APOLLO RECOVERY SHIP COVER & POSTMARK VARIETIES

Apollo 201 (AS-201) - 26 February 1966 - Unmanned

Recovery Force Ships

Ship Type Designation Covers

Atlantic

USS Boxer

PRS - Carrier

LPH-4

Y

USS Beale

SRS - Destroyer

DD-471

N

USS Bordelon1

SRS - Destroyer

DD-881

Y

USS Fidelity

SRS - Ocean Minesweeper

MSO-443

N

USS Jonus Ingram

SRS - Destroyer

DD-938

Y

USS Kankakee

SRS - Oiler

AO-39

N

USS Kaskaskia

SRS - Oiler

AO-27

Y

USS Salinan

SRS - Fleet Ocean Tug

ATF-161

N

USS Turner

SRS - Destroyer

DD-834

Y

USS Waldron

SRS - Destroyer

DD-699

Y

USS Waller

SRS - Destroyer

DD-466

N

USS Robert L Wilson

SRS - Destroyer

DD-847

Y

Tracking & Communication Ships

USNS Rose Knot

TS - Atlantic

T-AGM 14

N

Other

USNS Coastal Crusader3

TS - Atlantic

T-AGM 16

N


Cachets

Cachet

Description of Cachet

Colours Type 
Navy Recovery Force Cachet

Designed by Morris Beck it shows small Gemini capsule and

 Maroon, Black Rubber Stamp 
Beck Cachet Same as Navy Cachet  See Below Printed 
Apollo 201 Cachet A small circular text cachet usually appears as an extra cachet. Produced by Morris Beck Black Rubber Stamp

Postmark Variations

Ship

Description of Postmark

Scarcity
 USS Boxer  Machine Cancel Common
 USS Boxer Hand Cancel  Scarce

Navy Recovery Force Cachet Colours & Beck Cachet Numbers

Ship

Known Cachet Colours

Beck Numbers & Colours

USS Boxer Maroon, Blue, Black4 622 - Blue
USS Jonus Ingram Black 623 - Red
USS Kaskaskia Black, Maroon 626 - Orange
627 - Turquoise
USS Turner Black 624 - Silver
USS Waldron Black None
USS Robert L Wilson Black 625 - Green

Interesting Cachets & Covers

Cachet

Description of Cachet

Colours Type 
USS Boxer  Blue Navy cancel on front and blue orbit cancel on back - this is extremely unusual as the standard orbit cachet is Red and Blue  Blue  Rubber Stamp & Printed 
USS Waldron A general cachet showing the mission trajectory and incorrectly marked Apollo 1. Such general cachets are unusual on Apollo SRS covers. Green Printed

Signed PRS Covers including Helicopter Recovery Covers - these covers were actually aboard the PRS during recovery

Postmark

Description of Cover

Postmark Date
USS Boxer PRS Recovery Cover signed by the pilot Cdr C. N. Tilton 26 February1966

Note:
1) From the collection of Eddie Bizub
2) Scan of CC cover from Dennis Dillman
3) Donald Schultz, in his book 'Project Apollo ... three steps and the moon' lists this ship as being involved. However, it is not mentioned in the NASA Mission Report and there is significant doubt that it was involved.
4) The black cachet is the hardest to find. This example was sold on eBay during 2011

 

This page © Dr Ross J Smith
This page is maintained by the Webmaster
Last modified on 21 October 2011

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