Afghanistan. 1929 (Jan 29) R.A.F Emergency flight to Kabul, ...

Hammer

£2,100

Afghanistan. 1929 (Jan 29) R.A.F Emergency flight to Kabul, cover franked 1a from Peshawar to the British Legation in Kabul, signed by the Indian Postmaster General, Stephen Smith and "Ahmed Jalani" (Peshawar or Kabul Postmaster?), a pencil note on the front stating "Double flight cover, carried from Peshawar to Kabul and back again to Peshawar by Royal Air Force aeroplanes during the Kabul Evacuation", initialled by Stephen Smith. Kabul was cut off from November 14th 1928 due to a revolt; the R.A.F then flew evacuation flights to the city with a weekly air service operating from January 9th until February 25th 1929. Stephen Smith and J. Brown both record seven covers flown from Kabul and one cover to Kabul; Brown further states "only four covers are known to have survived, one flown both ways as planes were unable to land owing to the uprising; two were signed by the Postmaster General, Calcutta". Vertical fold, otherwise fine, probably unique. Photo on Page 168.