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by Jerzy W. Kupiec-Weglinski (Author)
This monograph focuses on the development and operations of airmail services on the Polish territories during a tumultuous 25-year period in 20th-century European history. It begins in October 1914, when the Galician town of Przemyśl, located in a remote area of the Austro-Hungarian Province, was besieged by the Russian troops during World War I. The study concludes with the Nazi invasion of Poland in September 1939, marking the onset of World War II.
The thirteen chapters present and discuss postal documents and encompass, in chronological order, three periods of aerial communication: the forerunner phase (1914-1920), the pioneer era (1921-1924), and the expansion period (1925-1939). They highlight the richness and diversity of airmail services, examining postage rates, postmarks, and cachets. The work reviews the evolution of domestic and international airmail routes recognized by the Polish postal administration. It showcases rare examples from experimental flights, air rallies, and transcontinental journeys. It also features unique examples of zeppelin-flown mail from Poland, the Polish Post in the Free City of Danzig, and remarkable salvaged mail from air disasters.
The exploration of aviation documents also sheds light on the socio-economic challenges faced by a nation that had been absent from the world maps for over a century,
