George VI International Mail
Post-War Period
Air Mail From January 17 1947

(Post 20)

(This article does not deal with air mail to Europe, Canada or the United States.)


International Air Mail rates prior to 1947 were complex. On January 17, 1947, the Post Office simplified the rates for its Air Mail Services by creating destination Zones. The rates (excluding Europe) are presented in this table:





Leaflets providing air mail service information were available to the public. The October, 1947 leaflet is shown below in its entirety:










This article is organized as follows:

1. Zone A Destinations
a) January 17, 1947 - April 30, 1952
b) From May 1, 1952

2. Zone B Destinations
a) January 17, 1947 - April 30, 1952
b) From May 1, 1952

3. Zone C Destinations
a) January 17, 1947 - April 30, 1952
b) From May 1, 1952

1. Zone A Destinations

a) January 17, 1947 - April 30, 1952

Letter Rate : 6d. per one-half ounce
Post Card Rate: 3d.

Cyprus


Ellerman's Wilson Line correspondence ( E W) perfin
Hull to Famagusta, July 31, 1951
6d. air mail letter rate


Undeliverable and returned



Hamstead to Nicosia, March 29, 1952
6d. air mail letter rate (1/2d. overpayment)


Egypt


Hornsey to Cairo, October 23, 1951
6d. Zone A air mail letter rate


Israel


Manchester to Haifa, April 29, 1949
6d. air mail letter rate




Israel censor tape



Ross-on-Wye to Haifa, June 12, 1950
6d. air mail letter rate
Shortpaid 3d.


British Tax : 42 centimes


Israel Tax : 50 prutas

Tax Analysis




Palestine


London to Haifa, November 20, 1947
6d. air mail letter rate



London to Tel-Aviv, February 6, 1947
3d. air mail post card rate


b) From May 1, 1952

Letter Rate : 9d. per one-half ounce
Post Card Rate: 5d.

Egypt


London to Cairo, June 12, 1952
9d. Zone A air mail letter rate
Shortpaid 3d.


Egypt postage due 12 milliemes

The letter was returned to sender and taxed by the British Post Office:


6d To Pay Double the initial deficiency to Egypt


2. Zone B Destinations

(Canada and the United States were Zone B destinations. Mail to these destinations will be dealt with in future articles)

a) January 17, 1947 - April 30, 1952

Letter Rate : 1s. per one-half ounce
Post Card Rate : 6d.

Bermuda


London to St. Georges, March 17, 1950
1s. air mail letter rate


Wallington to St. Georges, May 30 1949
1/3d. paying the 1s. Zone B air mail letter rate + 3d. registration fee


Brazil



London to Sao Paulo, April 12, 1949
1s. air mail letter rate


British Cameroons


London to Kumba, April 28, 1948
1s. air mail letter rate
Redirected to Bamenda


Tiko, Cameroons "Under British Mandate" May 5, 1948


Bamenda, Cameroons "Under British Mandate" May 12, 1948


Gold Coast


Redhill to Kaforidua, May 12, 1947
1/3d. paying 1s. air mail letter rate + 3d. registration fee



Erdington to Accra, December 20, 1949
1s. Zone B air mail letter rate per one-half ounce


Hong Kong


Hendon to Kowloon, March 7, 1949
1s. air mail rate
Shortpaid 6d.


T 1 (s.)


Hong Kong Tax
84 cents


84 cents in postage dues affixed and cancelled March 18, 1949


India


Liverpool to India, June 5, 1947
1s. air mail letter rate



Bradford to Bombay, undated registration cancellation
1s. air mail letter rate
5s 3d. paying 5s. air mail rate (2 1/2 ounces) + 3d. registration fee
(sent before June, 1949 when the registration fee increased to 4d.)


Kenya


London to Kenya, June 18, 1947
1s. air mail letter rate


Madagascar


Liverpool to Tannarive, May 16, 1951
1/4d. paying the 1s. air mail letter rate + 4d. registration fee


Sarawak


Hitchin to Kuching, August 20, 1951
1s. air mail letter rate


Singapore


Maidenhead to Singapore, September 5, 1947
2s. paying the one ounce Zone B air mail letter rate



Southend-on-Sea to Singapore, March 30, 1950
1s. air mail letter rate



London to Singapore, March 2, 1951
1s. per one-half ounce rate
6s. paying the three ounce rate


Tanganyika Territory



Oxford to Dar-es-Salaam, May 23, 1949
1/4d. paying the 1s. air mail letter rate + 4d. registration fee


Trinidad


Bexhill-on-Sea to Siparia, March 24, 1951
1s. air mail letter rate
2/6d. paying 2s. air mail letter rate (one ounce) + 4d. registration fee (2d. overpayment)


b) From May 1, 1952

Letter Rate : 1s. 3d. per one-half ounce
Post Card Rate : 8 d.

Argentina


London to Buenos Aires, April 20, 1953
1s.3d. Zone B air mail letter rate


Brazil


London to Rio de Janeiro, October 19, 1953
1/3d. Zone B air mail letter rate


Ceylon


Liverpool to Jaffna, December, 1952
1s.3d. Zone B air mail letter rate


Honduras


St. Albans to Puerto Cortes, July 27, 1952
1s 3d. Zone B air mail letter rate


Malaya


Dorchester to Perak, November 11, 1953
1/3d. Zone B air mail letter rate


Tanganyika Territory


Loughborough to Muhesa, May 19, 1952
1/3d. Zone B air mail rate
Shortpaid 3d. and taxed 6d.


British Tax : 6d.


50 cents Tanganyika postage due
Dues cancelled Muhesa, May 31, 1952


3. Zone C Destinations

a) January 17, 1947 - April 30, 1952

Letter Rate : 1s. 3d. per one-half ounce
Post Card Rate: 7d.

Australia


London to Melbourne, Naovember 24, 1947
1s. 3d. Zone C air mail letter rate



London to Melbourne, April 23, 1948
1s 3d. Zone C air mail letter rate for one-half ounce
12s. 6d. paying the 5 ounce air mail letter rate



London to Freemantle, August 29, 1951
1s 3d. Zone C air mail letter rate for one-half ounce
12s. 6d. paying the 5 ounce air mail letter rate



Earl's Court to Yankolilla, August 29, 1949
7d. Zone C air mail post card rate


China


London to Shanghai, October 8, 1948
1s. 3d. Zone C air mail letter rate


New Zealand



Belfast to Auckland, November 4, 1948
1s. 3d. Zone C air mail letter rate
Shortpaid 3d.


British Tax 6 (d.)
Double the deficiency


6d. dues
November 16, 1948



London to Wellington
2s. 6d. paying the Zone C one ounce rate



Birmingham to Wellington, January 27, 1952
1s. 3d. Zone C air mail letter rate


Panama Canal Zone

Panama became a Zone B destination on May 1, 1948.


Pemburry to Cristobal, Canal Zone, July 1, 1947
1s. 3d. Zone C air mail letter rate


Philippines


London to Manila, January 27, 1947
1s. 3d. Zone C air mail letter rate
Henry W. Peabody & Co. of London Ltd. ( H W / P ) perfin


Tonga


Dodnie Kyle to Vava'u, May 20, 1951
1s. 3d. Zone C air mail letter rate for one-half ounce


Venezuela

Venezuela became a Zone B destination on May 1, 1948.


London to Caracas, May 21, 1947
1s 3d. Zone C air mail letter rate


b) From May 1, 1952

Letter Rate : 1s. 6d.
Post Card Rate : 9d.

New Zealand


London to Timaru, May 1. 1952
First day of 9d. Zone C air mail post card rate