Fam-22 "Debate"

Is anyone here following the "debate" over FAM-22 being carried on by a couple of writers in a couple of well known philately periodicals. (I'm leaving names out. If you are following the debate, you know the names, both of the individuals and the periodicals. Those are details that are immaterial to my question.)

The "issue" is possibly related in a small way to a current collecting interest of mine -- philatelic materials relating to the life of General H.H. "Hap" Arnold, who as head of the Army Air Corps (later the US Army Air Forces) would have had oversight of the Air Transport Command that eventually militarized Pan Am Airways-Africa's operations.

A lot is being made of the "issue" but I haven't seen a clear and succinct statement of just what is being disputed. It seems to be whether or not mail carried across Africa to points east (all the way to Singapore?) can be considered FAM-22 mail, or whether FAM-22 was limited to the original TransAtlantic routes. And if that's it, then it seems that an alwful lot of ink is being used to dispute a simple question, a sign that perhaps egos more than anything else are sustaining the dispute.

I could reuse the line "At this point, what difference does it make?" except that I would at least like to know what the difference is before I do that.

Basil

I have been reading them as well and while I am not one of the writers I do agree that once in a while it seems to be a bit over the top. I think you are correct that perhaps slightly bruised egos tint some of their arguments, but on the other hand it is a serious question in terms of trying to determine exactly how airmails were handled during the war. The writers are all very serious researchers and students of philatelly and if you think that is something then I invite you to read some scientific journals where prestigious professors and scientists go after each other in their research publishing.

I believe that there has been guesswork and over-simplification in the past as to FAM 22, other FAMs, Pan Am, the Air Transport Command, and airline routes of other countries such as the British, Dutch, French, etc. As a result the "accepted wisdom" of how the mail was carried between the US and Africa, the Middle East, and Asia has many errors. These big time aero-philatelists who are generating all of those articles are working through primary research material and related examples of covers from that time and I think they are coming up with some very helpful facts to replace the old incorrect guesses on which people had come to rely. So the bottom line for me is I am happy to see such passion in coming up with the real answers on how the airmail routes were really created during WW 2 and I am willing to put up with the occassional thinly veiled jabs they poke at each other to learn how the airmail routes were really developed at this time when not only were the bombs exploding but also the world's interconnection of airmail routes was exploding into ever new and better developed systems.

Thanks, Kimo. I am not surprised you would be following the debate. I recently acquired a copy of Boyle's massive Airmail Operations of WW II" and even before reading it, I'm imagining that some of it might be out of date as a result of all this new research. I wish I could find a copy of it in PDF or ebook format, as it would be much easier to read on my tablet. I do plan to dig into this issue seriously at some point. As noted in my OP, for now the issue is merely tangential to my current project. One thing not clear to me, and probably the first thing I would want to understand, is how the militarization of PAA-Africa plays into this. One of the claims is that there was a secret FAA approval of extending FAM-22 all the way to Singapore. But wouldn't that be moot after PAA-Africa was militarized? I have not decided yet, but as my son lives in Irving, TX, and one of the protagonists is going to be giving a lecture in Dallas on the matter, I might just make a trip to Irving then to go to the lecture.

Incidentally, the militarization of PAA-Africa interests me in relation to my research on the life of Hap Arnold is that it is not well known that he was one of the original owners of Pan Am, before it was acquired by Juan Trippe. It was only a shell company at the time, created on paper to acquire the contract to carry mail from Miami to Havana. But they didn't have landing rights in Havana. Trippe acquired Pan Am, and the company with the landing rights at Havana, and merged everything together under the Pan Am name. Well, roll forward to 1942, and Arnold is now head of the USAAF, and thus over the ATC, and the militarization of PAA-Africa did not happen without his knowledge and authorization. I have not found any historical evidence (yet) of direct communication between Trippe and Arnold over the matter of PAA-Africa's militarization, but I would be surprised if such did not occur. Arnold was on first name basis with most of the airline leaders of his day, yet makes no mention whatsoever of Trippe in his memoir, Global Mission. That strikes me as remarkable, and perhaps evidence that the two of them were not on best terms. If so, the militarization of PAA-Africa would not have helped their relationship.

Basil

My dad was working with PAA-Africa starting in 1941 and was based at Accra, Gold Coast. He told me that in October of 1942 the Army Air Force guys came into town and announced that they were taking over PAA-Africa and that all of the senior employees had a choice of either signing immediate enlistment papers as officers in the Army Air Force right then or they would be put on the next flights back to the US where they already had papers prepared to draft them immediately into the infantry as privates. Of course all of the senior PAA-Africa guys took the offer to become officers, including my dad. They made him a squadron commander in the newly militarized operation and put it under the Air Transport Command. It was heavy handed to say the least. My dad told me that the Army Air Force guys were jealous of the independence of the PAA-Africa guys and the fact that they were getting much higher salaries, and that the Army Air Force commanders wanted to have absolute control over the PAA-Africa guys which could only be accomplished by inducting them into the Army Air Force where they would have to follow orders and be paid much less than they were getting from PAA-Africa.

Wow, what a remarkable anecdote. Thanks for sharing it.

Basil