Jack Knight Air tr! - TI.IE ZEPPELN COLLEC I OR Oclob€r - Dftcnb€r 2006

voylse To Tb€ Lrnd of the Phlmohs:TheG f zpppeiin's 1931 Esj.rttiat lliclt

By Jin Hill

For collecrcrs of zepDelin nail, fie CralZdlp/t, l! 193 ! voyage io Egypr ed Pal$rinenust surely ra.t mons fte nost faeinalins.inlrisuing sd philatelicsuy challenging of lheai6hip\ numsos foeig! joumeys. The nieilis norable. mone oih* rhihgs. for o.-boddmaii rhat m post€d withoul slardps, Ee}?dereppelin sranps wilh overy.id dale etu4. eda small nMber of Suez disparches $al rdkmonc Lhc crcarcst ffitjes of u ppelin mailSieni ficerlr. duiry rhe rweoty-n! e yes sinL.the publicltion ol Bllu dd Deighlon s sminalwo:* ild,e ni n. lThe Espt Flisht L Z. 1 27 -Gnf Zeppclin). afenn\e colleclos lave alsodiscoled seveial cldes ol prdioslyumcordcd dispatchB. Emplcs oflhese ilmsc be found in rhe iUustrations econpmyins

h tig!! of rhe O/a/Zeppelt ! suceslul1929orie FlighL it qd only nannd tnat Dr.Hugo Eckde. wodd Egdd a Etm lrip to them ddlean s anmdiL e prcposirio0. Thurnxas thal on the momine ofApnl a, lal l,

'he(;uf zeppelin l^r paised loi ils mdkble90.000 km. royaEe io ihe Lmd ofthe Phdmhs.

The Luftposl desk ofthe hednchshaf€nPosl Oflice had undoubledly bM b6y in lhepE€dins dals. ors izine a ldee qumlity ofnail tor the flighl fton ongins both nes andfa. Allhough Gem& nail M by l]][ Lhe nostnmerous. tnere m also -1msnifted mtl"ftom Austia, (,120 pieces) Switzerland, theNe$6ldds (1a6). S@ (ll8), Davic, edLiechlensei.. ,\lso abotrd wm dispalchesfton Hunsary (Blsu ad Deishton Eorded sixpiecesin l98l se!@l nore de knoM today)md LNenbure (eve. lo.lay, jDst a f€w of lhe

Scved otn€r aeopbilatelic treNues layneslled mo4 the nail bass, sd loday. they remong lhe nost hig y p.ired Dail non dreEg/pLim FlighL A lew days edlier. the wellhom si.np d€aler Sm Bay:! had posled ahddlul ofpost cdds lion the valican, e&h oawhich featmd a colortul ltalim sccne. Tlecdds w€E addEssed 1o Oberpostinspe[1or F.Kubn in Frieddchshafen, &d bore the lbllowingouing itrslruction: l' volo Rona-Benino."Just bclow lhis endoBenenl Ms tnetundwilten vord 4cairo.

Jack Kniaht Air Loe THE ZEP?ELIN COLLECTOR Oclober - peember 2006

All ofihe Ba)€r csrds bed tripl€ nixedtanldng on lhc picturo sides ol tle cards:sldps oflbe Vaticu. Italy, md Cemmy. Thet Lie ltalid hekins, postrrEked Apnl l,1931, paid the an nail nte {or $e fist lr.lituair nail iliShl ftom Rome 10 Benin. None ollhe Bay& trds tavelcd lo Bedin, howevo. Alls<E Lnl.rded sL rn iniemediaie qr.n inNnu,ch, s indicared br $e 'Mit turiposrB€brderL/Poslant Miinchen 2" lEsil crchet on0E evese ofelchcad. !rcn theF.lhe cardswee muled lo Fnedrichsn ld for ine zeppelinfli8h to 4yp1. An €mpl€ of the Bayirvalicd hajl, cohplete with Dr !.kenelssignalue, is shown in Fie. l.

According lo Blau dd Deighlon, 1.6?2Ged lelters and 5,416 Cemm posl caids$ft IoM aboard rhe dralzerr./D duins $eEslpL lllenl. Anona Cemff mail, pieespmlndked od the nrsl day oalhe Iigh! April 9,1931, rc pobably the most coImon. Suchilens exist in rso vdieties: thos bedins aFnedncnshafen (Bodeaee) ciruledale slmp,ald olh€rs beeins th€ 'Lun$hif OrafZeDpelin bodpost.ancellation.

ofihe trdMil|ed nail lion thc Ee'prFli$t, AusrnM d ssss disr€(hes aE$oushl ro be lJle mo* nuDercus Moe Sr ssmail non the flieht is frdled wilh Swiss airnail sldnps. Th€ 6d shoh b€low in Fig. 2 isthe exception lo the rule. b€din{ Swiss PoJuvdlute cl{ity stanps, along with a 75Cenlime Icdus tr ntl staap. It is corectly6dted at the I F!ac, 40 Cenline mre forSwhs car& floM o. lhe Egt?t FliClir.

