Australia - War and recovery: 1939-1957.
Urgent rate delivery form: AW-DU-9.

  
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: Form number T.G. 42A.
Heading changed to URGENT TELEGRAM in sans serif font of 2 sizes.
Message area: Blank.
Reverse side: Some blank, some with URGENT TELEGRAM.
Colours (text & form): Black on pink to salmon paper (wide variation).
Size of form overall: 102 × 191 mm and 125 × 205 mm (with variations due to print run and cutting).
Distinctive characteristics of this form:

 

This form was printed throughout World War 2 and up to 1952. Paper shortages forced changes to colour of paper used and to size of the forms. The format is almost identical to the ordinary rate delivery form AW-DO-9 printed at the same time.

AW-DU-9APrinted in September 1940. AW-DU-9A.

Sydney to Rockdale, NSW
(27 January 1942).

Characteristics:

  • PLEASE TURN OVER is printed in the box in the top left corner;
  • has a single advertisement on the reverse side printed in blue;
  • has a single, large advertisement on the reverse side;
  • letters for URGENT TELEGRAM are small
    (4.8 mm high).
AW-DU-9A_rev
Reverse side of form AW-DU-9A.		 The reverse side of the above September 1940 delivery form showing the advertisement for TIME - BY TELEPHONE.

Also has date of printing (9/1940) at the left of the box at the base.

Few forms of this format are recorded. Another has the advertisement for "Birthday Greetings ...".
AW_DU_9b
Printed in October 1941.

Message has been cut off possibly because it was war related or personal.

 AW-DU-9B.

Auburn to Sydney (date stamp of 18 March 1946 at CTO Sydney).

Characteristics:

  • paper is very bright salmon-pink;
  • no note to PLEASE TURN OVER in the advertising box;
  • heading is 4.8 mm high;
  • reverse side is blank.
AW-DU-9D
Printed in December 1943.		 AW-DU-9C.

Katoomba to Rockdale, NSW
(16 September 1944).

Characteristics:

  • heading is 7 mm high;
  • no line at top above text;
  • "Office of Origin" is below the line under the heading;
  • reverse side has URGENT TELEGRAM printed in large (8 mm) letters in blue.
9E-reverse AW-DU-9C.

Reverse side of above form.
Text printed in blue.

 
AB-DU-9EPrinted October 1949. AW-DU-9D.

Unused delivery form.

Characteristics:

  • has thick horizontal line above main heading to match that below.
  • text under lower line begins with CHL No.
  • size is 127 × 201 mm.

 
AW-DU-9FaPrinted in August 1950. AW-DU-9Ea.

Unused delivery form.

Characteristics:

  • no line above C of A heading;
  • smaller format -
    103 × 193 mm.
AW-DU-9Fb
Printed in August 1950.		 AW-DU-9Eb.

Unused delivery form.

Characteristics:

  • larger format -
    127 × 206 mm. Printed for teleprinter rolls.
AW-DU-9G
Printed in August 1952.		 AW-DU-9Ec.

Unused delivery form.

Both the 1951 and 1952 printings were the same in format and size although the 1951 printing has a slightly wider gap between the heading and the box/text on each side and thicker letters.

This unused form, from the 1952 printing, has been incorrectly cut so the heading appears above and below the message area. Hence the height of the form can be measured as 123mm.

 

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number		 Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
DU-9A Sch. C2941 - 9/1940. 27 January 1942 at Rockdale, NSW. R
DU-9B Sch. C. 3458 - 10/1941. 18 March 1946 at CTO Sydney. NC
DU-9C Sch. C. 4325 - 12/1943. 16 September 1944 at Rockdale, NSW. All these forms are common unused but at least RR used.
  Sch. C. 4495 8/1944. 24 April 1945 at Mortdale, NSW.
DU-9D Sch. C. 6092 - 10/1949.  
DU-9Ea Sch. C. 6361 - 8/50.  
DU-9Eb Sch. C. 6361 - 8/50.  
  Sch. C. 6621 - 10/1951.  
DU-9Ec Sch. C. 6815 - 8/52.