Australia - War and recovery: 1939-1957.
Urgent delivery form: AW-DU-10.

  
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: Form number T.G. 42A.
Heading is URGENT TELEGRAM.
Advertising box for MONEY ORDER TELEGRAM in the top left corner.
Message area: Blank.
Reverse side: URGENT TELEGRAM in red.
Colours (text & form): Red on cream.
Size of form overall: 99 (to 103) × 188 (to 191) mm.
Distinctive characteristics of this form:

 Although it is thought that another Urgent Rate delivery form was printed in 1958 with the Australian Post Office heading, such a form has not been cited. Hence this format is the last of the delivery forms printed in Australia for Urgent Rate telegrams. URGENT labels were then affixed to ordinary rate forms. Urgent rate transmission forms were, however, printed until 1972.

AW_DU_10a
Printed in September 1942.

Interesting reflection on how an Army wife was able to see her husband during the war.

 AW-DU-10A.

Sydney to Leichardt
(27 September 1944).

Characteristics:

  • sans serif letters for URGENT TELEGRAM heading are 5 mm high
  • serif letters for words on reverse are 7 mm high, thin and extend for 146 mm.
AW_DU_10a_rev AW-DU-10A (reverse side).

Top of reverse side of above form showing 7 mm high thin serif letters.

 
AW-DU-10Ab
Printed in April 1943.		 AW-DU-10B.

Allawah to Telegraph Office Rockdale, NSW
(6 May 1944).

Characteristics:

  • font is all capital letters except for "Office Date Stamp";
  • sans serif letters for URGENT TELEGRAM heading are 6 mm high;
  • schedule number printed in either very small font or using an M.P. code;
  • sans serif letters for words on reverse are 8 mm high and extend for 142 mm.
AW-DU-10B rev AW-DU-10B (reverse side).

Top of reverse side of above form showing 8 mm high thin sans serif letters.
AW-DU-10Bb AW-DU-10Bb.

RAAF Darwin retransmitted by RAAF Richmond to Stanmore, NSW
(2 September 1959).

Characteristics:

  • all characteristics are the same as for DU-10B above but the image shows the MP schedule number which is very scarce;
AW=DU-10b_WHTCH
Printed in December 1943.		 AW-DU-10C.

Military PO, Yerongpilly to Lutwyche (Qld) (6 June 1945).

Characteristics:

  • sans serif letters for URGENT TELEGRAM heading are 7 mm high;
  • sans serif letters for words on reverse are
    7 mm high and extend for
    131 mm.
AW-10C env Delivery window envelope
(AW-EU-7E) for the Lutwyche delivery form above. Outline of the window can be seen on the form.
AW_DU_10d
Printed in September 1947.		 AW-DU-10D.

Rochedale Qld to Coorambong (18 February 1950).

Characteristics:

  • serif letters for URGENT TELEGRAM are 6 mm high;
  • sans serif letters on reverse side are 7 mm high and span
    125 mm.

 

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number		 Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
DU-10A Sch. C. 3365 - 9/1942. 27 September 1944 at Leichardt, NSW. NC
DU-10B SCH. C. 4121 - 4/1943. 6 May 1944 at Rockdale, NSW. C
DU-10Bb Sch. C5059 - 7/1946 -
M.P.-35491-S.		 6 January 1949 at Coorambong, NSW. Scarce unused and rare used.
  Sch. C5059 - 7/1946 -
M.P.-35606-S.		 2 September 1959 at Stanmore, NSW.
  Sch. C 5059-7/47 - M.P. 54834S. 1 July 1949 at CTO Melbourne.
DU-10C Sch. C. 4325 - 12/1943. 6 June 1945 at Lutwyche (Qld). Common unused but rare used.
  Sch. C. 4495 - 8/1944.  
  Sch. C. 4758 - 7/1945. 19 January 1949 at CTO Melbourne.
  Sch. C. 5724 - 7/1948 15 December 1949 at One Mile, Qld.
(Phoenix Auctions, Sale 12, Lot 759).
DU-10D Sch. C. 5449 - 9/1947. 18 February 1950 at Coorambong, NSW Common unused but rare used.