Royal Reels: Gambling

Armed Forces

SIR WILMOT HUDSON FYSH, AIRLINE DIRECTOR, & AIR FORCE OFFICER

Two covers were found for Hudson Fysh, the first with a commemorative Air Mail sticker for 10 years of Air Mail Progress for Q.A.N.T.A.S., addressed to him in Brisbane. The red 2d Sydney Harbour Bridge and the green 3d airmail stamps were canceled with a 16 November 1932, Queensland roller cancel, and the reverse was not seen (Figure 1). The second cover was addressed to Fysh as Manging Director, Q.A.N.T.A.S.,

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HEINZ TICHAUER (HENRY TALBOT), FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

This tattered registered Bolivian cover revealed a remarkable history of a Jewish man, born in Germany, interned in England, transported to Australia on His Majesty’s Transport ‘Dunera’, who first became an alien internee in Hay, N.S.W., then an Australian army employee in World War 2, followed by a non-combatant Australian Army private. He became one of four famous immigrant German photographers who shipped to Australia during WW2. Heinz Tichauer became

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WWI RECRUITMENT LETTER from RICHARD BEAUMONT ORCHARD

This imprinted 1d red side-face KGV letter has a roneo’d recruitment letter for World War One full of Allied propaganda and is used at Melbourne 10 OC 18 with a slogan INVEST IN THE / 7TH WAR LOAN with a reception postmark of SURRY HILLS/ 11 OC 18/ VIC, plus evidence of re-direction instructions (Figure 1). The letter has a content which is remarkable reading for anyone who was not

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WILLIAM L’ESTRANGE EAMES, DOCTOR, SOLDIER & SPORTSMAN [SOUTH AFRICA]

More than a dozen covers came to auction on Ebay, mainly addressed to Mrs. L’Estrange Eames, but a few to her husband William, both from South Africa and England, mostly 1900-1901. These covers prompted me to research this man. The first was written by William to his wife, with a manuscript ‘On active service no stamps available’ on an Afrikaans printed cover, postmarked FIELD POST OFFICE/ 31/ JY 3/ 00/

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TRIAL BAY, SOUTH WEST ROCKS DETENTION BARRACKS 1914-1918 [GERMANY]

At least 4 covers have appeared on several auction sites in the past 2 years, but illustrations were only available for two at the time for preparation of this paper. I knew little of the Australian internment camps during WW I in 1914-1918, and I had never heard of Trial Bay South West Rocks, N.S.W., so this paper was a great learning experience. The first cover was sent from Ceylon

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THEODORE FAWCETT, SOLDIER, MAGISTRATE & W.A. M.L.C.

This English cover bearing the 1867 straw-coloured 9d stamp of QV (S.G. 110) had a Winchester / D/ JA 23/ 73 duplex with the ‘888′ numeral obliterator and was addressed to Theodore Fawcett Esqr, Pinjarah (sic) Park, Perth, Western Australia, plus 3 black manuscripts in the same hand: ‘Via Brindisi Jan 23′ and ‘Paid’ at the top of the cover, as well as the name of the sender ‘Mrs Fawcett’

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THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE of the SUEZ CANAL [EGYPT]

This First Day Cover celebrating the Coronation of King George VI with its purple cachet is commonly seen in boxes of covers at Canadian stamp shows. The Cairns postmark is dated 10 MY 37/ QLD-AUST which is the first day of issue of ASC #175 and #177, the Die I Queen Elizabeth and Die I George VI, respectively. The cachet maker must have been uncertain as to the day of

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THE N.S.W. NAVAL BRIGADE & THE BOXER REBELLION (1900-1901) [CHINA]

Two covers appeared at the same auction site, the first endorsed ‘A.C. Barrett, New South Wales Naval Brigade, Tartar City Peking China, with the India ‘C.E.F.’ overprints* on the two blue-green India ½ anna stamps postmarked with the double circle F.P.O. NO 7 / 27 DE .00 cds, sent to a Paddington N.S.W. address. The reverse was not seen but had transit postmarks of BASE OFFICE/ B/ 28 DE/ 00 at Peking,

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SIR MATTHEW NATHAN G.C.M.G., DIPLOMAT, GOVERNOR OF QUEENSLAND

This unusually addressed O.H.M.S. cover to Captain Nathan R.E., Secretary Colonial Defence Committee, Horse Guards, Whitehall, London, England does little justice to a man who gave three decades of service to many countries in the British Empire. It is postmarked with the Victorian ENGLISH MAIL T.P.O./ JA 25/ 98, which is partly obscuring the black MINISTER OF DEFENCE, FRANK STAMP introduced probably in 1884 (Figure 1). There is a printed

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SANDY ROBERTSON, AUSTRALIAN P.O.W., ZENTSUJI CAMP, JAPAN, SHIKOKU

This Prisoner of War Post (Service des Prisonniers de Guerre) cover was addressed to NXE5101, Captain Sandy E.J. Robertson, Australian P.O.W., Zentsuji War Prison Camp, Shikoku Island, Japan. Ir had the usual Australian red Opened by Censor and the purple boxed Passed by Censor hand stamp, as well as a purple Japanese censor ‘chop’. The cover was posted from Melbourne on 10 March and it incorrectly appears to be dated

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