1937 Bermuda to New York Air Service RMA Cavalier First Flight

Commemorating the first flight between Bermuda and New York

Cavalier was a Short Empire flying boat with the registration G-ADUU that had been launched on 21 November 1936 and delivered to Imperial Airways. In 1937, Imperial Airways and Pan American World Airways opened up a New York-Bermuda-London flying-boat passenger service. Imperial Airways used Cavalier on the route. Shipped by sea to Bermuda, she operated on the route for the first time on a survey flight on 25th May 1937 and offical first flight on 15th June 1937. More about Air Mail and Cavalier…

Type: First Flight Cover
Date: 15th June 1937
Cachet: BERMUDA – U. S. SERVICE R.M.A “CAVALIER”. FIRST FLIGHT

Type 1 cachet

Cachet 1: FIRST AIRMAIL SERVICE FLIGHT FROM BERMUDA TO NEW YORK BY “CAVALIER” and Bermuda Coat of Arms

CDS: 15JUN37C HAMILTON BERMUDA
Address: Mr. George E. Gorham, C/o W.W. Mackey, 10434 – 112th Street, Richmond Hill, Long Island, N.Y., U.S.A.
Label: BY AIR MAIL / PAR AVION
Backstamp: JUN16 7-PM NEWARK N.Y. 1937
Stamps: 2d pair and 6d King George VI pictorials and Omnibus issue 12th May 1937 BERMUDA 1d, 1½d and 2½d

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Type 2 cachet

Cachet 2: VIA AIR MAIL / FIRST FLIGHT BERMUDA – NEW YORK AIR SERVICE Via Imperial Airways Flying Boat “CAVALIER” / PAR AVION

CDS: 15JUN37C HAMILTON BERMUDA
Address: Mr O’Leary, Tempe, Bromsgrove, Worcs, England
Stamps: 3d and 6d King George VI pictorials.

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CDS: 15 JUN. 37. B ST. GEORGES BERMUDA
Address: Donald G. Outerbridge, 1122 Prospect Ridge, Haddon Heights, New Jersey
Label: BY AIR MAIL PAR AVION
Backstamp: JUN16 7-PM 1937 NEW YORK N.Y.
Stamps: Coronation Omnibus issue 2 x 1d, 1½d and 2½d and 1/- King George V pictorial.

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CDS: 15JUN37A HAMILTON BERMUDA
Address: The Missus Duncan, 4 Pitkerro Road, Dundee, Scotland
Stamps: 3d and 6d King George VI pictorials.

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CDS: 15JUN37A HAMILTON BERMUDA
Address: Miss Margaret B. Purdy, 132 East 45 St., New York City, U.S.A
Stamps: 3d and 6d King George VI pictorials.
Backstamp: JUN16 7.30PM NEW YORK, N.Y.24 1937

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Cacheted covers

CDS: 15JUN37A HAMILTON BERMUDA
Cachet: PAN AMERICAN PAA AIRWAYS SYSTEM, 135 EAST 42nd STREET, NEW YORK CITY / FIRST ATLANTIC AIR-MAIL via IMPERIAL AIRWAYS BERMUDA TO U.S.A. / NEWS–RUSH
Address: Fred Dye, Associated Press, Time-Herald Building, Dallas, Texas
Stamps: 3d and 1/- King George V pictorials.
Backstamp: JUN16 7-PM NEW YORK, N.Y. 1937

Plain cachets and covers

CDS: 15JUN37C HAMILTON BERMUDA
Printed Cachet: FIRST FLIGHT BERMUDA TO NEW YORK
Address: MR. FRANK N. POND, 47 EAST 19TH STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK.
Label: BY AIR MAIL / PAR AVION
Stamps: Block of 5 3d King George VI pictorials.
Backstamp: JUN16 7.30PM NEW YORK N.Y.24 1937

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CDS: 15JUN37B HAMILTON BERMUDA
Typed Cachet: First Air Mail Flight Bermuda to New York
Address: Mr. Charles R. Helmick, 5411 Illinois Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.
Label: BY AIR MAIL / PAR AVION
Envelope: VIA AIR MAIL / Reverse – This envelope approved by the U. S. Post Office Dept., for AIR MAIL ONLY. Use for other purposes not permitted. MANUFACTURED BY DAHLKE STATIONERY & MFG. CO., BUFFALO, N. Y.
Stamps: Block of 4 Coronation Omnibus issue 2½d
Backstamp: JUN16 7-PM NEW YORK, N.Y. 1937

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CDS: 15JUN37C HAMILTON BERMUDA
Address: Mr. & Mrs. W.H.B. Wise, Room 303, Mercy Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A
Stamps: 3d and 6d King George V pictorials.

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CDS: 15JUN37C HAMILTON BERMUDA
Address: M. E. Horsfeld, Malty Hall School, Rotherham, England
Label: BY AIR MAIL PAR AVION
Stamps: 3d and 6d King George VI pictorials.

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CDS: 15JUN37A ST GEORGES BERMUDA
Address: Mr McLoughlin, c/o Rea Ltd, 20 Water St., Liverpool, England
Label: BY AIR MAIL PAR AVION
Stamps: 3d and 6d King George VI pictorials.

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CDS: 15JUN37A HAMILTON BERMUDA
Address: Mr Robert Ritchie, Altamont, New York, USA
Envelope: PAA CORREO AEREO AIR MAIL
Label: BY AIR MAIL PAR AVION
Backstamp: JUN16 7-PM 1937 NEW YORK N.Y.
Stamps: 3d and 1/- King George V/VI pictorials.

PAA Stationery: On the Routes of the Flying Clipper Ships

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CDS: 15JUN37B HAMILTON BERMUDA
Address: Mr Robert Ritchie, Altamont, New York, USA
Registration Label: BERMUDA No 0227
Label: BY AIR MAIL PAR AVION
Backstamps: 6 . 16 1937 NEW YORK REGISTERED / NEW YORK, N.Y.(STA. Y) REGISTERED
Stamps: 1/- King George V/VI pictorials.

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CDS: 15JUN.37A ST GEORGES BERMUDA
Address: J. Stephen Esq., c/o Postmaster. Brooklyn. L.I. N.Y. U.S.A. Reverse: 12 COOK ST., LIVERPOOL 2, ENGLAND
Label: BY AIR MAIL PAR AVION
Backstamp: JUN16 7-PM NEW YORK N.Y. 1937
Stamps: 3d marginal and 1/- King George V/VI pictorials.

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CDS: 15JUN37 WARWICK WEST BERMUDA
Address: Mr William Thorne, 31 St. Marys St. Clitheroe, Lancashire, England
Label: BY AIR MAIL PAR AVION
Stamps: 3d and 6d King George V/VI pictorials.

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Paper clippings

Tragic Wife’s Air Dash

From Daily Mail Correspondent

Drama marked the start to-day of the first passenger flight from Bermuda to New York, made by Imperial Airways flying-boat Cavalier.

Shortly before the take-off Mrs. John Fullarton, a Scottish resident here, received word that her husband had died in New York.

A message was sent to the airbase while she rushed out in a boat to the waiting ‘plane, enabling her to reach New York this afternoon this afternoon – five days earlier than if she had travelled by ship.