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Auction: 12019 - Fine Stamps and Covers of South East Asia
Lot: 690

Borneo AirmailsThe R.A.F. Goodwill Flight to Japan of 1936In February 1936 the Air Officer Commanding Far East, Air Commodore Sydney W. Smith, made arrangements for a squadron of RAF flying-boats from their base at Seletar, to pay a "Goodwill" visit to Japan. The object was ´to show the flag´ as planes from Seletar had not flown further north than Hong Kong. The itinerary was to include Kuching, Kudat, Manila, Hong Kong, Amoy, Shanghai, Kagoshima and Tokyo on the outward flight and Hong Kong and KamrhanBay on the return flight, a total distance of about 7,000 miles. However the schedule ws upset by bad weather and a military coup in japan, which meant that the flight had t end at Shanghai.The planes selected to take part in this tour were three Singapore Flying-boats from No. 205 Squadron, K3592, K3593 and K3594, powered by four Rolls-Royce ´Kestrel´ engines, with a range of 1,000 miles at a cruising speed of 105mph. Mail was collected at most of the stops, but no mail has been recorded from Kudat, even though sufficient notice was given. No additional fee for carriage by air was charged on any of the stages. Only in Manila was any interest shown by the general public, but most of the mail was philatelic. 1936 (8 Feb.) envelopes (5) flown from Singapore to Kuching (2), Manila and Japan (2, one with airmail label torn off as the letter was forwarded by surface mail), franked at 2c., 5c., 12c. and 12c. respectively, all but the envelope to japan backstamped on arrival. A fine group

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