MERCURY RECOVERY SHIP COVER & POSTMARK VARIETIES

Mercury-Atlas 7 - 24 May 1962 - M. Scott Carpenter

Recovery Force Ships5

Ship

Type

Designation Covers

Atlantic (based around Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla FOUR)

USS John R. Pierce

SRS/PRS (Capsule) - Destroyer

DD-753

Y

USS Intrepid7

PRS - Carrier

CVS-11

Y

USS Barton

SRS - Destroyer

DD-722

Y

USS Fred T. Berry

SRS - Anti-Sub Destroyer

DDE-858

Y

USS Dewey

SRS - Guided Missile Destroyer

DLG-14

Y

USS Donner

SRS - Dock Landing Ship

LSD-20

Y

USS Elokomin

SRS - Oiler

AO-55

Y

USS English

SRS - Destroyer

DD-696

Y

USS Farragut1,2

SRS - Guided Missile Destroyer

DLG-6

Y (E. Rare)

USS Hank

SRS - Destroyer

DD-702

Y

USS Hoist 

SRS - Salvage & Rescue Ship

ARS-40

N

USS Hunt

SRS - Destroyer

DD-674

Y

USS Massey

SRS - Destroyer

DD-778

Y

USS Moale

SRS - Destroyer

DD-693

Y

USS Remey6

SRS - Destroyer

DD-688

Y (E. Rare)

USS Robinson

SRS -Destroyer

DD-562

Y

USS Soley

SRS - Destroyer

DD-707

Y

USS Speigel Grove

SRS - Dock Landing Ship

LSD-32

Y

USS Sturdy

SRS - Ocean Minesweeper

MSO-494

N

USS Swerve

SRS - Ocean Minesweeper

MSO-495

N

USS Wren

SRS - Destroyer

DD-568

Y

Tracking Ships

USAF Coastal Sentry

TS - East Coast of Africa

T AGM-15

N

Not Involved

USAF Rose Knot

TS - In Dry Dock

T AGM-14

N

USS Alstede

Stores Ship

AF-48

Y

USS Antietam

Carrier

CVS-36  

Y

USS Constellation

Carrier

CVA-64 

Y

USS Enterprise

Carrier

CVA-65

Y

USS Forrestal

Carrier

CVA-59

Y

USS Glennon6

Destroyer

DD-840

Y

USS Holder

Destroyer

DDE-819

Y

USS Lake Champlain6

Carrier

CVS-39

Y

USS MacDonough6

Guided Missile Frigate

DLG-8

Y

USS McNair6

Destroyer

DD-679

Y

USS Noa

Destroyer

DD-841

Y

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt

Carrier

CV-42

Y

USS Sampson6

Destroyer

DDG-10

Y

USS Shenandoah

Destroyer Tender

AD-26

Y

USS Wasp

Carrier

CVS-18

Y


Postmark Variations

Ship

Description of Postmark

Scarcity
USS Barton Ship's name on top of postmark  Common 
 USS Barton  Ship's name on bottom of postmark Common
 USS Dewey Standard USS Dewey onboard postmark Common 
USS Dewey  USS Dewey New York postmark  Less Common

Cachets

Cachet

Description of Cachet

Colours Type 
Beck Cachet2,3 This was Morris Beck's first cover for a Recovery Ship from the US Space program. It was only available to crew members and does not have a number like subsequent Beck covers. Green, Red & Black Printed
Goldcraft Cachet  Shows Mercury Capsule & Recovery ship Various  Printed 
 Schultz Cachet Shows a Mercury Capsule inside a circle of rope plus text   Various Printed
Type 2 Shows a Small Mercury Capsule   Black Rubber Stamp 

Interesting Cachets & Covers

Cachet

Description of Cachet

Colours Type 
 USS Intrepid This is the Captain's Cover for this Mission signed by the Commanding Offier, J. L. Abbot Jr Black & Blue  Printed
 USS Intrepid A Captain's cover without a signature on an airmail envelope Black & Blue  Printed
 USS Intrepid6 Cover with Captain's cachet without a signature on a large envelope Black & Blue  Printed
USS John R. Pierce Back of Cover Black Rubber Stamp
USS John R. Pierce Cover with a slightly different cachet Black Rubber Stamp
USS John R. Pierce6 'Return to Port' Cover - May 30, 1962 Maroon Rubber Stamp

USS Shenandoah

Signature of Commander of Mercury Recovery Force
Radm John L. Chew		 N/A N/A
USS Dewey Special Ship's cachet for this Mission Light Blue, Maroon, Black Rubber Stamp
60 years of Destroyers 1902-1962 - Small cachet shows a couple of Destroyers Maroon 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 Intrepid Captain's Cover signed by the Commanding Officer Captain J. L. Abbot Jr 24 May 1962
USS Intrepid Cover with Captain's cachet and signed by Recovery helicopter pilot - Rare 24 May 1962
USS Intrepid Captain's Cover signed by Recovery helicopter pilot - Rare 24 May 1962
USS John R. Pierce Cover signed by Scott Carpenter 24 May 1962

Notes:
1) When Aurora 7 overshot the planned primary recovery area by 240 miles, the USS Farragut, which was not assigned to the Recovery Force, was in the area along with a Coast Guard Cutter and a merchant ship, was requested to be prepared to assist in the recovery. It was the first ship to reach the spacecraft but did not have the special recovery equipment required to recover the spacecraft. She maintained surveillance until the USS John R. Pierce arrived to recover the capsule. Before the destroyer arrived, HSS-21 helos from the USS Intrepid recovered Carpenter and the pararescue team and returned them to the USS Intrepid. Source: 'Project Mercury .. one step into space', Donald O. Schultz (1967) & 'Results of the Second U.S. Manned Orbital Space Flight May 24, 1962', NASA SP-6.
2) Cover is from the collection of Eddie Bizub.
3) An identical cover with a USS John R. Piece postmark appears in the 'Primary Recovery Ship Cover Handbook', Ray E. Cartier, 1993 (7)
4) Liftoff was delayed from May 7, May 15 and May 19
5) See article by Dr Ross J. Smith for a discussion of the phantom ships in the Pacific
6) From the collection of Tom Steiner
7) Sold on eBay during 2012

 

This page © Dr Ross J Smith
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Last modified on 28 January 2012

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