1925
There exist forgeries: Steel font and in oily black ink.
A faked overprint
"PAR AVION"
A faked overprint
"PAR AVION"
A faked overprint
"PAR AVION"
A faked overprint
"PAR AVION"
Maybe there had been administrative problems in Vila like in New Zealand, who knows.
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The Tourville and the C.A.M.S. amphibian plane on the water
The FBA 17 on Tourville's catapult. Source UIM Marine
Here is some more info on the planes and the one (!) pilot. The quoted plane "F.B.E." was a "FBA 17 HL 2 n° 5" (Franco-British-Aviation)."
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This is a typical newspaper note in 1929.
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Source:Trove Australia
List of officers of the Tourville. Some can be found as addressees on the letters.
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Letter from the assistant Post Master re Tourville Air Mails.
From "The Australian Air Mail Catalogue": Letter re NH Air Mail 1929: "The stamps were nerver used" cannot be correct. There are no isolated stamps with the AIR MAIL handstamp and the letters
were cancelled on arrival in Nouméa on 20 July. So there were used. The question is how did they come to New Caledonia.
The same catalogue says the covers were flown to Malekula and that on 18 July covers were flown in New Caledonia. So at least one plane was operational.
The Tourville had no catapults in 1929, they were
On the occasion of the French cruiser "Tourville" 's visit in Port Vila, some people there
decided to produce the first New Hebridean mail despatched by air as the cruiser carried planes.
One of them arrived at Port Vila on 15 July 1929. On 16 July about 800 covers with 1925
stamps were processed, the stamps on the letters being overprinted with a 36mm x 4mm "PAR
AVION" rubber stamp. The Tourville proceeded to Nouméa, and the plane was used en route,
landing at Norsup on the island of Malekula. The covers were backstamped in Nouméa on 20
July.
Considering the production process, no mint stamps with the overprint can exist.
This is the "as it was supposed to be" version!
The "as it really happened" version is revealed in "The Australian Air Mail Catalogue"
based on a letter dated 30 September 1931 from the assistant postmaster in Vila in reply
to a question of an Australian: he writes that the covers with the overprinted stamps
were never used due to a breakdown of the plane. It is not clear to me if they weren't
flown at all or if the plane made an (emergency?) landing at Norsup / Malekula with or without
the covers. The planes were flying in mid June in Tahiti and later at end of July in New Zealand.
All newspapers say that the Tourville arrived in New Zealand from the New Hebrides. But a contemporary book states clearly that New Caledonia was visited.
It states that Tourville arrived in Nouméa on 17 July and left on 27 July.
16 July 1929 - A "PAR AVION" rubber stamp was used to make "Air Mail Stamps" for the flight of
one of the French cruiser "Tourville" planes. They were cancelled "16 JL 29".
Cancel Type 9 on a French 75c single, cut from a cover. (Treadwell coll.)
Cancel Type 9 on a French 50c single. (Millet coll.)
Cancel Type 9 on a French 50c single. (Klinger coll.)
(new 10/2018)
Cancel Type 9 on a French 50c single. (Klinger coll.)
Cancel Type 9 on an English 2/- single. (seen on an internet auction)
Cancel GK type PM7A on a French 10c single. (Jeff Blinco coll.)
Cancel GK type PM7A on a French 20c single. (Jeff Blinco coll.)
Cancel GK type PM7A on a French 40c single. (Jeff Blinco coll.)
Cancel GK type PM7A on a French 1F single. (Jeff Blinco coll.)
Cancel Type 9 on a French 30c, 1F & 2F stamps. ("SeSi" coll.)
Cancel Type 9 on a French 50c stamps. (seen on Ebay)
Coverfront of a Tourville cover sent to Nouméa with correct 50c. rate to NC.
Madame Agez supposedly was the wife of Raymond Agez, a famous Nouméa radio
operator who most surely was involved in the Tourville action. ("SeSi" coll.)
A complete cover from this "Tourville" flight. The plane landed in Norsup, North
Malekula on its way back to the Tourville which was on the way back to Nouméa. Of course the "Par Avion" overprint was unofficial.
This cover is backstamped Nouméa, 20 July 1929. (Goron coll.)
"Par Avion" letter to France, forwarded in Strasbourg. The British 2d and
French 30c stamps cancelled with the correct PCH type 9A cancel. Frontstamped
on arrival in Strasbourg on 29 August 1929. (Merot coll.)
Another complete cover from this "Tourville" flight. The address "Rue Drouot" in
Paris was that of Theodore Champion, who collaborated with Yvert & Tellier. of
Amiens in the production of the famous French world stamp catalog.
