EPM

FIRST FLIGHT COVERS - SHARJAH

The Imperial Airways service was changed to the Arabian side on October 1st, 1932, the service was diverted to the Arabian Gulf via Basra, Bahrain, Sharjah, and Guadar. Few covers were issued by the Company to mark this event.

When the first airport in the region was opened in Sharjah, the local people in Dubai and Sharjah start sending their letters ready stamped to the aerodrome for the fast transmission. The Imperial Airways agent used the document boxed violet “SHARJAH” cancellation to cancel the stamped letters. An example of these letters is a 1932-33 Airmail cover from Sharjah to England franked with 8 anna red-violet George V stamp of the 1926-36 issue tied by the document boxed violet “SHARJAH” cancel. The cover is the only known with the boxed violet “SHARJAH” cancel.

On September, 1932, few first fligh covers bearing 6d and 1 ½d, and tied by “LONDON AIR MAIL” cancel. These covers were tied on revere by two “DUBAI PERSIAN GULF / BO” cancel in violet, one dated “6 October 1932” and the other dated “2 November 1932”.

On October 1st, 1932, few first flight covers were sent from London to Sharjah and franked with 6d, tied by “HILTON RD. HUDSON’S PLACE” and dated “1 October 1932” and were specially pre printed bearing the inscription “BY IMERIAL AIRWAYS. / FIRST ARABIAN AIR MAIL. / ENGLAND TO INDIA VIA THE ARABIAN COAST. / OCT. 1 st. 1932”. Some of these first flight covers bearing 5d and 1d and tied by the same “HILTON RD. HUDSON’S PLACE” cancel and dated “1 October 1932” are not specially pre printed and spell Sharjah as “Chargah”.

A special pre printed letters sent from Bahrain to Sharjah and bearing the inscription “FIRST AIR MAIL / BAHREIN – SHARJAH / Via Imperial Airways / New Route to India” with a map of Arabia in red, were introduced on October 5^th, 1932. These covers were franked with 1Ax2 & 2A Indian unoverprinted stamps, and tied by “BAHRAIN” double circle cancel, dated “October 5^th, 1932” and tied by the double circle “BY AIR” cancellation.

On October 1st, 1933, first flight covers were sent from Rangoon in India to Sharjah bearing in front 1ax4, 2a, & 4a all tied by “RANGOON G.P.O” double circle cancel, dated “1 October 1933”. These covers were specially pre printed bearing the inscription “OPENING OF THE REGULAR AIR MAIL SERVICE BY IMPERIAL AIRWAYS AND INDIAN TRANS-CONTINENTAL AIRWAYS BETWEEN LONDON AND RANGOON”. In reverse, covers tied by “BAHRAIN” double circle cancel dated “5 October 1933”, and by “IMPERIAL AIRWAYS/AIRWAY TERMINUS/VICTORIA LONDON” and also tied by a special "RANGOON" mark in red.

On October 15th, 1932, few covers were sent from Sharjah to London and franked on reverse with strip of 5 KGV Indian unoverprinted 1a3p stamps and tied by the first Dubai cancel that used during Indian postal administration
“DUBAI PERSIAN GULF / BO” in violet, and dated “15 October 1932”. These covers are specially pre printed bearing the inscription “FIRST AIR MAIL/INDIA – ENGLAND/Via OMAN & BAHREIN”.