Air Letter Sheets

Air Letter / Aerogramme / Aerogram

Air letters were a solution to reduce the bulk and weight of post going by air mail. The first air letter sheet (called an 'air letter card' by the Post Office) was designed by Douglas William Gumbley, the Inspector General of Posts and Telegraphs for the Iraq government between 1913 to 1934. He had forms printed which were very similar to those later adopted by the UK - his air letter card with an impressed Iraqi stamp was issued on 15 July, 1933.

Lt. Col. R E Evans, the Assistant Director of the Army Postal Service in the Middle East, suggested in 1940 that the lightweight air letter cards would be a solution to the air mail problem to the Secretary of State for War, Sir Anthony Eden, when he was visiting troops in the Middle East. The idea was accepted, and in January 1941 the instruction was issued that; "Your Assistant Director Army Postal Services may forthwith introduce an Air Mail Letter Card Service for the Middle East. Use British stamps from all countries, including Egypt."

Main dates:-

1 March 1941 - the air letter service begins from the Middle East to the UK with an initial ration of one per man per month. They were first produced without stamp imprints - with a postage rate of 3d.

21 July 1941 - First issue of Prisoner of War air letter sheets which could be sent to British prisoners of war and internees held by the Axis countries in Europe.

7 December 1942 - Air letter sheets issued which required a 6d stamp to be affixed. The air letter replaced the 3d air postcard and at first could only be sent from GB to the armed services in East Africa - extended to South Africa 9 April 1943. The air letters were produced by the printers McCorquodale & Co Ltd at Wolverton. The forms were designed by Mr. Robert A. Gifford.

18 June 1943 - First air letter sheets with an impressed 6d stamp printed by letter press. Available for limited use by the public to others not in the armed services from June 1944.

24 August 1944 - 6d air letter service extended to Empire and British mandated territories in Africa, Asia and Pacific regions.

11 September 1944 - Air letter service extended to Canada, Newfoundland, British West Indies and Falkland Islands.

7 April 1945 - 1½d forces air letter on sale (at 2d). Use extended from 13 July to send to forces in Australia, New Zealand and South West Pacific area, replacing the 6d air letter.

29 June 1948 - The first GB commemorative air letter went on sale at the same time as the Olympic Games stamps.

Prisoner of War Letter Sheets

[Postcards were issued for sending to POW's in the Far East.]

21 July 1941 - First issue of Prisoner of War Letter Sheets which could be sent to British Prisoners of War and internees held by the Axis countries. 2½d blue imprint. The first issue has the flap at the bottom. >

Produced by the printers McCorquodale & Co Ltd.

	June 1942 - Second issue now with flap at the top. Example shown > < 1942 issue has 1 line of text inside flap.
December 1943 - Third issue, also with flap at top. 1943 issue has 2 lines of text inside flap >
	Packs of 8 cards available.

6d Postage Paid Air Letter Sheet :-

18 June 1943 - first air letter sheets with an impressed 6d stamp printed by letter press.

TYPE 1

1 'BY AIR MAIL' - block

2. 'AIR LETTER

IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED

THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT

BY ORDINARY MAIL'

3. Bar

4. 'Stamp' imprint

5. Top flap - to 5a

6. Side flap - to 6a

7 Address lines

8. <--- First fold here --->

9. <--- Second fold here --->

10. To open cut here --->

11. Sender's name and address:-

12. Address lines

13. <--- To open cut here

Inside of Air Letter is blank

Dates from	[3] Bar mm	[4] 'Stamp' + border (width mm)	Colours a. Cover paper b. Printing c. Stamp imprint	Varieties	Notes
18/6/43 - (to 1946)	20	clear border (23.5)	a. grey-blue overlay on grey paper b. dark blue c. brownish purple	i. cream paper	First air letter with an impressed 6d stamp
10/43 -	21	clear border (23.5)
8/44 -	20	clear border (24.5)
1/46 -	20	clear border (23.5)		i. cream paper ii. light green-grey paper iii. double paper
11/47 -	19	clear border (23.5)	a. cream paper b. dark blue c. brownish purple

TYPE 2

As type 1, but with [2] changed - title in ITALIC, warning message split at 'EN- CLOSED'.

No bar beneath warning message.

Dates from	[4] 'Stamp' + border (width mm)	Colours a. Cover paper b. Printing c. Stamp imprint	Varieties	Notes
7/4/1949	clear border (24)	a. grey b. dark blue c. brownish purple	cream paper
/ /1950	no border (19.5)	a. blue b. dark blue c. brownish purple	i. watermark with letter C ii. watermark without letter iii. no watermark iv. no watermark + 'T' of SENT is positioned below 'ET' of LETTER, (see picture). v. Knight pictorial imprint on front	Paper has watermark 'IMPERIAL AIR MAIL' and letter B (*see below)
3/5/1951			'Festival' - word and symbol imprint on front - from 3/5/1951	No watermark. These were privately printed, but officially sanctioned.
/ /1951			i. Overprinted 'School Specimen' ii. Mauve paper	No watermark. Address panel measures 122mm x 99mm
/ /1951				No watermark. Address panel measures 121mm x 99mm

* Watermarks - the paper used was produced by Wiggins Teape & Co. Ltd.

They used the words 'IMPERIAL AIR MAIL' with a picture of a castle (company symbol) and a letter. The letter stands for the year the paper was manufactured - A = 1948; B = 1949; C = 1950; D = 1951......

1½d Forces Air Letter Sheet (sold at 2d)

Dates from	'Stamp' + border (width mm)	Colours a. Cover paper b. Printing c. Stamp imprint	Address lines	'Senders name and address :-' width mm	Notes
7/4/1945	clear border (24)	a. pale buff b. tan c. brown	Dotted	43.5
7/4/1945			Dotted	42
1945			Appear solid	42
1945		a. blue-grey paper b. tan c. brown	Dotted	43.5

Olympic Games Commemorative Letter Sheet The first GB commemorative air letter went on sale at the same time as the Olympic Games stamp set - 29 June 1948. Printed by McCorquodale & Co Ltd on grey-azure paper with a 6d imprint of Stanley Scott's stamp. The forms were printed by McCorquodale & Co Ltd at Wolverton and then sent as uncut sheets of eight to Harrison and Sons for the 6d stamp to be imprinted using photogravure. The forms were then returned to McCorquodale's for cutting and gumming. Varieties - a. Stamp imprint printed with aniline ink b. Albino impression of stamp 4,060,000 air letters were sold.
		First day cover

Contact : Malcolm Sanders : kg6gb@hotmail.com