Bath Postal Museum

2002-039-102

This envelope from Northampton and addressed to Switzerland was carried on the Imperial Airways Lockheed Electra G-AFGN plane (on loan from British Airways) flying on the London to Zurich route.  After experiencing engine trouble, Capt Prowse made a forced landing at Saint Sauveur on 11^th August 1939 and having landed safely the plane caught fire.  The passengers were safely disembarked but the plane and part of the mails were destroyed.

This cover being slightly singed along the edges, received the two line cachet in red: “Endommagèe lors de l’accident / survenu à l’avion postal à Luxeuil.”  A number of different cachets were applied at destination post offices in Switzerland to mail salvaged from this flight.