Stephanie Bromser
Philatelic Development Officer, APF
Aviation in the Antarctic really progressed from 1946 when the US commenced “Operation High Jump” which used both shipping and aviation to support their base(s). Australia’s contribution to Antarctic aviation is best known for Operation Sinbad where an RAAF Catalina flying boat flew to Macquarie Island with a diesel mechanic to replace Figure 6: 20.01.58 New Zealand special postmark for Antarctic Meeting at the one died. Mail is known Scott Base from that flight. In the late 1980’s Lockheed on 20 January 1977. C-140 Hercules aircraft flew mid-winter resupply airdrops A particular element of Polar Philately is the use of to Macquarie Island. In Southern Hemisphere summer private cachets. These come in various types; Expedimonth between 1977and 1979 both Qantas and Air New tions, Bases, Scientific research projects, Fauna both Zealand conducted tourist over flights of Antarctica. An natural (Seals) and introduced domestic (Huskies). An example can be seen in figure 8. These ended with the important area is cachets used by shipping that supplied Mount Erebus disaster of 29 November 1979. Over the stations in Antarctica and settlements in the Arctic. flights have recommenced but not covers are flown. In Some vessels did very few trips or underwent a change of 2008 the Australian Antarctic Division commenced flights name. One can also collect cachets from Naval ships that from Hobart to Wilkins Runway an ice airfield 70 kilovisited the Polar regions metres South-East of Casey Station. Passengers arrive Aviation has played an important part in the developat Wilkins and then are transported overland to Casey ment of the Arctic and Antarctic. Dealing with the Arctic Station. first. In the search for the Franklin expedition in 1850 The Soviet Union and Russia has been one of the few and again in 1853 Balloons were used to drop flimsies to countries that has issued Polar themed postal stationery. Franklin giving the location of the recue party. In 1897, and again in 1906-1907 unsuccessful attempts were made to reach the North Pole by Balloon. In 1926, the semi rigid airship Norge successfully flew over the North Pole from Norway to teller in Alaska. The expedition was commended by General Umberto Nobile and included Ronald Amundsen and Lincoln Ellsworth. In 1928, Nobile using a new airship, Italia, replicated the previous flight but with an Italian crew. The Pole was flown over but the airship crashed. Those stranded were eventually rescued by a Soviet Ice Breaker. In 1931, the Graf Zeppelin conducted a flight from Germany to Franz Joseph Land in the Arctic where it met and exchanged mail with a Soviet Ice Breaker Malygin that was on a tourist cruise of the Arctic. (See figure 7).
Figure 7: 24.07.31 card carried on Graff Zeppelin flight to a ship “Malygin” in the Arctic. Stamp News - 47