The 'RECORDAK' machine which was developed for the microfilming documents was introduced in 1928 in America and was invented by George L. MacCarthy who saw a future for such a machine in banking circles. Charles Case of Kodak realised the potential for airmail with potential savings of 99% in transport costs. A new company, "AIRGRAPHS LTD." was formed by Eastman Kodak, Imperial Airways and Pan-American Airways and in 1938 demonstrations of the system was given in England.
With the fall of France and Italy’s entry into the war cargo carrying flights across Europe to Cairo and Middle East Forces was effectively finished. It became a matter of urgency in late 1940 and early 1941 to speed up the transmission of mail to and from the Middle East and India, in order to boost the morale of the troops since ordinary mail was then taking 11 weeks by sea and 8 weeks by air - when aircraft space could be found. The British Post Office realized that the solution could lie in the Kodak microfilm system. Thus the "Airgraph" was born, the word becoming a registered trademark of Kodak Ltd., who controlled the process. The basic concept was simple. Letters were photographed on the sending end, then the negatives were sent by air to the destination end, where they were printed and delivered. The Kodak office in Cairo already had the equipment required to photograph the letters, and was able to start processing almost at once. The Airgraph service started from Cairo on April 21, 1941, arriving in London May 13. That first shipment comprised some 70,000 letters, a testament to someone's efforts to sell the concept. About 350,000 messages were sent during the first month of the service and over 500,000 in the second month. The cost to the sender was needed to have 3d postage affixed to the form. Later the service was opened up to civilians at a price of 8d Mail from the UK to Egypt took a little longer there are no records for dates of issue but forms must have been available in the UK well before 15th August, 1941, when the first flight carrying Airgraphs to Cairo left with 9 reels of film containing approximately 13,500 letters (and on the 21st & 27th, 69,000 and 163,000 Airgraphs respectively). The first Airgraph from the UK was sent in by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, to General Sir Claud Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Forces |
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