Recovery Force Ships

Ship	Type	Designation	Covers
Atlantic
USS Austin	SRS - Amphibious Transport Dock	LPD-4	Y
USS Salinan	SRS - Fleet Ocean Tug	AFT-161	Y
Pacific
USS Okinawa	PRS - Carrier	LPH-3	Y
USS Kawishiwi	SRS - Oiler	AO-146	Y
Tracking Ships
USNS Vanguard	TS - Tracking Ship	T-AGM-19	Y
Recovery Control Centers
Norfolk Naval Air Station	Atlantic Recovery Control Center	N/A	Y
Kunia HI	Pacific Recovery Control Center	N/A	Y
Not Involved
USS Paiute	Fleet Ocean Tug	AFT-159	Y
USS Observation Island 4	Missile Range Instrumentation Ship	AG-154 (T-AGM-23)	Y

Postmark Variations

Ship	Description of Postmark	Scarcity
USS Okinawa	Hand Cancel - Bottom of Pmk	Common
USS Okinawa	Hand Cancel - Top of Pmk	Common
USS Austin	Hand Cancel - 'USS Austin' Bottom of Pmk - 'P M' No Periods Variety	Commom
USS Austin	Hand Cancel - 'USS Austin' Bottom of Pmk - 'P.M.' Variety	Less Common
USS Austin	Hand Cancel - 'USS Austin' Top of Pmk	Common
USS Paiute	August 17 1971 Jacksonville Pmk	-
USNS Vanguard	12 August postmark and cover not marked 7 Aug	-

Cachets¹

Cachet	Description of Cachet	Colours	Type
Navy Recovery Force Cachet Pacific	Designed by Morris Beck it shows the TF-130 Emblem	Black	Rubber Stamp
Navy Recovery Force Cachet Altantic	Designed by Morris Beck it shows the TF-140 Emblem	Maroon	Rubber Stamp
Beck Cachets - Atlantic	Similar to Navy Cachets	Green/Blue/Brown	Printed
Beck Cachets - Pacific	Similar to Navy Cachets	Red/Black/Green	Printed

Navy Recovery Force Cachet Colours & Beck Cachet Numbers

Ship	Known Cachet Colours	Beck Numbers
USS Austin	Black	B875
USS Okinawa	Maroon	B873
USS Kawishiwi	Maroon	B874
Norfolk VA	Black	B876

Interesting Cachets & Covers

Cachet	Description of Cachet	Colours	Type
USS Okinawa	Unusual Cachet shows the Carrier plus Apollo Capsule under parachutes - included an insert	Green/Red	Rubber Stamp
USS Okinawa	EKAS PRS Cachet shows the Apollo capsule returning from the Moon with associated text including name of PRS & Astronauts	Green	Rubber Stamp
USS Okinawa	Unknown cachet shows Apollo 15 Rocket and the Moon - Also seen on USS Austin cover	Black	Printed
USS Okinawa2	Interesting PRS cover with Commander in Chief Pacific corner card	Maroon	Rubber Stamp
USS Okinawa5	Interesting PRS cover with Commander in Chief Pacific corner card	Maroon	Rubber Stamp
USS Okinawa2a	Altgelt (Sokolsky design) cachet	Blue	Rubber Stamp
USS Okinawa6	A probably unique USS Okinawa postmark on an Insurance like cover	Various	Printed
USS Okinawa	EKAS PRS Cachet shows the Apollo capsule returning from the Moon with associated text including name of PRS & Astronauts Late Postmark - Feb 5 1972	Green	Rubber Stamp
USS Okinawa	USS Okinawa postmark on a multicolour map cover with Navy cachet	Maroon	Rubber Stamp
USS Okinawa	Interesting postage due 3c	Maroon	Rubber Stamp
USS Kawishiwi	EKAS PRS Cachet as per USS Okinawa	Green	Rubber Stamp
USS Kawishiwi4	Unusual 'Return to Port' cover	Red	Rubber Stamp
USS Kawishiwi4	USS Kawishiwi postmark on a USS Okinawa PRS postcard - first SRS cancel on a PRS postcard seen	Maroon	Rubber Stamp
USS Austin	Ship's Cachet	Blue	Rubber Stamp
Western Samoa	Special Recovery Postmark	Black	Hand Cancel
Western Samoa3	Special Recovery Postmark - Unusual red version of postmark	Red	Hand Cancel
Cook Islands	Special Safe Return Postmark	Black	Postmark
USNS Vanguard / USS Austin	Interesting combined cover with USNS Vanguard cachet and USS Austin postmark	Black	Hand Cancel
USNS Point Barrow	An unusual and interesting cover from the USNS Point Barrow. This ship was used for transporting Saturn V rocket stages from California to KSC. Date appears to be June 20 1970 which is a few days after the S-IVB stage for Apollo 15 was delivered to KSC.	Maroon	Rubber Stamp
Norfolk VA	Inner & Outer Space Cachet	Gold & Black	Printed

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

Postmark	Description of Cover	Postmark Date
USS Okinawa	PRS Recovery Cover signed by the pilot, Steve Coakley	7 August 1971
USS Okinawa	Helicopter Recovery Cover on an airmail envelope signed by the pilot, Steve Coakley	7 August 1971
USS Okinawa2a	Cover signed by Frogman from the Recovery Team	7 August 1971
USS Okinawa2a	Nice Beck Printed Cover signed by the CO and XO	7 August 1971
USS Okinawa2a	Cover signed by Members of the Primary Recovery Helicopter	7 August 1971
USS Okinawa2b	Helicopter Recovery cover signed by the Recovery Helicopter pilot Cdr. S.A. Coakley with note	7 August 1971
USS Okinawa	Nice Ekas cover signed by both the Commanding Officer Capt. Andrew F. Huff and the Recovery Helicopter pilot Cdr. S.A. Coakley	7 August 1971
USS Okinawa	Nice Beck printed cover signed by the Commanding Officer Capt. Andrew F. Huff	7 August 1971
USS Okinawa	Great cover signed by Jim Irwin, RADM Hayward Commander of TF-130, the EO of the USS Okinawa and the Recovery Helicopter pilot. Also the cover is addressed to another Astronaut, Chapman!	7 August 1971