Tle Husary md tuenbus dispatchesshown in Fi$. J dd 4 ar mong fie tuities ofrasniited mail fron de Eg}}l llighl, TheHuneo.im card in Fis. 3 is frarked withHuCdt ai| mil skmps, sine lhal mtion, by1931, had ex€cured e asrcemenr wiln tn€Reichspost aor the hanspon of zeppelin nail.Tlns pise is frdked wilh air nail stampslotalins 2 Pe.a6, lhe coftcr cdd nre forHu.gdid dispatches, The Luembu.g cdd inIis. 4 b€ds mixed LNenbug md Cemdfrukin8, sine the Grud Duchy and theReichspost .e!o @ncluded d agEmmr onzeppelin mil. The I RM air nail sonp laidthe Equir€d posiage liom Cetmy to Egl/pl.

Jel Xriehl Air Loq THE ZE?PELN COLLECTOR Oclober - Decenb€r 2006

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Jach Kdeht Air Loq - THE ZE?PELN COLLECTOR Odohs - pecehbe! 2006

Shortly aRd si; a.m. on Apri I 9, l9l I . wthDr. E kder rn commed, tht cralz.pr../,,beea. its epicjomey to EgJFt. The ship fl€wwesi io ftuce ad then south, doM the Rh6neValleyto Mmeillesed ifto rh€ Medil€tmem.Duin8 the day, the 6/z/zez,e/tn psserl overtbe illands of Couic4 Saldinia, Sicil', ddMalla. Dy daM otr April lou, Lhe aiFh n hadrealhed$eNodAtric @dbdBenshu',I ihv, Frm rheF ir mhrrk.n,r in'enc ro'troI EgFl. wheE pasens€s w traled tospeclacd! views oflhe Sphr ,the Pytmids,lle Nil€ tuvd, ed lhe b!$ling city of Caio.

Tnouenour rhe d!y, olbBiasric Dsrtrseuswmed th€ repp€ in! on-boed po$offici lomail cards sd letlen to fiie s md lov€d ones.So g!€al @ the dmdd for stanps that theship's supply was &tually exhaured. As aresulr $e airbome portndM, Md Prus,ecedied a nunhd of disnrEheq w ntrrposfue To efl(l uEt D6sfllF6 had Dsid tieEquiEd fees, Pruss @elled @cn iien wiih a10, 4. 1931. Bordposldatesramp d irsibed€eh card Alfrdchh*nent Dedu I RM,"indicatiq lbat misilbstandins the abehce ofrmps,I RecbsM[ badactualb bem paid WLhesend€r. ACmmDE 40ced posEdpnorto th€ slmp sn tu and beding a 10. 4, l93lbordpost @ellaiion t shoM in Fig. s b€low.

L deir bolq Blau dd Deishlr repmduc-"a 1956 letler 6om Pruss in qiich he deFribesthe uortnodox bordDosr prcedE md recallsthlt no lends (obly cardr) qft posled in ihatlmer, Howver- al lest th@ smh letrenhave surfded siM thm. One cbflsed b,nds ata2001 Illrich F.lh:nn:r.ti.n for DM. 7on

The rZ /27lmded in Can d 5:15 on ifiamomins of April ll'h, whee it wd net by a@wd nmbdins h the t€m ol thoMds.Th€r€, it look on a qudtt of EsDiie bail tobe ilom on th€ n€xl les ol lhe airship s hiD: aflisht to Jerusal€m md the Eoly trnl. TheEsyplid nail had b€en posred fton fouofrcial ]@alioB: Cairo, Aladdria, Pon Said,ed S@. Odv a luLtul of Sud Diees we€iloM, and dei m dons rhe Edi dds oaEewt Flisht mail. One snch iten, shomopposile ir fig. 6. sold at a 2001 Felhdnanction f@ DM 2?.000, Most ofrhe Ee4t mailboE ov€rprinled EslDlie air mil s&mpsb@i.g l]le legmd "Gnfz€pp€lin, Auil l9l1,"togelhd winl m overprin!€d lalue of eider 50Mm or 100 Mn. wnich ammls .aid the cardMd lener *s lor lle flisnt, EsD€ilively. Twoovdprinr ercu c& be found: a la5l'darenisplint on the 50 Mm slamp rd a doubleihDRssio0 of tte 100 Mn overDrint Thefomsis $M. the laher s eyceainsly m.

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Jack Kniehr Air Loq THE TFPPEi.IN COLLECTOR Octobo - Dcccmber 2006

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Jek Kniahr An L.E - THE ZFPPFI lN col-I.ECTOR Oclober - pedber 2006

