information letter
Report a Mistake- Date Made 1969
- Event --
- Affiliation --
- Artist / Maker / Manufacturer --
- Object Number 2003.141.72.2
- Place of Origin Continent - North America
- Place of Use Continent - North America, Country - Canada
- Category Communication artifacts
- Sub-category Exchange mediumDocumentary artifact
- Department Postal Museum
- Museum CMH
- Earliest 1969/01/01
- Latest 1969/12/31
- Inscription (card/carte) 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST NON-STOP TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT. Dates 14-15 June, 1919. Times Take-off 429 p.m. 14 June, 1919, at Lester's Field, St. John's Newfoundland. Landed 840 a.m. - 15 June, 1919 in a bog near Clifden, Ireland. Route St. John's Newfoundland to Clifden, Ireland. Approximately 1800 miles. Flying Time 16 hours and 12 minutes; 428 p.m. 14 June, 1919 to 840 a.m. 15 June, 1919. Crew Captain John Alcock, D.S.O., Pilot. Born in Manchester, 1892; WWI R.F.C. fighter pilot and aerobatic instructor; knighted 21 June, 1919 for Trans-Atlantic flight. Killed in air crash at Cote d'Evrard, Rouen, France, 18 December, 1919. Lieutenant Arthur Whitten-Brown, Navigator. Born in Glasgow, 1886; trained for aerial navigation; in WWI served in the Manchester Regiment in 1915 and later in R.F.C. as an Observer. Worked as an engineer for Ministry of Munitions. Knighted 21 June, 1919, for Trans-Atlantic flight. Died in Swansea, Wales on 3 October, 1943. Aircraft Vickers-Vimy biplane. Two 375 h.p. Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII Engines capable of 103 m.p.h. at 6500 feet. Details Carried 840 gallons of gasoline, 40 quarts of oil, two crew members, and one bag of mail composed of 196 envelopes and one parcel. Philatelic Postmaster General of Newfoundland, Dr. J. Alex Robinson authorized the surcharging of 10,000 15¢ stamps of the 1897 series with a block four line surcharge "Trans-Atlantic/Air Post,/1919./One Dollar". The 196 envelopes carried are post-marked 10 to 13 June, 1919, St. John's, Newfoundland. From Major R.K. Malott, 16 Harwich Crescent, Ottawa 6, Ontario, Canada. Series of airmail envelopes available 12 for $1.25. Decal of Alcock and Brown flight 50¢. Other series and decals of other flights to follow.
- Materials Paper, Ink
- Measurements Height 16.2 cm, Width 9.0 cm