1935-02-27

Crash site Rutbah Wells, Iraq
Airline Imperial Airways
Aircraft Handley Page HP42E  –  G-AAUD  –  Hanno         
Route Alexandria  –  Gaza  –  Rutbah Wells  –  Baghdad
Crew ?
Passengers ?

 

The crash

The plane “Hanno” was operating on different stretches on the Imperial Airways routes from England to South Africa or Australia.
On 27 February mail from Europe arrived in Alexandria, Egypt on board the Short S17 flying boat “Scipio”. The mail for Asia and Australia was loaded on board the plane “Hanno” which immediately took off. While landing at Rutbah Wells the plane struck a sand ridge damaging the undercarriage so much that it was unable to continue the flight.

 

The mail

The mail and passengers were transferred to another Handley Page plane “Horsa” which left Rutbah Wells on 1 March.

 

 

 

Examples of mail

Large cover from Sweden postmarked STOCKHOLM 1  20.2.35 and addressed to Sydney, Australia.
On the back is transit postmark BERLIN-SASSNITZ 21.2.35 and arrival postmark SYDNEY 10 MR 35
Thiesen Collection.