Query: WWII Postal Rates from Canada to Forces

[Neil Williams]

Folks

I'm writing up the attached item for a display. I'm presuming any stamps were washed off by the fire-fighting at the time of the crash. Can anybody help with the postage and registration rates that would have been on it?

According to the enclosure with the ambulance cover, the contents were a letter and a snapshot, so it wasn't heavy.

Neil W

[Alexander Green]

Do you have copies of the enclosure and ambulance cover you mention?  They may provide additional clues.

[John Cranmer]

The date would be helpful as well.  Out of curiosity what plane was this from?

The post Office guide for 1945 says that the Aden P.O. was under the control of the Indian P.O.

[b]Smith and Wawrukiewicz[/b] give the rate to Asia from 1935 to 46 as 25 cents per 1/2 ounce + 10 cents registration. They also show a US clipper rate vis San Francisco from Feb 42 to 1946 of 90 cents per half ounce.

John Cranmer

[Neil Williams]

Crash was RCAF Fortress serial 9207 on take off from Prestwick on 2 April 1944, on the 'MailCan' service. The inquiry deemed the load had shifted - stalled and spun in from 1000ft and exploded.....

I know Journal #332 said this was an unknown crash, but that was Chris's assumption for which he held his hand up immediately!

Attached scans of the official enclosure and the ambulance cover.

There's a full write up on the crash in the FPHS Journal 328. The only piece of the jigsaw missing was the rate, and thank you for the hints.

Neil