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Postal History





USS Pine Island (AV-12)
Eastern Group
Capt. Henry H. Caldwell, USN








Signed, LT(jg) J.L. Ball


2 DEC 46 Departed Norfolk, VA.
7 DEC 46 Transited Panama Canal and moored at Balboa Submarine Base.
10 DEC 46 Departed Balboa, C.Z. for the Antarctic.
11 DEC 46 Crossed the Equator at Longitude 28° 47'W.
17 DEC 46

Proceeding towards Peter I Island on Longitude 99° 30'W .
25 DEC 46 Crossed the Antarctic Circle at 99° 44'W.
29 DEC 46 First successful flights made over Thurston Island.
30 DEC 46 Mariner aircraft "George One" crashed killing three crewmen. Flights to locate the downed craft were hampered by bad weather. Please read the compelling story on this site: Antarctic Mayday by crash survivor James Robbins.
11 JAN 47 "George One" crash site located; supplies dropped.
12 JAN 47 Crash survivors rescued.
18 JAN 47 Crash survivors transferred to the USS Brownson to be taken to the USS Philippine Sea for transfer back to the U.S.
22 JAN 47 Operating north of the Amundsen Sea.
25 JAN 47 Operating northwest of Thurston Island.
6 FEB 47 Located northwest of Charcot Island.
8 FEB 47 Southernmost position reached at 69° 55'S.
13 FEB 47 Rendezvoused with USS Brownson off Adelaide Island.
14 FEB 47 Proceeding towards Bransfield Strait and north of the South Orkneys en route to the Weddell Sea.
28 FEB 47 Located off Princess Martha and Astrid coasts.
1 MAR 47 Short flights made to coast on March 1 and 2.
3 MAR 47 Antarctic operations terminated; headed for Brazil.
18 MAR 47 Arrived Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
24 MAR 47 Departed Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
6 APR 47 Arrived Cristobal, C.Z.
7 APR 47 Transited the Panama Canal.
8 APR 47 In dry-dock at Balboa, C.Z. to replace port screw.
11 APR 47 Undocked at Balboa, C.Z.
14 APR 47 Underway for San Diego, California.
?? ? 47 Arrived at San Diego, California. (date not known).

 

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

 

Two different four-bar hand cancels were used by the Pine Island, one incorporating the ship's branch number 15763 (figure 1), the other with the ship's name and designation (figure 2). A single-line ship's name handstamp, measuring 38.5mm x 2mm high, is found on some Highjump covers from this ship (figure 3). Another large cachet, which appears to be homemade, can be found on a few covers (figure 4). This is referred to as the "Chaplain's Cachet" although the reason for this is unknown to this writer.

Of all the cancels this writer has observed of both types used by this ship, not a single one has been seen with the "time" (A.M. or P.M.) slug in place on mail serviced during Operation Highjump.

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