A somewhat premature telegram from the king

Lt. Harry George Hawker, former chief test pilot of the Sopwith Aviation Company, and his navigator Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth McKenzie Grieve were the first in 1919 to try to win the £10,000 prize offered back in 1913 for the first pilot to complete a transatlantic flight in less than 72 hours. The flight from Newfoundland to Ireland was associated with all sorts of difficulties and eventually the pilots landed in the Atlantic near the Danish steamer “Mary” whose crew rescued them. At this point they were 1,150 miles from Newfoundland and 750 miles from Ireland. The “Mary” was not equipped witha radio, so the rescue did not reach the rest of the world immediately. Fearing that the men had not survived, King George V sent a telegram of condolence. A bit premature. Later, Hawker and Grieve were received at Buckingham Palace, where they were both awarded the Air Force Cross for bravery.

We are proud to offer in our 55th auction as part of the special catalog “Wolfgang Schneider Collection” a cover with a 3c stamp of Newfoundland, overprinted “FIRST/TRANS-/ATLANTIC/AIR POST/April, 1919”, which the pilots had on board. A very rare piece of pioneer airmail.