Australian National Airways Ltd. (ANA), having abandoned their interstate services following the loss of their Avro X VH-UMF Southern Cloud, arranged the first all-Australian air mail flight to England carrying a special air mail for the Christmas of 1931.

Modified Avro X VH-UNA Southern Sun departed Hobart on 19 November piloted by G U "Scotty" Allan with relief pilot R N Boulton and wireless operator L M Callaghan. In addition to a mail comprising an estimated 52,000 items, the only passenger on the flight was CCA Lt Col Horace Brinsmead who was picked up in Melbourne. The flight proceeded via Sydney, Brisbane, Longreach, Camooweal, Newcastle Waters, Darwin, Koepang, Bima, Surabaya, Batavia and Singapore to Alor Star (Kedah) in Malaya (Malaysia). However, owing to the sodden airfield, the aircraft crashed and was wrecked on takeoff.

The mail was salvaged and Kingsford Smith summoned to the rescue. He duly arrived and on 5 December Smithy, Allan and Bob Boulton set out once again for London in Avro X VH-UMG Southern Star. They arrived on 16 December 1931. Meanwhile, Brinsmead had decided to catch the KLM service, however this also crashed in Thailand and he was badly injured.

The illustrated registered cover is one specially printed for the flight by ANA. It originated in Sydney and is postmarked there on 19 November 1931 on two 6d purple 'Airmail Service' stamps (one overprinted 'OS' - Official Service) and a 5d brown 'King George V'. The cover includes a violet cachet "Special Air Mail Flight Nov 1931 Australia-England". The reverse of the cover carries another Sydney postmark.

(Phil Vabre collection)

Click here to see another one of ANA's Avro Xs - VH-UMI Southern Moon