Backstamped Nouméa, 20 July 1929. (Mele coll.)
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
This "Tourville" cover thanks to Bertrand Sinais, 64th auction Oct. 19, 2007,
7, rue de chateaudun, Paris. The complete 1925 French and british issue on one
cover. Backstamped Nouméa 20. July 1929.
This letter was sent to the widow of Ernest Imbault "pour Paul". Paul Imbault
her son, was French judge in Port Vila in 1929 and 1930. So maybe he sent this letter
himself to his mother. ("Sesi" coll.)
Arrival cancel on reverse
16 July 1929
Anotherone of the 15 letters in total which received the overprint on a complete set of the 1925 stamps. The 30c stamp has a diagonal inverted overprint, the 40c & 25c stamps
and the ½d & 1d have one overprint one two stamps. Parts of the overprints tie the stamps to the cover and therefore are proof that the stamps were overprinted (or better
stamped) on the letters. ("Sesi" coll.)
Arrival cancel on reverse
16 July 1929
And here another one: sent to the widow of Ernest Imbault "pour maman". Paul Imbault
her son, was French judge in Port Vila in 1929 and 1930. So maybe he sent this letter
himself to his mother. ("Sesi" coll.)
Arrival cancel on reverse
"Tourville" postcard to Noumea, a 20c stamp on the address side and a 30c on the picture side. (Merot (†) coll.)
"Tourville" postcard to Noumea, a 20c stamp on the address side and a 30c on the picture side. (Merot (†) coll.)
This "Tourville" cover thanks to Bertrand Sinais, 65th auction April 25, 2008, 7, rue de chateaudun, Paris.
Sorry, no URL available. Picture shows only part of the letter. French 50c stamp with "PAR AVION" handstamp on a
"Mère Marie Alexis" letter to France. Cancelled on transit Noumea 20.7. and Nantes 29.8.1929. ("RW" coll.)
Arrival cancel on reverse
This "Tourville" cover thanks to Bertrand Sinais, 65th auction April 25, 2008, 7, rue de chateaudun, Paris.
Sorry, no URL available. Picture shows only part of the postcard. French 10c, 30c and 1f, British 2/- stamps with "PAR AVION" handstamp on
on a postcard showing the cruiser Tourville, according to the description cancelled Vila (not the 1f and 30c). Arrival
cds Noumea 20 July 29.
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
This "Tourville" cover thanks to "The Australian Air Mail Catalogue".
This cover originated on the "Tourville" and was flown from the ship to Port Vila
having been cancelled using the ship's standard cancel. At Port Vila it was franked with the
British ½d and 1/- stamps which were then 'overprinted' with the locally
made 'PAR AVION' rubber stamp. As the stamps were affixed top down, the left
stamp got the overprint inverted, the right one correct.
Then the letter was processed like the other 'PAR AVION' letters. ("JGI" coll.)
A similar cover first processed on the Tourville, date stamped with the ship's
standard cancel CROISEUR TOURVILLE 14-7-29, with correct 50c. rate to NC and not
overpaid like many others. ("SeSi" coll.)
A complete cover from this "Tourville" flight. The plane landed in Norsup, North
Malekula on its way back to the Tourville which was on the way back to Nouméa. Of course the "Par Avion" overprint was unofficial.
This cover is backstamped Nouméa, 20 July 1929. (Goron coll.)
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
French 50c on a cover to Noumea; adressee a staff member of the Tourville. (millet coll.)
Some English stamps on a torn cover to Noumea. (Image thanks to "timbres magazine" October 2011)
Four French and one English stamps on a cover to Noumea addressed to a marine engineer on board the Tourville..
(Image thanks to Status International)
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
(new Jan 2019)
16 July 1929
(new Aug 2023)
Tourville Booklet
Thanks to "SeSi" I can present the pages of a small booklet here about the Tourville
Page 1
Page 1 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 2
Page 2 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 3
Page 3 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 4
Page 4 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 5
Page 5 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 6
Page 6 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 7
Page 7 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 8
Page 8 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 9
Page 9 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 10
Page 10 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 11
Page 11 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 12
Page 12 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 13
Page 13 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 14
Page 14 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 15
Page 15 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 16
Page 16 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 17
Page 17 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Page 18
Page 18 - TOURVILLE booklet.
Postcard showing the Tourville. ("Sesi" coll.)
Postcard showing the Tourville. ("Sesi" coll.)
Postcard showing the Tourville. (ex Millet coll.)
Le croiseur Tourville:
10 000 tons, length 191m,
speed 34 knots,
power 131800 hp,
8 75mm and 8 37mm guns,
6 torpedo launchers 550mm,
2 aircrafts, 605 seamen.
