Description:

1918 (Dec 18) England-India RAF Survey Flight 'FIRST THROUGH AERIAL MAIL/GREAT BRITAIN TO INDIA/KARACHI 14.1.1919' cachet in violet on India KGV ½a stationery envelope carried from Bandar Abbas endorsed "PER HMA Old Carthusian'" in red & signed at lower-left by flight crew "NDK MacEwen Brig Gen", "AC Stewart-MacLaren Major" & "R Halley Capt" with 'KARACHI/17JAN19' arrival d/s, couple of minor blemishes. [The Handley Page V made a forced landing at Ormara, Pakistan & the mails were carried by ship to Karachi on the HMS "Britomart" arriving three days later than indicated on the cachet, which in this case has not been amended]