Pan American Flying Boat Air Route
to New Zealand. Commemorative Cachets
compiled by Dirk H.R. Spennemann
This page presents some images of stamps and covers produced for the Pan American flying boat service across the Pacific. In June 1940 PanAm extended its service from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Honolulu. . A month later, the first regular air mail flight to New Zealand occurred along the route San Francisco---Los Angeles--Honolulu--Canton Island--Noumea (New Caledonia)--Auckland. In late 1941, just before the outbreak of the Pacific War, PanAm swapped Suva (Fiji) for Noumea and began a passenger service.

Flight San Francisco to Auckland 1940

Covers ex San Francisco


Cover from San Francisco to Noumea (New Caledonia), postmarked San Francisco12 July 1940, backstamped Noumea16 July 1940.

 


Cover from San Francisco to Auckland (New Caledonia), postmarked San Francisco12 July 1940.

 


Cover from San Francisco to Auckland (New Caledonia), postmarked San Francisco12 July 1940.

 

Covers ex Los Angeles


Cover from Los Angeles to Noumea (New Caledonia), postmarked Los Angeles 12 July 1940.

 


Cover from Los Angeles to Canton. Cancelled Los Angeles 12 July 1940.

 

Covers ex Honolulu


Cover from Honululu to Canton. Cancelled Honolulu 14 July 1940.

 


Cover from Honululu to Auckland. Registered cancels on rear at Honolulu Hawaii on Jul 14, 1940 & Auckland NZ on Jul 18, 1940.

 

Covers ex Canton Island

Covers ex Noumea

 

Flight Auckland to San Francisco 1940

Covers ex Auckland


Cover from Auckland to Canton, postmarked Auckland 19 July 1940.

 


Cover from Auckland to Canton, postmarked Auckland 20 July 1940.

 


Cover from Auckland to San Francisco, postmarked Auckland 12 July 1940.

 

Covers ex Noumea


Cover from Noumea to Canton, postmarked Noumea 21 July 1940, backstamoped Canton 21 July 1940.

 


Cover from Noumea to Los Angeles, postmarked Noumea 21 July 1940.

 

Covers ex Canton Island


PanAm service cover Canton Island to San Francisco postmarked Canton Island 22 July 1940

 


PanAm service cover Canton Island to San Francisco postmarked Canton Island 22 July 1940

 

Covers ex Honolulu

Covers ex Los Angeles

Flight San Francisco to Auckland 1941

Covers ex San Francisco

Covers ex Los Angeles

Covers ex Honolulu

Covers ex Canton Island


PanAm service cover Canton Island to Suva (Fiji) postmarked Canton Island 8 November 1941

 


PanAm service cover Canton Island to Suva (Fiji) postmarked Canton Island 8 November 1941

 


PanAm service cover Canton Island to Suva (Fiji) postmarked Canton Island 8 November 1941

 

Covers ex Suva

 

Flight Auckland to San Francisco 1941

Covers ex Auckland


PanAm service cover Auckland to Suva (Fiji) postmarked Auckland 11 November 1941

 

Covers ex Suva


PanAm service cover Suva to Honolulu, postmarked Suva 8 November 1941

 

Covers ex Canton Island

Covers ex Honolulu

Covers ex Los Angeles

.



[European History]    [Stamps]


Bibliographic citation for this document

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (2002). Pan American Flying Boat Air Route to New Zealand. Commemorative Cachets
URL: http:/marshall.csu.edu.au/Marshalls/html/Stamps/Wake/SouthPacific_Route.html

CONTACT:
Dirk H.R. Spennemann, Institute of Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, P.O.Box 789, Albury NSW 2640, Australia.
e-mail: dspennemann@csu.edu.au

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