sold |
| BPH4/46 | 1950's 2nd class airmail.
Cover to U.K. carrying an adhesive Air Mail etiquette and the typed inscription SECOND CLASS and unsealed in order to qualify for the reduced rate. QEII 9np and 12np stamps of Bahrain cancelled Donaldson Type 26. | £ 18 Sold |
| BPH4/47 | 1966 2nd class airmail.
Cover to UK carrying an Air Mail etiquette and the typed inscription 2nd Class Air Mail and unsealed in order to qualify for the reduced rate. Sh Isa 20np stamp of Bahrain cancelled Donaldson Type 21, dated 15 NO 66 | £ 18 |
| Later First Flights | ||
| BPH4/50 | 1952 Comet first flight on the London-Colombo route London-Bahrain sector. GB stamp cancelled London 11 Aug 1952. Bahrain receiver (Donaldson Type 21) on reverse dated 12 AU 52 | £ 15 |
| BPH4/51 | 1952 Comet first flight on the London-Colombo route. Bahrain-Colombo sector. KGVI 6As of Bahrain cancelled 11 AU 52 (Donaldson Type 26) with Colombo receiver on reverse, dated 12 AU 52. | £ 16 |
| BPH4/52 | 1952 Comet first flight on the London-Colombo route. Bahrain-Rome sector. . KGVI 6As of Bahrain cancelled 13 AU 52 (Donaldson Type 26) with Rome receiver on reverse, dated 14.8.52 | £ 18 |
| BPH4/53 | 1952 Comet first flight on the London-Singapore route. Bahrain-Calcutta sector. . KGVI 6As of Bahrain cancelled 11 OC 52 (Donaldson Type 26) with Calcutta receiver on reverse, dated 15 OCT 52 | £ 18 |
| BPH4/54 | 1952 Comet first flight on the London-Singapore route. Bahrain-Bangkok sector. KGVI 2 x 6As of Bahrain cancelled 14 OC 52 (Donaldson Type 21) with Bangkok receiver on reverse, dated 15.10.52 | £ 15 |
| BPH4/55 | 1952 Comet first flight on the London-Singapore route. Bahrain-Singapore sector. KGVI 2 x 6As of Bahrain cancelled 14 OC 52 (Donaldson Type 21) with Singapore receiver on reverse, dated 15.10.52 | £ 15 |
| BPH4/56 | 1952 Comet first flight on the London-Singapore route. Singapore-Bahrain return sector. KGVI stamps of Singapore cancelled 16 OC 52 with Bahrain receiver (Donaldson Type 21) on reverse, dated 17.10.52 | £ 18 |
| BPH4/57 | 1952 Comet first flight on the London-Singapore route. Bahrain-Cairo return sector. KGVI 1/2A + 3As of Bahrain cancelled 16 OC 52 (Donaldson Type 21) and an Egyptian Postage Due h/s, with Cairo Aerodrome receiver on reverse, dated 17 OCT 52 | £ 18 Sold |
| BPH4/58 | 1959 Comet 4 first flight on the London-Singapore route. Bahrain-Singapore sector. QEII 75np stamp of Bahrain cancelled (Donaldson Type 26) dated 2 JU 59. On the reverse a cachet of BOAC Singapore, dated 3 JUN 1959. | £ 15 |
| BPH4/59 | 1959 Comet 4 first flight on the London-Singapore route. Bahrain-U.K. sector. QEII 15np + 25np stamps, cancelled (Donaldson Type 26) dated 4 JU 59. | £ 14 |
| BPH4/60 | Air India cover commemoration the first flight of their Bombay – Bahrain service on 4th October 1960. Manama(1) receiver cds on reverse. | £ 5 |
| BPH4/61 | Air India cover commemoration the first flight of the new Boeing 707 aircraft on their Bombay – Bahrain service on 2nd May 1962. Bahrain small killer receiver cds on reverse | £ 8 |
