25th Anniversary Last SAAF Sunderland Flight
South Africa, Congella · 1982-10-08
Unofficial first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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info card
This cover was postmarked on 8 October 1982 at Congella and flown aboard a 35 Squadron Shackleton from Durban to Cape Town that same day, marking 25 years since the South African Air Force retired its Sunderland flying boats. Its cachet featured a Sunderland in flight, and the cover itself was signed by Captain A.J. Cooney, the very pilot who flew the SAAF's last Sunderland test flight on 8 October 1957. The SAAF was the only air force besides Britain's RAF to operate the Sunderland, taking delivery of its first batch in 1945 for a planned Far East deployment that never went ahead. Minesweeper stamp. Signed by A.J. Cooney (Pilot). 723/3000. THIS COVER WAS FLOWN IN A SHACKLETON OF 35 SQUADRON FROM AFB DURBAN TO D F MALAN, CAPE TOWN ON 8 OCTOBER 1982.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet features a large, detailed painting of a Sunderland flying boat skimming across open water, its hull cutting through white spray beneath a partly cloudy sky, with the registration "D ORB 1710" visible along its nose. Beside the illustration, bold vertical text reads "25th Anniversary / 25 Ste Herdenking / Last SAAF / Laaste SALM / Sunderland / Flight / Vlug", with Captain Cooney's handwritten signature and printed name in the bottom right corner.
Information Card
The Short S. 25 Sunderland GR Mk V in SAAF Service The Sunderland was first flown on 14 October 1937 and was a development of the Empire flying boat for Imperial Airways, though the two aircraft were in fact developed almost in paranel. The first of the Empire boats had however flown over a year previously and this class of aircraft operated on Imperial Airways routes to South Africa for many years. Four versions of Sunderlands entered RAF service - the Mk 1 with Pegasus XXII engines, Mk II with Pegasus XVill en- gines and improved armament, Mk III with redesigned hull and Mk V with Twin Wasp engines and under-wing radar scanners. The Sunderland saw large scale use with RAF's Coastal Command during WW II and after, and many operated off the coast of Africa. The last Sunderland flight with the RAF was made on 20 May 1959 and the French Aeronavale retired theirs in the following year. The RNZAF retired the Sunderland only in March 1967. The only other Air Force to use the Sunderland was the SAAF, which took delivery of the first batch of 16 Sunderland GR Mk Vs on 25 April 1945 for the re-equipment of the Catalina-equipped No. 35 Sqn at Congella, for its pro- posed deployment to the Far East (which, as it turned out, did not take place). The first aircraft, PP 153, was written off the following day after hitting a submerged object at Lake Umsingazi, but the remaining 15 entered service with 35 Sqn. Five were initially used in the Shuttle Service to Cairo, repatriating troops to the Union at the war's end. On 29-30 July 1948 Sunderland NJ 262 Q-RB, piloted by Lt Col D.A. du Toit, made the first non-stop round-the-union flight, covering 2 880 st miles at an average speed of 130 mph and taking a total of 19 hours 50 minutes. Serial numbers from 1701 to 1715 replaced the RAF numbers and the squadron letters "RB", preceded by the aircraft letter, were allocated. The Sunderlands operated for a period as navigational trainers, but were mainly engaged on their primary task - maritime reconnaissance. Operations were flown from their base at Congella, Lake Umsingazi and Langebaan Lagoon, and they participated in the annual "Capex" exercises. On 8 October 1957, Sunderland 1710 D-RB, piloted by Capt A.J. Cooney, took off for a two hour test flight after an extensive overhaul. This was the last flight by a SAAF Sunderland, as, following a visit to South Africa by three RAF Shackleton MR 2s in April 1952, eight Shackleton MR 3s had been purchased to re-equip No 35 Sqn. The bulk of the Sunderlands had already been sold for scrap in 1955 and the two remaining aircraft, 1703 and 1710, were scrapped soon after this last flight.
Theme: Military
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: Yes
Stamp denomination: R0.2 (ZAR)
Estimated value: ~US$0.5
This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.
This first day cover (FDC) is part of Southern Covers, a private collection of 209 first day covers documenting the postal history and philately of South Africa and the homeland states. New to first day cover collecting? Read the guide to learn about cachets, postmarks, and stamp collecting terms, or browse the whole collection of Southern African FDCs.
