Fortunately, handmade work exists!

Many collectors try to gather as many genuine mail items as possible related to the air connections between the Netherlands and the former Dutch East Indies. And because the pioneer flights, in particular, made a great impression, those collectors are happy with any piece of mail from that period. Yet many other collectors are of the opinion that all the mail carried on those flights is 'manufactured'. Something that does not fit the serious collector. And in many cases, they are right. A great many pieces of mail were 'manufactured' simply to have a souvenir in this way, a philatelic souvenir. Like Mr. Thoolen from The Hague, who took advantage of almost every flight to send along one or more pieces of mail. Like the piece of mail from 1931, where he seized the opportunity of the issuance of the 30-cent airmail stamp to send it along on a scheduled flight from Bandung to Rotterdam. Contrived, that is true. Especially because the poste restante address is Rotterdam. Not collected at the post office, so forwarded to The Hague. Did people know Mr. Thoolen? The designation 'Air Post Specialist' under his name was apparently sufficient. Manufactured, but still a fine document from that era. Let's fast forward a few years. December 1933. A card that virtually every collector of airmail items has in his or her collection: a commemorative card issued by the Pander aircraft factory in The Hague. They wanted to compete with KLM by operating an express mail flight with an aircraft built specially for that purpose. This aircraft was named 'Postjager'. The PTT issued a triangular stamp that could be affixed to these cards—a stamp for 'special flights'—to pay the airmail dues. The card indicated how the sender could retrieve it. Addressing it to the Head of the Post Office in Bandung was sufficient, naturally including the sender's details. Striking is the red stamp impression on the triangular stamp—a small stamp hastily produced by Joh. Enschedé & Zonen in Haarlem. More than 50.000 mail items were transported with the Postjager. But en route, the 'Postjager' was stranded in Taranto due to engine trouble, and the mail was taken over by Imperial Airways to Cairo. Here, the mail was reloaded and transported further on KLM's 'IJsvogel'. However, in Jodhpur, the 'IJsvogel' was overtaken by the 'Pelikaan'. The mail was reloaded again and eventually taken to Bandung by the 'Pelikaan'. The return shipment took place on that same KLM 'Pelikaan'. And the Postjager? It arrived in Batavia much later, without mail, 72 hours after departure from the Netherlands. The big winner was KLM, the big loser the Pander Postjager, which was later nicknamed Pechjager. During its participation in the Melbourne race, the aircraft encountered bad luck once again. Part of the landing gear collapsed during landing in Allahabad, India. After repairs during takeoff, the aircraft struck a tractor and subsequently burned out completely. The end of the Pander Postjager, but documented with the special map. We fast forward another year. December 1934. Aviation was developing rapidly. KLM now had new aircraft from the manufacturer Douglas at its disposal. On September 19, 1934, the DC-2 Uiver made its first flight over the Netherlands. People were so enthusiastic about the aluminium-built aircraft that another 14 were ordered. The Uiver became world-famous because of the Melbourne race that took place in October 1934. The Uiver won the handicap race. But fate struck this aircraft as well. On the second flight from Amsterdam to Batavia, they encountered very bad weather conditions. The aircraft crashed near Rutbah Wells in the Iraqi part of the Syrian desert. All occupants, four crew members and three passengers, perished. Of the nearly 53.000 pieces of mail on board, some could be salvaged, more or less burned and damaged by oil and mud. A remarkable document in an airmail collection. The envelope itself? Yes, a manufactured piece, but with a remarkable story! What was the story again with Mr. Thoolen from The Hague? Yes, he was still producing many airmail items, such as a letter sent in 1936 on the first flight from Batavia to Bandjermasin, a domestic flight in the Dutch East Indies. Does such an envelope still have a story to tell? Yes, everything is documented. The flight took place on February 8, 1936, on a KNILM DC-2, flown by Van de Graaf and Versteegh. A photograph of Captain WCJ Versteegh has been preserved. The aircraft carried only 164 letters on that flight. How many would still exist? We conclude with the 500th flight that took place from the Dutch East Indies to the Netherlands. All mail on board the KLM 'Reiger' was stamped with a commemorative stamp dated November 27, 1937. This involved 477 kg of mail! With the mail items produced by Mr. Thoolen and many others, a piece of aviation history can be well documented. I am pleased with the craftsmanship! Are you too?