Indian Airmails

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  • Home
  • Pre-1953 Airlines
    • Indian State Air Services >
      • 1929 Karachi - Delhi via Hyderabad & Jodhpur
    • Delhi Flying Club >
      • 1931 Emergency Flight by Delhi Flying Club
      • 1932 Karachi - Delhi
    • Indian Trans-Continental Airways >
      • 1933 Karachi - Calcutta >
        • 1933 Eastwards: Karachi - Calcutta
        • 1933 Westwards: Calcutta to Karachi
      • 1933 Calcutta - Rangoon via Akyab >
        • 1933 Eastwards: Calcutta - Rangoon via Akyab
        • 1933 Westwards: Rangoon - Calcutta via Akyab
      • 1933 Karachi - Singapore Extension
      • 1934 Karachi - Australia Extension
      • 1936 Rangoon - Hong Kong
    • Indian National Airways >
      • 1933 Calcutta - Dacca
      • 1933 Rangoon - Calcutta
      • 1934 Karachi - Lahore
      • 1940 Karachi - Calcutta via Lahore
      • 1939 Karachi - Delhi
      • 1947 Calcutta - Rangoon
    • Madras Air Taxi Service
    • Experimental & Survey Flights. >
      • 1931 England - Australia Flight >
        • 1st Experimental Flight
        • 2nd Experimental Flight
      • 1938 Flying Boat Coogee
    • Star Line
  • Tata Airlines
    • 1931 - Karachi - Madras: Route Survey Flight
    • 1932 - Karachi - Madras >
      • Official Southbound
      • Official Northbound
      • Other Southbound
      • Other Northbound
      • Other Material
    • 1933 - Karachi - Madras via Poona
    • 1935 Karachi - Madras via Hyderabad >
      • 1935 - Karachi - Madras via Hyderabad
      • 1935 Bombay-Hyderabad Errors on Stamp
    • 1935 - Bombay - Calcutta demonstration flight
    • 1935 - Bombay - Travancore via Goa & Cannanore
    • 1936 - Madras to Colombo via Trichinopoly
    • 1937 - First Flight to Bhuj
    • 1937 - Delhi - Bombay via Gwalior, Bhopal & Indore
    • 1938 - Karachi - Madras extension to Colombo via Trichnopoly
    • 1938 - Trichinopoly - Trivandrum extension
    • 1938 - Mansoon halt at Poona
    • 1946 - Bombay - Calcutta via Nagpur
  • Air-India
    • 1948 Air-India International Bombay - London Flight >
      • Postage Stamps - Constant Errors
      • The Postage Stamp
      • First Day Covers
      • DG's Circular & Postal Notices
      • Official Covers
      • Air-India Covers
      • Special Flight Cachet
      • Postage Rates gallery
      • Local Cancellations
      • Private Covers Gallery
      • Interesting Places of Origin & Destinations >
        • Interesting Destinations
        • Interesting Places of Origin
        • Interesting Places of Origin & Destinations
      • More interesting covers
      • Return Flight covers
      • Other Philatelic Curiosities
      • Award winning exhibit
    • 1948 - 1953 Early Route Expansion
    • 1954 - 1959 Early Route Expansion
    • 1960 - 1965 Air-India Boeing 707 Era.
    • 1966 - 1970 Air-India Boeing 707 Era.
    • 1971 - 1975 Boeing 747 & Other Aircraft Era
    • 1976 Onward Boeing 747 & Other Aircraft Era
    • Crash Mail Covers
    • Postal Meter panels
  • Indian Airlines
    • 1960 - 1964
    • 1965 - 1969
    • 1970 - 1974
    • 1975 - 1979
    • 1980 - Onward
    • Crash Mail Covers
    • Meter Panel & Stationery
  • Foreign Airlines
    • B.O.A.C. >
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 1 Jetliner Service London to Colombo August 1952
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 1 Jetliner Service London to Singapore October 1952
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 1 Jetliner Service London to Tokyo April 1953
      • B.O.A.C. Britannia Turbo-Prop Airliner London to Sydney March 1957
      • B.O.A.C. Britannia Turbo-Prop Airliner London to Tokyo July 1957
      • B.O.A.C. Britannia Turbo-Prop Airliner London to Colombo August-September 1957
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Tokyo April 1959
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Singapore June 1959
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Sydney November 1959
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Manila November 1961
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Auckland April 1963
      • B.O.A.C. Boeing 707 London to Nandi November 1965
      • B.O.A.C. VC 10 40th Anniversary of Regular Airmail
  • Others
    • Zeppelin & Catapult >
      • LZ-10 Schwaben
      • LZ-13 Hansa
      • LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin
      • LZ-129 Hindenberg
      • LZ-130 Graf Zeppelin II
      • Catapult Mail
      • Ephemera
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Official Northbound Covers
​32-70
1st flight by Tata Sons Ltd
between Madras and Karachi on 17 October, 1932
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1-1, Madars - Bellary
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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32