Aldousb @llelo6 h.d hopcd rhll ! haildhp @s J.nE lm @uld bc .fuscd durineth€ Pal€e'n€ Ronnd Tnp Fliehi, dcFn€.lricbsbd{ posl of$€ brd enoued onApril I' thd no such dmp muld b. mde,Coneqn€nrlt E$Flia dist6tch6 on thc llighltlaveled fron Caim b lne Hoh Land md lhflbak 1o Cano. AII Eeyplim m;l ioh lhis lca6 postBked !l rb poid oI oririn MdEeived thc rcd P}Imid'AqyDhtshn loll 'nisltcrhel. Sisni fi6lly, lhe Psle{iR RoundTrip Fliehl also produced a huoh soushl.an.rrdiry C€mm BordposL dlled April llii.Althou8h Blau ed Deiehron reporled thar'\'rhave nevs sen Bodpos dalei April Il r," afew snch pirces tave since been discover.d.Each of these piec6 r€ceived e 11,4. l93lbordpod cmel dui.g the flighl sd e I I Al3l eival pdlrndk upon lhe zpFlin's rctum!o Cairo. Cunouslx lhes it ds@looMloexisl Gd both 8 pb dd 8 r.m, MirllDonarlc. Th€ lan6 is Dmbably dF wort ofsDoial cldk wbo tailed b *r rh€ sluss in hisd,e sbnp prep.dy A scildne .MDk olApril 116 bordposl (wid u6ud ImSTAeuvenn s[er fiu]ina and l[. djsotcn 8 a,n,diEl @el) is shoM in Fis. 7.

Ih. EM niphl b F.i€drichshaftr hnClio !t 5:10 D.m. o;pril I l', wilrl lhe ai6hiDctn, ing ovr I 2,000 pia6 of EspLid mlThesc disprtches m di{inc!ished &om mil ol1h. Pdcalinc Roud Tnp Flehr by Ue absenceofilc ed Plmid @her As silh rhe PaleslineFlidt ihe ofiicial ESDIi& cides ofonsh wECoio, Alerodria. lort Said ed Suez, Seldlcxmplcs of EB,!rid mail &om the reth nisILmshoqopDoeire. Tie card shom in Frs.8.dispatched 6 Celr]m mil o0 Apnl loLh Md Fpostcd ftoh CaioonApnl I ld, wsappaEnrlyuntnoM at lhe time ol Blan dd Deishton'sbook, s no r€fmce is nDde lo s@h nail. Thedccodlive relh nignr cards shoM in Fiss. 9ed I 0, !osLd 6om Cato, nor onlv d@menlthc appelin flishL bul provide m interee'neslinp* inro EctDlim history ed culM.

As M $e ce with Aprn I 1d bordpost,Blau ed DeiEfton I'ad not iddined &y Apnl12" bordDos wh€n lheir boot rs pubtisbed. At q .h i'.n( havr .!re rr-n .lismveF,l nn.of whicn i3 shoM in F g. II belou witil nosr.nps availabl. iiom rle bcrd posl ofrie. dcend€r cobblcd togeder th€ EquiEd poslas.wnh qunc e odd @biiadon of idpi

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Jrck l<nilh An bs - TEE ZEPPELIN COLLECTOR Ociobd - Dents 2006

Tne Graf zeppeli,\ €tM flight toFnedricnshald iook de airship west to Tnpoli,Libya, back eest 10 Ben3lEi, d tha out inlothe Medilemed, whee il new over C@le onits @y toward Gie.ce. Albdia. dYusoslavia. Aner pssins the A&ialic por1 ofsplit, th€ tz i2 Tmde a @use over the Di@icAlps toMd vima, whea it dived atnidnicht. The fo,l seenoi of its joutry tooklhe shiD b P6!ou ad otr b Fne.hchshafen.whele i ldded al 7 rn on apnl ll.Bordpost daled 13. 4. 1931 is hnM 10 €xist,aben in flall nmbe6. Tbe April 130bodpost hs bd the subjet ol consjd@blesp{llation. Sone believe tt lbecaeof fie*ly hou of nival, Apnl I l'dispakhes wrelikely to have been losGd dd @@lled aierfieaiAhip sl ding inFiiedrichlhalft. O$eumsinrain Lhat sucn a prcedG 16 pmhjbiled,dd $at lhe ship s posral offi6 wuld not havedlldt ol liolaring eslablisned nnes fo! 6edisparch of on-b@rd rojl. The author isoons tto* $tlo sbscnhe b the laher deorr.Tte questio0 mdns Lmsolved, bul one Lhi nsis cedln April ll'i bodpoll rcmain! hisNy$ught and by onectoE ofth€ Es'pl Flieht

Assmbling a i€pEe.taiire collection olEaDt llidt mil would b€ a dauline tark foraU blt lhe no$.muent ofphilablisq rtt forrhe av€i.ge collecroi, rhe chre ofdiscoveringe uid{lified Es/pt Flishl ruity rdaim averyrcal posibility. For exdple, n is nioueltlhal th€rc weE EADtim dispatn$ on thePalesline Roud TnD Flshl fron orisins olherdrs C.irc, Alexdd.i., Port Said dd Sue.Blan ed Deiehlon ftlori lhe existme ofrwosuch ii.m. o.e tun Edw les Bais. mdeoll\d non El Malalaeli. Imagine thedcirenmt olmining sen a u€cognized gebfiom a d€aler boUM box! Resardles oftheodds, $ ey seMned z€pp€lin collector willdtlesl neh oflne 6b is in lhe hml Evenafter$v.nly-ffv€ y€4 of €oll€clirg activity, newEe/pt llisht di*oven6 e undoubtedly

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