The Airmail Postal History of Antigua

On 22nd September 1929 a flight left St. Johns for Paramaribo in Dutch Guiana stopping at Castries - St. Lucia, Port of Spain, - Trinidad on the same day, Georgetown - British Guiana on the 23rd, arriving on the 24th. Mail is known addressed to St. Kitts, presumably forwarded from St. Lucia and bearing U.S. 28c postage.

26th September 1929 St. Johns to Miami U.S.A. with three line cachet FIRST AIR MAIL/ANTIGUA - U.S.A. - SEPTEMBER 1929. The stages were St. Thomas - Virgin Islands, San Juan - Puerto Rico and San Domingo - Dominican Republic, on the same day.

13th December 1930 St. Johns to Kingston, Jamaica, arriving on 17th. A Pan-American flight by agreement with the British Company operating in Jamaica. 36 covers flown.

20th August 1931 St. Johns to U.S.A. by Dornier X via San Juan - Porto Rico and Cuba. Stage flights.

The above are the early first flight covers.

From 1941 - 1956 there were U.S. forces in Antigua. Covers carried by airmail are found with one of four cancellations, Marine Detachment, A.P.O. 806, A.P.O. 855 and U.S. Navy 17015.

Antigua Airmails, 1931 (Aug 20) envelope registered to England, franked by 1921-29 3s. cancelled by ''ST. JOHN'S/ANTIGUA'' c.d.s., and large cachet ''FROM ANTIGUA/SPECIAL FLIGHT DO-X/PAN-AMERICAN AIRWAYS/COOPERATING AS SPECIAL AGENTS''.

References:

  1. The Encyclopedia of British Empire Postage Stamps: Volume VI. Leeward Islands. Robson Lowe, 1990.

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