Help !!! Can anyone read the name of the captain and or the name of the ship.

[Chris Weddell]

Hello All,

            Another naval question I am afraid. Can any one read the name of the captain or the name of the ship.  I just cannot make them out. Thank you in advance.

                                                    Cheers

                                                    Chris.  :)

[Chris Weddell]

Sorry about that.A scan would help !!!  :-[

                      Cheers

                        Chris

[katkin]

S S Marena ?

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14659528

Captain S. K. Abrey?
      "    S. R. Abrey?

Kath.

[Chris Weddell]

Kath,

      Thank you. I will see where this takes me. I was hoping this ship was part of a convoy !!!!

                                                              Thanks again

                                                              Chris.

[Nick Colley]

Try http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/

Can you make a higher resolution image, Chris ?

chrs
N

[Chris Weddell]

Hello Nick,

              Is this scan better. Let me know if not.

                                    Cheers

                                      Chris

[Frank Schofield]

Chris

Is the original postmark under the CARDIFF one readable??

Frank Schofield

[Chris Weddell]

Hello Frank,

                The original postmark is from Poole which is readable. I cannot read the date as the Cardiff postmark has made it unreadable.

                                                regards

                                                  Chris

[Frank Schofield]

Chris

Thanks for that, it must have been only a couple of days earlier in May 1943.

Poole!  so why the censor tape for an internal item, build up for the Dieppe Raid later in August??

Frank

[Chris Weddell]

Frank,

          As a member of the Civil Censorship Study Group I was able to look at a database of the P.C. 90 labels. There are 2 recorded uses of the p.c. 90 Examiner 2915 label, 1 in January 1943 on Irish mail from Belfast to Cardiff, and the other on mail Irish mail dated December 1943 from Ballyragget, Eire to Wales.

So I am now thinking Irish mail from Northern Ireland and that I have misread the place name  or there is part of the place name I cannot read which is under the Cardiff postmark.

                                                              Chris.

[Nick Colley]

Yes, that's better, and yes, S.S Marena would be my estimate of the vessel's name, too.

Captain's name looks like S.R.Arry to me.

Initial postmark is not Poole, but I can see why you took it to be that. Having said that, the Cardiff p/m has obscured what it really is  :(

Dieppe was August 1942, Frank.

Also, see:
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?247321

chrs
N

[Frank Schofield]

Chris/Nick

I agree postmark not Poole but surely LIVERPOOL (Convoy port), might explain the censor tape

Suggest name of the ship is MARINA (A.H. Bull Steamship Co, built 1942, 5028 tons),
Mined 16.1.45 off Le Harve, CTL, BU USA.
I think she appears in the convoy lists as MARENA

Must get my dates sorted out

Frank

[Chris Weddell]

Frank/Nick
             
              Thank you both very much for your great help.

              I have looked at the address on the cover before it was redirected and it was posted to British and Continental which I take to be the steamship company which had both offices in Liverpool and Cardiff !! I think Frank was right in thinking Liverpool was where the letter was posted from.

I also agree the ship is MARINA listed on the Convoy lists as MARENA. I cannot find out about the Captain S.R. Arry. Do we know if the Marina was a Liberty ship?

The new question I have now is why is there one machine cancel over the other ???

                                                        Cheers

                                                        Chris.

[Alan Baker]

Sorry to go off in another direction. SS Marena was owned (1942-44) by Woodtown Shipping Co Ltd, Leith. She was a 303 ton steamer, built in 1908. She survived the war but in 1949 ran aground on a voyage from Sunderland to Macduff and was wrecked.

As for the first postmark, the word seems to me to have an "E" after "POOL".

[Chris Weddell]

Hello Alan,

              I thought it was Poole as well !!! I will try and get it under a better magnifier and see if I can make the postmark out.
                                              Cheers

                                              Chris