32-75: Red and Blue cover with Union Jack flown from Madras to Bellary. It was piloted by Neville Vincent.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Jeffery Brown Collection)

32-75: Yellow and Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Madras to Bellary. It was piloted by Neville Vincent.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Solee D. Sikheswala Collection)

32-75: Yellow and Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Madras to Bellary. It was piloted by Neville Vincent.

1-2, Madras - Bombay
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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Jeffery Brown Collection)

32-75: Red and Blue (Dark Ultramarine type) cover with the Union Jack flown from Madras to Bombay. It was piloted by Neville Vincent.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32

32-75: Red and Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Madras to Bombay. It was piloted by Neville Vincent.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Jeffery Brown Collection)

32-75: Yellow and Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Madras to Bombay. It was piloted by Neville Vincent.

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1-3, Madras - Ahmedabad
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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Red and Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Madras to Ahmedabad. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.
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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Madras to Ahmedabad.
It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.

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This cover from Madras to Karachi has the 17 OCT 32 Special Cachet on the reverse and the 18 OCT 32 arrival Special Cachet applied at Ahmedabad on the reverse as well. Correctly franked 3a 3p (1a 3p surface letter rate + 2a domestic airmail fee).

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Jeffery Brown Collection)

32-75: Yellow and Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Madras to Ahmedabad.
​It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.

1-4, Madras - Karachi
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The Special Cachet application instruction were not followed by all stations en-route. All covers flown out of Madras received the cachet dated 17 OCT 32 on the reverse on departure, as can be seen from this example.

​Reverse of the cover signed by Stephen H Smith with the First Flight Special Cachet

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Solee D. Sikheswala Collection)

32-75: Red and Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Madras to Karachi. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Red and Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Madras to Karachi. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Yellow and Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Madras to Karachi. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.
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32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Madras to Karachi. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Jeffery Brown Collection)

32-75: Yellow and Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Madras to Karachi. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.

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Type II
The best laid plans - Tata objections led to the third design, omitting the Union Flag, with the sunray colours altered to blue and yellow, Indains national colours. C 2200 copies were printed, reserved for unternal use. However, all three types were used indiscriminately, probably having been already franked.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32

32-75: Yellow and Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Madras to Karachi. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.

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NIC
1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
32-75: Red and Blue cover with Union Jack flown from Madras to Athens.
(Image courtesy Mr. Terry Hare-Walker)

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Type 2 Cover from Madras to Zurich cancelled MOUNT ROAD 17 October 1932

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Madras - Cape Town, South Africa Type 2 Cover flown on 17th October 1932
​The Cover franked with 22a 6p (Surface letter rate of 2a 6p + Air fee 18a + Registration fee of 3a totaling 21a 6p); which means an over-stamping by 1a.

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NIC
1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
32-75: Red and Blue cover with Union Jack flown from Madras to South West Africa.
(Image courtesy Mr. Terry Hare-Walker)

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Type 2 cover from Madras to De Hoek cancelled MADRAS 18 October 1932 with arrival mark dated 1 November 1932Cover under-stamped by 2a. The correct postage rate to South Africa is 18a 6p (surface letter rate 2a 6p + air fee 16a).
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32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Madras to Karachi, onwards to Cape Town. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha on the Madras-Karachi leg.

