GEMINI RECOVERY SHIP COVER & POSTMARK VARIETIES

Gemini 9A - 6 June 1966

Recovery Force Ships

Ship Type Designation Covers

Atlantic

USS Wasp

PRS - Carrier

CVS-18

Y

USS Bordelon

SRS - Radar Picket destroyer

DD-881

Y

USS Chickaskia

SRS - Oiler

AO-54

Y

USS William C. Lawe

SRS - Destroyer

DD-763

Y

USS McCaffery

SRS - Anti-Sub Destroyer

DDE-860

Y

USS Nimble

SRS - Ocean Minesweeper

MSO-459

Y

USS Opportune

SRS - Salvage Ship

ARS-41

N

USS Papago

SRS - Fleet Ocean Tug

AFT-160

N

USS Sabine

SRS - Oiler

AO-25

N

USS Robert L. Wilson

SRS - Destroyer

DD-847

Y 

Pacific

USS Epperson

SRS - Destroyer

DD-719

Y 

USS George K. MacKenzie 

SRS - Destroyer

DD-836

Y 

USS Hassayampa 

SRS - Oiler (recovery logistic ship)

AO-145

N

USS Rupertus 

SRS - Destroyer

DD-851

Y 

Tracking & Communications Ships

USNS Rose Knot

TS - West Atlantic, near Sao Tome, Brazil

T-AGM 14

Y

USNS Coastal Sentry

TS - Pacific

T-AGM 15

Y

USNS Range Tracker

TS - Position Unknown

T-AGM 1

Y

USNS Wheeling1

TS - Position Unknown

T-AGM 8

N

Other

USNS Kingsport

Communications Relay Ship - Stationed in San Francisco in a ready reserve status

T-AG 164

U/K

Probably Not Involved

USS Saratoga

The USS Hassayampa website claims this ship was involved. However, this seems unlikely as, according to her own website, she undertook a Mediterranean cruise during 1969.

CVA-60

N

Not Involved

USS Kankakee

Oiler

AO-39

Y

USS Everglades

Destroyer Tender

AD-24

Y

USNS Twin Falls

Tracking Ship

T-AGM 11

Y


Cachets

Cachet

Description of Cachet

Colours Type 
Navy Recovery Force Cachet
GT-9 - Atlantic

Designed by Morris Beck it shows Gemini Capsule

Maroon, Black  Rubber Stamp 
Navy Recovery Force Cachet
GT-9 - Pacific

Designed by Morris Beck it shows Gemini Capsule

Maroon, Black  Rubber Stamp 
Beck Cachet - Atlantic Same as Navy Cachet Red-Green-Black Printed 
Beck Cachet - Pacific Same as Navy Cachet Orange-Green-Black Printed 
 GT-9 Cachet A small circular text cachet usually appears as an extra cachet. Produced by Morris Beck or Harry Gordon Black, Red Rubber Stamp
Goldcraft Cachet2 Recovery Ship for US Man in Space cachet Various Printed
Gordon Cachet Text cachet Purple, Red Rubber Stamp
Orbit Cachet Complex Printed Cachet showing Astronauts and Rocket etc - Navy Cachet usually on Back Green Printed

Postmark Variations

Ship

Description of Postmark

Scarcity
 USS Wasp  Machine Cancel Common
 USS Wasp Hand Cancel Common
USS Wasp Hand postmark with an inverted 1966 Scarce
USS Rupertus Ship's name bottom of postmark Most Common
USS Rupertus Ship's name top of postmark Common

Navy Recovery Force Cachet Colours & Beck Cachet Numbers

Ship

Known Cachet Colours

Beck Numbers

USS Wasp Maroon, Black 651, 657
USS Bordelon Black  654
USS Chickaskia Black  656
USS William C. Lawe Black  653
USS McCaffery Maroon, Black 655
USS Robert L. Wilson  Black  652
USS Epperson Maroon  647, 648
USS George K. MacKenzie  Maroon  649
USS Rupertus  Maroon  650

Interesting Cachets & Covers

Cachet

Description of Cachet

Colours Type 
USS Wasp Cover from a member of the crew to his son including a particularly interesting letter (see note 5) Maroon Rubber Stamp
USS Wasp Two USS Wasp hand cancels in different corners of the cove and one is upside down Maroon (on back) Rubber Stamp
USS Wasp7 Unusual mimeographed cachet. Cover also has the scarce inverted 1966 postmark. This cachet has been reported on other SRS covers. B/W Mimeographed
 USS Nimble Gordon Text cachet & Stamp Like Self-Adhesive  Green - B/W  Rubber Stamp 

USS Robert L. Wilson3

Ship's cachet plus Navy Cachet Black - Black Rubber Stamp

USS Robert L. Wilson

Navy Cachet plus a mission patch Black - Multicolour Rubber Stamp/ Patch
USS Bordelon8 Ship's cachet instead of Navy cachet. This is the only one seen Black Rubber Stamp

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

Postmark

Description of Cover

Postmark Date
USS Wasp Black Navy cachet signed by Swimteam Commander, Danny Bowman UDT 21 6 June 1966

Note:
1) There is doubt as to whether this ship was involved in the mission
2) From the collection of Steve Durst
3) From the collection of Antoni Rigo
4) The mission was originally scheduled for launch (as Gemini 9) on 17 May but was postponed when the Gemini Agena Target Vehicle failed to achieve orbit due to a booster failure earlier that day. The replacement Augmented Target Docking Adapter (ATDA) was launched successfully into Earth orbit on 1 June, but telemetry indicated that the shroud had failed to jettison properly. Gemini 9 was to launch shortly thereafter but ground equipment failure resulted in a postponement until 3 June. Source: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1966-047A
5) The letter is interesting in that, as well as the usual pleasantries, it mentions completing several trials of the recovery procedures including the use of a dummy capsule which looks like the real thing. The trials also included fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and UDT swimmers.
6) Two other inverted 1966 covers are known; one on a Beck B651 from the collection of Eddie Bizub and a second on a Beck B657 from the collection of Steve Durst. Thanks to Owen Murray's website for the B651 scan.
7) From the collection of Dave Blog
8) From the collection of Tom Steiner

 

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Last modified on 30 December 2011

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