Postal rate airmail 1939
I have a letter, sent from Cape Town 20.XI.3029 via Oslo 20.12.1939 to Tonsberg Norway. Sender is A Andreasen, who was working on whale factory ship “Pelagos” that was on that moment at Cape Town. My question: is the postal rate correct for this airmail letter ? And how was the value calculated.
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Hi Albert,
Nice to have you back. Sorry about the delay but I needed to check the facts about the rate.
Okay, I have been able to take advice from a very useful ten page SACS (South African Collectors' Society) publication entitled "The Airmail Rates of South Africa 1925 - 1939" by Bryan E Stokoe. (Copyright 2005). This was compiled from historic South African Post Office leaflets. As stated, it is a useful little publication, one which shows the value of SACS as an organisation to collectors like us.
In 1939, the Airmail rate to Europe was 1/- per ½ ounce (28.3 grams) or part thereof. So, with 8 x 3d stamps making a total of 2/-, (12 pennies in a shilling, 24 pennies in 2/-), the letter was rated at 2/- because it weighed over one ounce but under two.
Germany invaded Norway on 9th April 1940. Your letter is too early to be affected by the outbreak of war. However, one must spare a thought for the sender, A Andreasen, who was presumably sending Christmas Greetings from Cape Town back home to his family in Norway. I wonder what was the fate of the Pelagos and did he ever see his family again? The South African Navy, such as it was in 1939, made use of armed whalers in a variety of roles.