British Air Mail Society

The British Air Mail Society (BAMS) came out of APC London (Aerophilatelic Club London), founded in 1923.
The BAMS (British Air Mail Society) was founded in 1958.
The BAeF (British Airmail Federation) was founded 21st October 1984.
APC amalgamated with BAMS in June 1985 and joined BAeF. BAeF changed it's name back to BAMS November 2008.

The BAMS caters for anybody who has an interest in airmails of whatever period on a worldwide basis. All aero subjects are catered for including Air Mail History, Air Letters, Internal and External flights, Individual Airlines, Air Mail stamps, First Flights, Crash Mail, Balloons, Zeppelins, and much much more.

BAMS publishes the Air Mail News 4 times a year. It is sent free to members.


Board of B.A.M.S.
President Eddie Spicer
Vice-President John Symons
Secretary Bob Farquharson
Treasurer Roger Stanley-Smth
FISA-Delegate Eddie Spicer
Contact Bob Farquharson
Official Publication

Air Mail News

  • 2024

    Air Mail News # 263

    • The Early Scottish Aerophilatelic Enthusiast William Laird of Kirkwall, Orkney Islands (1870-1957)
    • No Englishman Need Apply
    • The Return Flight of the First Experimental Air Mail to Australia in 1931: An Unusual Cover, Probably Flown on Part of this Service and Other Questions
    • The Testart Air Mail Service in Chile of 1927
    • Sent With the Best of Intent (or How a Little Knowledge is a Bad Thing)
    February 2024 # 263

    Air Mail News # 264

    May 2024 # 264

    Air Mail News # 265

    August 2024 # 265

    Air Mail News # 266

    November 2024 # 266
  • 2023

    Air Mail News # 259

    • 1st French Crossing of the South Atlantic ? The Forgotten Flight of Sant-Roman, Mounyeres and Petit / D. Petit
    • First Flight from Argentina to Antarctica 1952 / J. R. Taylor
    • South Atlantic Pioneers and some Examples of SCADTA Airmails: Part 1 / J. van Beveren
    • Obituary: Graham Boutle
    February 2023 # 259

    Air Mail News # 260

    • South Atlantic Pioneers and Some Examples of SCADTA Airmails: Part 2 / Julian van Beveren
    • Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Aerophilatéliques, Remembering 20th Anniversary of FISA at London 1980 Stamp Exhibition: Part 1 / Julian van Beveren
    • Update on World War II Crash Covers 1944-1945 / Chris Hargreaves
    • The Air Mails of Colombia – Compañía Santendereana de Aviación (COSADA) / Eddie Spicer
    • Two Covers from Southern Africa to Austria in Singapore Crash / Brian Peace
    May 2023 # 260

    Air Mail News # 261

    • BookReview : The Lady Spencer Cover Flown in the Melbourne Centenary Air Race
    • The Importance of Collecting Registered First Flight Covers
    • London 1980 Stamp Exhibition - Part 1
    • The Dardanus Incident and the PASIOND 5 Cachet
    • 1945 Biggin Hill Crash Cover - a Mystery Solved
    • Dealing with Dislocation
    August 2023 # 261

    Air Mail News # 262

    • Eur-Apex '93
    • The Story of Belgium's National Airline and its Connection with Shoreham October 1939-May 1940
    • Some Notes on First Air Mail from Jamaica to Miami USA
    • First South African Experimental Flight from Cape Town 1925
    • The Catapult Coversof the Cruiser Foch and Her Sister Ships
    November 2023 # 262
  • 2022

    Air Mail News # 256

    February 2022 # 256

    Air Mail News # 257

    May & August 2021 # 257

    Air Mail News # 258

    November 2022 # 258
  • 2021

    Air Mail News # 252

    • Eddie’s Sweden to Florida Cover 25th September 1943
    • Ministry of Balloon Post Commemorative Flight
    • The South Africa 1925 First Definitive Air Mail Stamps Issued Within the British Empire
    • More on the Pioneers of Aerophilately
    • Supersonic memories - Captain Chemel
    • The German Catapult Mail of the North Atlantic : Part 12
    • Gibraltar 1931 - Tje Seaplane Service to Tangier linking with Aéropostale Service
    • Fisherman's Lake - into the unknown : part 1
    • LAN Chile's role in overseas mail
    February 2021 # 252

    Air Mail News # 253

    • My Memories of Francis J. Field 1895-1992
    • Ex Libris : The British Air Mail Society ... of 1934
    • Supersonic Memories : 20th Anniversary Flights 2 March 1989
    • Provincial Airways
    • The German Catapult Mail of the North Atlantic : Part 13
    • Fisherman's Lake : Into the Unknown : Part 2
    • An Irish Cover Flown on the second Transatlantic Flight of the BOAC Flying Boat "Clare"
    • HRH Prince Philip : A Memory from the Collection of Brian Asquith
    May 2021 # 253

