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Auction: 18030 - Brunei, The Collection formed by Bill Toye
Lot: 188

Brunei
Covers and Cancellations
Air Mail
1931 R.A.F. Survey Flights
1931 (6 Apr.) envelope to Singapore marked "By Air Mail" in blue crayon with 4c., 8c., 10c. and 12c. tied by the second type "air mail/brunei" cancellation with the despatch c.d.s. alongside with Singapore arrival (9.4) and signed "GE Livock Pilot". A good cover. Covers from this flight are rare, only ten have been reported to have been carried. Photo

In March 1931, the R.A.F. in conjunction with the Royal Navy undertook a survey of the coral reefs in the South China Sea, north-west of North Borneo. These series of flights involved three RAF Southampton aircrafts of S1162, S1161 and S1128.

The crews for the S1162 were Sqn Ldr GE Livock and F/O Grierson both of which involved in both phases of this expedition (as well as the flights the previous year). The crews for S1161 were Fleet Lieutenant Wigglesworth and F/O Hughes-Hallet; while those in S1128 were Fl/Lt Hopps and Fl/Lt Harcourt-Smith. The latter two teams were involved only in the second phase of the flights.

First Phase
Flying boat S1162 left Singapore on 31st March for Kuching. On the 8th April it flew from Brunei to Kuching before returing to Singapore on 9th April, Upon learning that GE Livock and Grierson intended to fly back to Singapore, the postal authorities in Brunei invited them to carry a bag of mail. Covers received a special boxed “AIR MAIL BRUNEI” cancellation in addition to the ordinary Brunei circular datestamps.

Although the plan was to leave on April 7th, Livock only left on the 8th April due to bad weather. After a stop in Kuching, the S1162 arrived in Singapore on the 9th of April 1930.

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Sold for
£1,900