Data and picture thanks to "http://francois.delboca.free.fr/fstourvi.html" - Port de la Rochelle-Pallice
They handstamped what they could find in the Post Office: even the 1924 overprints are on this piece: the only ones known so far
with the PAR AVION handstamp. Image thanks to Prestige Philately Australia.
Mixed franking of both British and French issues bearing 5/- Britsh issue only
15 known. Backstamped on arrival in Nouméa on 20 July 1929. ("Mele" coll.)
Probably a normal commercial letter in between all the special occasion Air Mails
at this Tourville event. The normal use is circumstantiated by the fact that there
exists another letter from the same sender to the same destiny. (See British covers
of the 1925 issue in 1928). This cover is backstamped in Nouméa on 20 July 1929. ("JGI" coll.)
Letter to a member of the cruiser Tourville in Nouméa. The mixed French and British
postage is 1F 05c. (Klinger coll.)
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
"Hôpital Francais" cover to Saint Pierre, Ile d'Oleron, France. Mixed postage with the highest British
value of the 1925 series, 5/- and a French 40c stamp. Backstamped Nouméa 20 July 1929 and
Sait Pierre, Charente, 29 August 1929. (Klinger coll.)
"Hôpital Francais" cover to France. English 6d and ½d postage. ("RW" coll.)
Letter to a member of the cruiser Tourville in Nouméa. The mixed French and British postage is 3F 10c. (Klinger coll.)
Four letters to Nouméa - all to the same addressee. The 1912 and 1925 French postage is 10F!
40F for four letters to Nouméa - quite a lot just for fun!
All backstamped Nouméa 20 Juil 29.
Images thanks to Corinphila auction, May 2005.
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
50c to France, backstamped Noumea 20 July and Luneville 30 August 1929. (Millet coll.)
7F15c (!!!) on a Tourville cover to Sydney.
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
16 July 1929
Tourville
Tourville's hydroplane F.B.A. 17 HE II in the New Hebrides (says the caption)
According to the book "Croisière merveilleuse du "Tourville" autour du monde" by Marcel Le Braz (Paris, 1930) the Tourville entered Vila harbour on 10 July 1929 at 4 p.m. For four days
there were festivities and on 14 July a reception on board. On the same day the covers must have been on board as two carry the TOURVILLE cancel. Braz writes "At midnight on 14 July arrangements for the Canal du Segond (Santo) and Norsup (Malekula)."
He also shows a picture of the hydroplane FBA 17 HL off the ship at a beach. So it was in action. The bigger plane, the C.A.M.S. with a 450 h.p. Lorraine-Dietrich engine could start and land from either land and water whereas the
smaller F.B.A. with a 180 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engine could take off and alight only on sea. The Tourville had one catapult.
So what do we know now about these AIR MAIL letters? A newspaper articles tells us that Tourville was first at Santo and then at Malekula. I have a copy of a document where somebody quotes the content of a Tourville letter:
"....to go by Air Mail to Noumea tomorrow (17 July 1929)......". The Tourville left Vila in the night from 14th to 15th July. The covers are cancelled Vila 16 July. Tourville had a ship-based Post Office and
normally they cancelled the stamps. This was not the case here so the covers were cancelled on Tourville before the stamps were affixed.
The distance Vila - Santo - Norsup - Noumea is about 1300 km and assuming that the Tourville did not travel with fuel consuming maximal speed but only with let's say 25 knots (46 km/h)
this distance needs about 28 hours. Not much time left for the stops when Braz in his book is correct saying that Tourville arrived in Nouméa on 17th.
17 July was a Wednesday. If the Tourville met the plane on her way back from Norsup (Malekula) on 17th, took it on board with the mail or if she called at Port Vila again to get the mail and brought the covers to Nouméa
on 17 or 18 July why was the mail not backstamped there before July 20, a Saturday?
From my study of the 1929 newspapers in Australia and New Zealand I know that for some reason the Tourville was quite pressed for time: the visit in Hobart in August had to be cancelled. I doubt that she visited
Port Vila twice to get the letters when there was no plane flight.
Maybe the Messageries Maritimes steamer VILLE DE VERDUN which was in Suva on 15th July and arrived in Nouméa during the visit of the Tourville there (from Braz' book) called at Vila on her way to Nouméa
and carried the letters. I have no information about this. Normally she would call there one her way back. But this would explain the cancellation date 20th July.
There were none of the standard ships in this area at that date: Laperouse and Makambo were near Sydney or in harbour, the Ballande ships of the Compagnie Navale et Commerciale de l'Océanie
Saint-Michel, Saint-André and Saint-Joseph were in Nouméa harbour.
