Gravesend (GB) US Navy Mail

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Many US ships visited Gravesend on shakedown or operational cruises. Prior to around 1913 there was no indication of the port on the cancel. It is thus difficult to determine if a naval card was posted from a specific port. The third division of the Atlantic fleet visited Gravesend, November to December 1910. A Set of six postcards commemorating the event was issued by Valentines. A similar set used the same frame, but showed pictures of London. Other sets are known for visits to Portland and Weymouth in the UK.

Milton Road and Church

King Street

Clock Tower

Promenade and River

Entrance, Rosherville Gardens

Royal Terrace Pier

Marks with port indication show GRAVESEND / ENGLAND in the killer part of the cancel, along with the name of the ship in the c.d.s. These appear up to around 1942. Cancels recorded for Gravesend:

Ship	Earliest date	Latest date	Type	Comments
USS Utah	10 August 1922
USS Detroit	08 June 1923		Light Cruiser
USS Case	07 July 1926
USS Memphis	19 July 1926	28 July 1926	Light Cruiser	Completed Jan 1925
USS Breck	26 October 1926	28 October 1926
USS Toucey	27 October 1926			"1" after ENGLAND?
USS Whipple	02 July 1927			AM in cancel
USS Tracy	30 July 1927		Clemson-class destroyer	Cruise following refit
USS Minneapolis	25 August 1934	03 September 1934	Heavy Cruiser	Completed 20 June 1934. At Gravesend 25.08 to 05.09
USS Pensacola	31 August 1934
USS Hull	20 June 1935	22 June 1935	Destroyer
USS Nashville	15 September 1936			Reported but misread? Should be 1938?
"	15 September 1938			Second visit if 1936 record correct?
USS Drayton	06 October 1936			Enroute to / Gravesend in killer section
USS Drayton	10 October 1936	20 October 1936	Destroyer
USS Sampson	21 October 1938	26 October 1938	Destroyer

USS Breck

USS Breck. Sent to the Navy Savings Bank.

USS Case

USS Case - on commercial cover to Navy Saving Bank.

USS Detroit

USS Detroit - all examples seen have the bars non-parallel.

USS Drayton

USS Drayton enroute to Gravesend

USS Drayton on envelope showing that it was in Gravesend 15-23 October 1936

USS Hull

USS Hull - on special envelope prepared for the visit to Gravesend.

USS Memphis

USS Memphis - earliest date

USS Minneapolis

USS Minneapolis

USS Minneapolis. One of a number of covers posted on board by George King. Most appear to have been put ashore at Dover

USS Nashville

USS Nashville - shakedown cruise.

USS Nashville on hand painted envelope

USS Pensacola

USS Pensacola

USS Sampson

USS Sampson - shakedown cruise.

USS Toucey

USS Toucey - unclear strike. 1 after England?

USS Tracy

USS Tracy - 30 July 1927 - philatelic cover with imperf 2c

USS Utah

USS Utah - The card shows the River Medway at Chatham.

USS Whipple

USS Whipple - blue strike on 1c stationery card printed for John Maneely, Philadelphia.

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