1924 - Mail from the Tractor Party

The Tractor Party was led by Colonel Victor Haddick, and included two Army drivers (both of whom fell sick during the trip), and Arthur Pereira, who was in charge of the photographic laboratories responsible for processing John Noel's reels of film sent down from Everest.
The modified Citroen Kegresse Tractor, named 'Leinster', started off from Darjeeling at the end of April in an attempt to cross into Tibet from Sikkim. It ran out of passable road close to the border, and may still rest where it halted.
The images show the Tractor at Government House, Darjeeling, and during the journey.

Cover dated June 5th to Kashmir with the Indian stamp postmarked at Yatung. The label is cancelled with the rare 'Mount Everest Expedition / Tibet / 1924 / Tractor Party' violet cachet. The Tractor Party was a separate undertaking from the climbing expedition. It is unlikely that the cachet was applied to covers specifically connected with Haddick's trip. This is the earliest example of Expedition mail bearing the blue label,