Cover of the Day 31 May 2020 - Registered M.M.

[Peter Harvey]

I fully understand everyone is enjoying the summer, so I thought I better take a break and list a cover of the day.

Attached scan shows an ADMIRALTY SERVICE cover Official Paid and uprated 3d to pay the registration fee. Registered with M.M. 110 label and tied large red POST OFFICE MARITIME MAIL. The most interesting point being the cover is addressed to Rear Admiral A.G. Talbot DSO with Naval Party 1646.


Wiki and Naval History Net record the naval party as: Force S. Inverness to 17.04.44, Portsmouth by 6.44, Normandy Coast to end of 06.44, disbanded 08.44. S Force being the Naval Task Force supporting the D-Day landings, commanded by Rear Admiral A.G. Talbot DSO through training in Scotland and then off Sword during the Normandy landings, where he commanded from HMS Largs.

[Michael Dobbs]

Peter

Many thanks for this information on Naval Party 1646 - I have not got that number recorded in my Naval Party listings for North West Europe.  I jump from NP 1645Z to NP 1658!

The majority of my information on NPs come from the Red Lists and I see that the earliest I have seen is RED LIST as at 5pm 11 Oct 1944 [The National Archives document ADM208/28].  I shall have to see if they have earlier issues - which I'm sure they do have.

Mike  :)

[Michael Dobbs]

Peter

I have a very similar cover to yours - only mine is not the whole cover, it appears to be a long envelope that has been cut at either end just to retain the postmark, registration label and unit datestamp on piece!

Piece from a registered O.H.M.S ADMIRALTY SERVICE envelope from HMS Princess J(osephine) Charlotte to the Director of Electrical Engineering at the Admiralty at Bath, Somerset.  Sent on 7 September 1945 and authorised by the Commanding Officer's datestamp.  It received a large POST OFFICE / MARITIME MAIL rubber handstamp in red and a Maritime Mail (M.M.) 1904 registration label.

The vessel was launched on 28 June 1930 as the ss Prinses Josephine Charlotte, a cross-Channel steamer that worked the Ostend to Dover route.  After the start of WW2 the steamer helped to evacuate refugees from Belgium during May 1940 and in company with the rest of the Belgian fleet assisted in evacuations from Cherbourg, St Malo and Brest during the same month.  As the Germans advanced into Belgium the five cross Channel ships from Belgium came to England - they were the Prins Albert, Prins Charles, Prins Leopold, Prinses Josephine Charlotte) and the Prinses Astrid. 

Between June and September 1940 the Charlotte was taken over by the Ministry of War, but on 29 September 1940 she was taken over by the Admiralty, commissioned as HMS Prinses Josephine Charlotte (although referred to as "Princess") on 16 May 1941 and by January 1941 had been converted into a Landing Ship Infantry (Small) (LSI(S)) as LSI(S) 232 (although the designation LSI 4238 has also been used).

The ship served as a parent ship for landing craft which were carried on davits, port and starboard sides; the vessel carried eight such craft.  She took part in the Norway campaign, Sicily landings and also in the Normandy landings on D-Day.  In May 1945 she was one of the ships assigned to the relief of Jersey.

The Princess Josephine Charlotte was returned to the Belgian authorities on 25 October 1945 and was eventually sold for scrap on 26 November 1950.

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Mike,

Nice item especially with the ship cachet, which adds to the history. I always think this POMM cancels look stunning on covers, but often there is nothing to link to a ship, person or location, so can be frustrating. For Navl Party allocations I nav used the following link for years https://www.naval-history.net/xBW-RNNavalParties.htm this seems very accurate to me, as I have search elsewhere to confirm locations and this main list always appears spot on.

Pete

[Michael Dobbs]

Good morning Peter

As soon as I saw your original post I went online and found the same link - its something I need to go back to, to cross-check against my NP listings.  I have Lt Cdr Warlow's book on "Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy" (pub 1992) which I have found to be a valuable resource for shore establishments and static ships.

Thanks for sharing.

Mike  :)

[Nick Colley]

See my post of 12th March 2019 on the 'Recommend a Website'  section........

N