wenn es doch tag gewesen wäre
Awards

The book was awarded a Vermeil medal at World Stamp Championchip Israel 2008 in Tel Aviv.

The book was awarded a Vermeil medal at BEIJING 2009 AEROPEX in Beijing, China.

The book was awarded a Large-Silver medal at international London2010 exhibition.

wenn es doch tag gewesen wäre!
About this book
 

After more then 15 years of intensive research, this new book „Wenn es doch Tag gewesen wäre!“ (transl. „If it would have been daylight!“) unveils a complete new picture of the Orient Flight (Orientfahrt) of airship LZ 127 „Graf Zeppelin“. These new research results on this four days trip to Palestine are now published on 226 pages with 161 color images.

The first of the eight chapters is dealing with the flight itself, giving background information, talking about the extensive preparations and planning and of course the problems, e.g. with not granted overflight permissions and the necessary route changes. The flight is described in detail including all route information and happenings on board. A list of the passengers and crew members on board finishes the first chapter.

The following chapters are dealing with the aerophilatelic and postal historical aspects of this flight: The official and private markings appearing on the Zeppelin mail are being described at first. The substantial chapter of Zeppelin mail dispatches including all treaty and courtesy acceptances and also the on-board dispatches precedes the largest chapter of this book, the almost 80 pages chapter of the mail drops on the Orient Flight. 14 mail drops have been traced and they are all described from the circumstances of the drops up to the dropped mail and how to identify it.

Zeppelin mail of the Orient Flight, which was transported after the Zeppelin flight on another special route, like the first flight of Imperial Airways or Nairn Overland Service, is listed in the „Combination“ chapter. Known forgeries and items in questions are also listed in a separate chapter. And finally, all philatelic items of this flight are being priced.

The intensive research unveiled a lot of new information on the Orient Flight. For example two new mail drops have been surfaced, the one over Haifa and the other one over Al-Ajami near Jaffa. In addition a lot of descriptions, views and information from previous publications on this flight have been proved to be wrong or are now presented in a new context.

The known information about the mail drop over Athens turned out to be nothing more then a fairy story, fact is now that the mail drop indeed took place, but not one piece of the dropped mail has so far surfaced. Or the mail drop over Jerusalem, which was planned but finally not executed since it was already dark when the airship flew over Jerusalem. Instead the mail was already dropped over Tel Aviv. And thanks to Chava Rimon, who found the mail bag in Tel Aviv, the mail bears at least a Jerusalem arrival marking despite the fact that the mail was dropped over Tel Aviv.

The fast coming night was also responsible for other changes and unusual happenings. The title of this book „Wenn es doch Tag gewesen wäre!“ (transl. „If it would have been daylight!“) was quoted from the diary of the passenger Joseph Joos who had hoped to see more of the Holy Land other then the black night of Palestine.

„Wenn es doch Tag gewesen wäre!“
by Dieter Leder

Publication date: October 2007
226 pages, 161 colorful pictures
German language
hardbound, US$ 120/Euro 80
published by topo-Verlag
ISBN 978-3-940702-77-7

The book can be ordered through regular book stores or directly at the author Dieter Leder, Seepromenade 6, 88709 Meersburg, Germany Tel +49 (0) 7532 808029, e-mail: orientfahrt@arcor.de

The book section gives an overview on other publications by members of the ZEPPELIN STUDY GROUP .

From 1908 till 1992: The Spring2010 issue of the Zeppelin Post Journal contains a broad range of articles for the zeppelin mail collector. Articles about zeppelin mail from Romania, Hong Kong and from the cruiser Karlsruhe in South America make this again an international issue. [READ MORE]

The last ZEPPELIN POST JOURNAL for 2009 is a general issue containing eleven articles from the pioneer period up to 1936 zeppelin mail. Among others, a 1913 zeppelin flight of LZ-11 Viktoria Luise is featured as well as British zeppelin mail from 1936 flown by LZ-129 Hindenburg. [READ MORE]

The international airmail show BEIJING 2009 AEROPEX (November 12-16, 2009; Beijing, China) is the inspiration for this issue of the ZEPPELIN POST JOURNAL: What do we know about zeppelins and Asia? The answer is a 40-pages and quite unusual issue of the 齐伯林邮刊. [READ MORE]

Atomic propulsion, bombs, rockets, volcanos, a bald Goethe and the Lithuanian national dish - the Summer2009 issue of the ZEPPELIN POST JOURNAL is not what you expect! [READ MORE]

A special issue because of current events: Large quantities of new produced zeppelin mail forgeries are currently placed for sale on the worldwide market. The quality of the forgeries is very good.... [READ MORE]

The program given by Dieter Leder at the ZEPPELIN STUDY GROUP meeting at the New York Collectors Club makes one of the 13 articles of this issue. The other articles cover the entire scope of zeppelin mail. [READ MORE]

The next special issue is due in December and is full of information on the LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin Chicago Flight from 1933. 40 pages are filled with latest research and background information on the flight to A Century of Progress [READ MORE]

This issue was released at the ZEPPELIN STUDY GROUP meeting at WIPA 2008 stamp show at Vienna, Austria. 13 articles on zeppelin mail and memorabilia fill the 32-pages issue. [READ MORE]

A truly special issue on occation of the 75th anniversary of the LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin Rome Flight from 1933. Fourteen articles fill the 48 pages with fascinating background stories and latest reserach [READ MORE]

From early 1912 pioneer Zeppelin mail addressed to Shanghai, China up to the latest Zeppelin mail of the new generation NT airships: The spring 08 Zeppelin Post Journal covers a wide variety of interesting aspects of Zeppelin ... [READ MORE]