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Cover is known with a Lilac oval cachet TATA AND SONS LTD, AIR SERVICES MADRAS - KARACHI.

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32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Madras to Karachi, onwards to Croydon. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha on the Madras-Karachi leg.

2-2, Bellary - Bombay
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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Solee D. Sukheswala Collection)

32-75: Red & Blue (Dark Ultramarine type) cover with the Union Jack flown from Bellary to Bombay. It was piloted by Neville Vincent.
​The defined convention was to apply the cachet to the front of the cover only at the departure post office and not anywhere else on the cover. Here we have the example of the correct application of the cachet at Bellary. Correctly franked 3a 3p, which is the Inland Postage (1a 3p surface letter rate + 2a domestic airmail fee).

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Jeffery Brown Collection)

32-75: Red & Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Bellary to Bombay. It was piloted by Neville Vincent.

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2-3, Bellary - Ahmedabad
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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 18-Oct-32

32-75: Red & Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Bellary to Ahmedabad. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Yellow & Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Bellary to Ahmedabad. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha
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32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Bellary to Ahmedabad. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.

2-4, Bellary - Karachi
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Type 1 cover flown from Bellary to Karachi on 18th October 1932.
The cover correctly franked with Inland Postage Rate of 3a 3p; which is 1a 3p for surface letter rate + 2a for domestic airmail fee.

​Reverse of the cover, indicating the cover is designed by Stephen H Smith by the sanction of Messrs TATA Sons, Ltd. and also indicating that this is a scarce experimental printing with signature of Stephen H Smith.

Scarce Dark Ultramarine Type 1 Cover
Initially an experimental lot of only 100 covers were printed in Dark Ultramarine colour. This was then replaced by the larger quantity of 
Type 1 covers are highly sought out by the collectors.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Yellow & Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Bellary to Karachi. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha
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32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Bellary to Karachi. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.

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Type 1a Cover from Bellary to Cairo cancelled at BELLARY 18 October 1932 with arrival mark at Cairo 21 October 1932

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi and onwards to Croydon 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Red & Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Bellary to Karachi on Tata Sons Ltd, and onwards to Croydon, England on Imperial Airways. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha on the Bellary - Karachi Stage.
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32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Bellary to England, onwards to Croydon, England. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha on the Bellary - Karachi leg.

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Type 1a Cover from Bellary to Cape Province, South Africa dated 18th October 1932
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On the northward journey, Bellary postal authorities applied the Special Cachet at random and did not follow any convention. This Cover from Bellary to South Africa has special cache dated 18 OCT 32, and applied to the reverse only. Franked 18a 6p (surface letter rate of 2a 6p + air fee 16a), which indicates the cover was over-stamped by 1a.
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32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Bellary to Karachi, onwards to Cape Town, South Africa. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha on the Bellary - Karachi leg.

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Type 1a Cover from Bellary to Broken Hill 18 October 1932 and arrival mark on 28 October 1932
Cover correctly franked 16a 6p (surface letter rate 2a 6p + air fee 14a), which is the postage to Northern Rhodesia

3-3, Bombay - Ahmedabad
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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi and onwards to Croydon 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Red & Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Bombay to Ahmedabad. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.
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32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Bellary to Ahmedabad. It was piloted by Neville Vincent and Homi Bharucha.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi and onwards to Croydon 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Jeffery Brown Collection)

32-75: Red & Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Bombay to Ahmedabad. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi and onwards to Croydon 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Jeffery Brown Collection)

32-75: Yellow & Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Bombay to Ahmedabad. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha.

3-4, Bombay - Karachi
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Tata Sons Ltd., First Flight from Bombay to Karachi

32-70: On the 26th July after 750 covers had been disposed of in readiness for the flight, the sale of these covers was stopped because the Union Jack was omitted. Design by Stephen H. Smith.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Yellow & Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Bombay to Karachi. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha.
The boxed delivery cachet on the reverse of the cover flown from Bombay to Karachi on 18 October 1932 includes the slogan POST BY AIR AND SAVE TIME applied at Karachi. This stamp was randomly used and just three examples are known.
Cover signed by Stephen H Smith and Ex-B. B. Joffe. Franking of the front.
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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi and onwards to Croydon 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Bombay to Karachi. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha.

