Description:

1919 (Oct 14) France-Australia #25a intermediate cover carried by Poulet & Benoist in a Caudron G4 'La Mouche' (The Fly) from Bandar Abbas to Karachi franked with India KGV 2a violet and ½a green tied 'BANDAR-ABAS/8NOV19' datestamp, violet three-line 'Par Poste D'Air/Par Faveur De/M Poulet' and two-line 'By Aerial Post Thro/M Poulet' cachets on face and 'KARACHI/DELY/13NOV19' arrival datestamp on back, partly obscured minor tape marks hardly detract, plus enclosed greeting card from 'Val Britto' with two-line cachet and short message "I am rather rushed with work especially these flying machines", Cat $9,000. [Poulet & Benoist left Paris bound for Australia but the flight was abandoned at Moulmein, Burma on 9 December; only 8 covers are known from this intermediate leg; although it is believed 25 covers were flown from Paris, apparently none have survived]