Navy Day Covers 1932 thru 1945

Navy Day covers are plentiful and affordable. Covers can be found cancelled aboard many different US Navy ships and cachets can be found from many different cachet sponsors and artists. Navy Day cachets sometimes mark other events that were purposefully scheduled to occur on Navy Day such as ship keel layings, launchings and commissionings.

1932

USS Aaron Ward Type F cancel provided by the North Bay Stamp Club. Note Navy Day/Mare Island killer slogan. The cachet was probably an official Mare Island Naval Shipyard cachet, possibly provided by the North Bay Stamp Club.

1933

USS Bridge Type 3 cancel with Navy Day/1933 killer slogan. Cachet is the same as used in 1932 by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard with the exception of a change in year date. Navy Mail Clerk signature in upper left.

1934

Official Mare Island Naval Shipyard cachet marking Navy Day and the keel laying of the destroyers USS Smith and USS Perry. Vallejo, California machine cancel.

USS Medusa Type 3 cancel noting the flyover of the dirigible USS Macon on Navy Day. Cachet sponsor Sarah Litton.

Yangtze Patrol Type 6 cancel and hand drawn cachet by Mike Owens, Navy Mail Clerk aboard USS Blackhawk.

1935

Official Mare Island cachet marking Navy Day 1935. Because October 27 fell on a Sunday, the celebrations were held October 28. Vallejo, California machine cancel.

USS Barracuda Type 3 cancel postmarked October 28 marking the keel laying of the destroyer USS Henley at Mare Island. Cachet design by Martin Aden.

An unusual double cacheted cover with USS Chicago Type 3 cancel. The cachet designs are by Walter Crosby and C. Wright Richell and the sponsor was Henry Stinemetts featuring paper corners and mounting for the stamp. Navy Mail Clerk signature in lower left corner.

Real mail from a sailor aboard USS Chicago postmarked on October 28, 1935 with USS Chicago Type 8 machine cancel.

1936

Martin Aden design cachet, reworked from 1935 design, marking Navy Day and keel laying of submarine USS Sturgeon and commissioning of destroyer USS Preston. Vallejo, California machine cancel.

Walter Crosby photo cachet marking the commissioning of the destroyer USS Preston on Navy Day. USS Preston Type F cancel provided by North Bay Stamp Club.

USS Farragut Type 3 cancel with Navy Day/Mare Isl Cal killer slogan. Cover marks the keel laying of the submarine USS Sturgeon.

1937

Cachet design by Martin Aden marking Navy Day. Vallejo, California machine cancel.

Official Mare Island Naval Shipyard cachet for Navy Day 1937 marking the keel laying of the submarine USS Swordfish. Cachet design by Martin Aden. Vallejo, California machine cancel.

1938

Official Mare Island Naval Shipyard cachet designed by Martin Aden marking Navy Day 1938. Vallejo, California machine cancel. Two color printed version cachet.

 

Same cachet with USS Porpoise Type 3 cancel. Cachet is thermographed and hand colored.

1939

Official Mare Island Naval Shipyard cachet designed by Martin Aden marking Navy Day 1938. Vallejo, California machine cancel.

1945

US Navy Type 2z cancel from unknown location to cachet sponsor D.C. Bartley inviting him to the Navy Day celebration at Bremerton, Washington.

 

USS San Jacinto

 

USS Mississippi

 

USS Missouri

 

Navy Day Stamp Firtst Day Cover, Walter G. Crosby cachet