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Cover flown on Bombay to Karachi route and carried to Limassol, Cyprus via Cairo on 18 Oct.32. Cover has transit marking on Cairo on reverse.

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The Postal Authorities at Athens has prepared special arrival cachet for mail for this flight. This was in the shape of a bi-plane with AEROPOSTE ATHENS in Greek script. These were applied in two different colours, Black and Red. Correctly franked 11a 6p
​(surface letter rate 3a 6p + air fee 8a)

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi and onwards to Croydon 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Jeffry Brown Collection)

32-75: Red & Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Bombay to Karachi on Tata Sons Ltd, and onwards to Croydon, England on Imperial Airways. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha on the Bombay - Karachi Stage.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi and onwards to Croydon 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Yellow & Blue cover without the Union Jack flown from Bombay to Karachi on Tata Sons Ltd, and onwards to Croydon, England on Imperial Airways. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha on the Bombay - Karachi Stage.
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32-75: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Bombay to Karachi, onwards to Croydon, England. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha on the Bombay - Karachi Leg.

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Type 1a cover franked with 8 annas and 9 pies postage and was under stamped has the ‘T’ stamp and has the 3D postage due Hand-Stamp. In addition, a 3D postage due adhesive has been affixed and cancelled in Britain. Postmarked COLABA, BOMBAY 18 October 1932 and sent to Bath, England.

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NIC
1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
32-75: Red and Blue cover with Union Jack flown from Bombay to South Africa. 
​(Image courtesy Mr. Terry Hare-Walker)​

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32-77: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Bombay to Karachi, onwards to Cape Twon, South Africa. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha on the Bombay - Karachi Leg.

4-4, Ahmedabad - Karachi
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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Red & Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Ahmedabad to Karachi. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha.

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Type Ia

The number of type Ia issued was c. 750. The colour of globe is noticeably paler when compared with type I, with minor shadings not affecting the value Twenty special sets of 20 to service all the stages were issued by Tata. These covers were supposed to be used externally. It didn't plan out that way.

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Correctly franked 11a 6p (surface letter rate 3a 6p + air fee 8a)
​Type 1a Cover from Ahmedabad to Paris cancelled AHMEDABAD 18 October 1932 with arrival mark at Paris 25 October 1932

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Type 1a cover from Ahmedabad to Atbara cancelled AHMEDABAD 18 October 1932 with arrival mark dated 24 October 1932
​The total postage to Sudan is 9a 6p (surface letter rate 2a 6p + air fee 6a). The cover franked 12a 6p, which is over-stamped by 4a.

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Ahmedabad used the regular AHMEDABAD 18 OCT 32 cancellation on the northward mail, Correctly franked 3a 3p (1a 3p for surface letter rate + 2a domestic airmail fee).

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi and onwards to Croydon 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Red & Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Ahmedabad to Karachi on Tata Sons Ltd, and onwards to Croydon, England on Imperial Airways. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha on the Bombay - Karachi Stage.
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32-77: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Ahmedabad to Karachi, onwards to Croydon, England. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha on the Ahmedabad - Karachi Leg.

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1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi and onwards to South Africa 18-Oct-32
(Provenance: The Lady Ezra Collection)

32-75: Red & Blue cover with the Union Jack flown from Ahmedabad to Karachi on Tata Sons Ltd, and onwards to Cape Town, South Africa by Imperial Airways. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha on the Ahmedabad - Karachi route.
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32-77: Original filing slip of the First Flight Tata Airmail flown from Ahmedabad to Karachi, onwards to Cape Town, South Africa. It was piloted by Homi Bharucha on the Ahmedabad - Karachi Leg.

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NIC
1st Flight by Tata Sons Ltd. Return flight between Madras to Karachi 17-Oct-32
32-75: Yellow and Blue cover without Union Jack flown from Ahmedabad to Cape Town, South Africa..
 ( Image courtesy Mr. Terry Hare-Walker )

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