Armed Forces

A. H. FREELING, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SURVEYOR-GENERAL (1820-85) [CANADA]

A long cover with a manuscript “On Public Service” addressed “To Captain Freeling R.E., Surveyor General, Adelaide” has a fine black strike of an oval “POST OFFICE/ MT BARKER” with a manuscript March 1850 in its centre, plus a red “Crown over ‘FREE’ in a circle/1850” plus a black unframed arrival cds “G.P.O./ Crown/ MA (fleuron) 1/ 50/ SOUTH AUSTRALIA” postmark (Figure 1). Arthur Henry Freeling was born in London

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A TALE of TWO SUBMARINES in SYDNEY HARBOUR 1960 [U.S.A.]

As luck would have it, these 2 covers turned up on the same day from two different sources, and surprisingly the two submarines noted were related in time and place, even to the point that the two had been berthed together in Sydney Harbour, at one point in time. The first large cover was On Her Majesty’s Service, with a purple stamping and blue vignette showing it was sent by

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A LETTER to BOMBARDIER H. WELLS, NOWSHERA, N.W.F. PROVINCE 1909

This fairly unique destination cover to a long-time troublesome area, now in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region, is related to a series of conflicts starting with the Anglo-Afghan wars during the imperialist Great Game between the United Kingdom and Russia which led to the dismemberment of Afghanistan. The front which was not seen is a real photo, b/w postcard of ‘The Blow Hole, near Flinders’. The reverse shows it is an Australian

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AUSTRALIAN CORONATION CONTINGENT, 7 MAY 1937 at CROWNING of KGVI [ENGLAND]

This cover was addressed to No 1157. L.A.C. Palmer, T.P., R.A.A.F. Detachment, Australian Coronation Contingent, Australia House, London W.C. 2, England, and the two mauve 9d ‘Kangaroo on Map of Australia’ stamps were postmarked with an ASHFIELD/ 1 AM/ 7 MAY/ 1937/ N.S.W with a slogan roller cancel. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1). The addressee was Thomas Perceval Palmer, identified in the WW2 Nominal Roll as being in

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COLONEL H.F.N. JOURDAIN C.M.G., OXFORD, U.K from MUDAMUCKLA, S.A

How could one resist researching a cover sent from a village with such a non-harmonious name as Mudamuckla to a Gallipoli hero? The cover has a blue registration label for Mudamuckla, South Australia, and it is addressed to Editor, Colonel H.F.N. Jourdain, C.M.G., Fyfield Lodge, Fyfield Road, Oxford, England. The orange-brown 5d KGV Head stamp is cancelled MUDAMUCKLA/ 27 JL 37/ S.A (Figure 1). The reverse has the identical Mudamuckla

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COCHRANE FAMILY MEMBERS, NOTABLE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL NAVY

Although the recipient or sender of the attached four covers, Captain The Honourable E.G.L. Cochrane, never rose to the naval heights that other family members ascended, he was responsible for much of the family mail, at least 10 covers at last count. He is shown as Captain of the H.M.S. Peterel, at the Cape of Good Hope. The two green 6d Queensland stamps are cancelled with the unframed duplex BRISBANE/ 2/

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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