    Air Mail News # 254

    August 2021 # 254

    Air Mail News # 255

    November 2021 # 255
  • 2020

    Air Mail News # 248

    • Boxed three bar obliteration
    • The airmail stamps of the Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation Co. ltd. - Part 1, the First Issue Stamps January, 1934
    • My wonderful Philatelic Flight : Major (Rtd.) Richard K. Malott, CD, M.Sc., B.A.
    • The German catapult ail of the North Atlantic - part 8
    • Problem regarding the delivery of a German transatlantic air mail covefr sent when the Second World War was about to start
    February 2020 # 248

    Air Mail News # 249

    • The airmail stamps of the Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation Co. ltd. - Part 2, the Second Issue “The Island Air Express”
    • The German catapult ail of the North Atlantic - part 9
    • Lan-Chile's internal airline 1941-1950's
    • Romanian International Air Mail service during the Inflationary Period 1 : 1st March to 21st August 1947
    May 2020 # 249

    Air Mail News # 250

    • "Clipper Cove" Pan American Airways corporation's new flying boat base for their "Pacific Rim" Clippers
    • Postcards from the paste
    • Dutch airmail started in 1920
    • The airmail stamps of the Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation Co. ltd. - Part 3, Flight Covers
    • The German catapult ail of the North Atlantic - part 10
    • Flights of Fantasy
    August 2020 # 250

    Air Mail News # 251

    • Francis J. Field
    • Interrupted flight of 21st September 1933
    • The veil is lifted builds a seaport in the jungle, Fisherman's lake and how FAM22 became known as FAM18
    • The German catapult mail of the North Atlantic
    • The amazing story behind Costa Rica's higher denominated air mail stamp issue of 1931
    • Air-sea mail in the Mediterranean
    November 2020 # 251
  • 2019

    Air Mail News # 244

    February 2019 # 244

    Air Mail News # 245

    May 2019 # 245

    Air Mail News # 246

    August 2019 # 246

    Air Mail News # 247

    November 2019 # 247
  • 2018

    Air Mail News # 240

    • Raid Samat, November 1933
    • The Puzzling World of Air Parcel Cards
    • The Horseshoe Route from the United Kingdom : October 1941 - January 1942.
    • Some FAM-4 First Flight Covers
    February 2018 # 240

    Air Mail News # 241

    May 2018 # 241

    Air Mail News # 242

    August 2018 # 242

    Air Mail News # 243

    November 2018 # 243
  • 2017

    Air Mail News # 236

    • Editorial : Concerning the Future, or Non-Future of our Hobby
    • Wartime Air Mail Rates from Brazil - part 1 : 1933-1934 / John Wilson
    • "Mercury" Re-Visited / Bill Trower
    • A Second Rare Aquila Airways Crash Cover Discovered / Ken Sanford
    • Cover : Switzerland to the Philippines in 1941 / Richard Saundry
    • Ligne Mermoz Flights 3A and 3B : Mail from the First Round Trip of the "Croix-du-Sud" / Dan Gribbin
    February 2017 # 236

    Air Mail News # 237

    • Obituary : Edward Wilfred Baxby "Ted" Proud
    • Francis J. Field's Little Trademark / Peter Wingent
    • Australian Air Mail across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, 1937-1945 / Laurence Kimpton
      -- -- Part 3 : Mail by Sea and Air to Europe, 1942-1944
      -- -- Mail via Trans-Pacific Military Services, 1942-1945
    • Some FAM-18 First Flight Covers of Character / Richard Saundry
    • An April 1945 Registered Air Mail Letter from ölish Forces in Italy / Richard Beith
    May 2017 # 237

    Air Mail News # 238

    August 2017 # 238

    Air Mail News # 239

    • Editorial : "Attendance at BAMS Meetings"
    • Robert Clark : "Flown from the UK to New Zealand via the USA in July-August 1940"
    • Richard Saundry : "Romanian Transatlantic Air Mails during World War II"
    • Brian Asquith : "China National Aviation Corporation : Attempted Canton-Fort Bayard-Hanoi Route to connect with Air France Services to Europe"
    • David Collyer : "Horseshoe Route Disruption - Iraq, May-June 1941"
    • Richard Saundry : "Mail launched by Catapult from the S.S.'Ile de France' towards New York in August 1928
    • Brian Asquith : "A BAMS Member's Eyewitness Account of Thai Airways Crash at Kai Tak, Hong Kong, 30 June 1928"
    • Editor's Postscript : "Lindbergh-flown registered cover from Sto. Domingo. D.R. to Havana, Cuba
    November 2017 # 239