| Ship |
Type |
Designation | Covers |
| Atlantic (Task Force Alfa based around Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla FOUR (DesFlotFour)) | |||
| USS Noaii | SRS/PRS (actual) - Destroyer | DD-841 | Y |
| USS Randolph | PRS (designated) - Carrier | CVS-15 | Y |
| USS Antietamiii | SRS - Carrier | CVS-36 | Y (Rare) |
| USS Kenneth D. Bailey | SRS - Destroyer | DD-713 | N |
| USS Barry | SRS - Destroyer | DD-933 | N |
| USS Bearss | SRS - Destroyer | DD-654 | Xvi |
| USS Blandy | SRS - Destroyer | DD-943 | N |
| USS Brownson1 A Second Example13 | SRS - Destroyer | DD-868 | Y (E. Rare) |
| USS Chukawan | SRS - Destroyer | AO-100 | N |
| USS Cone9 | SRS - Destroyer | DD-866 | Y (E. Rare) |
| USS Exploit | SRS - Ocean Minesweeper | MSO-440 | N |
| USS Forrestal | SRS - Carrier | CVA-59 | Y (Rare) |
| USS Glennon A Second Example9 | SRS - Destroyer | DD-840 | Y (E. Rare) |
| USS Goodrich | SRS - Radar Picket Destroyer | DDR-831 | N |
| USS Norfolk | SRS - Hunter, Killer Frigate | DL-1 | N |
| USS Observer | SRS - Ocean Minesweeper | MSO-461 | N |
| USS Hugh Purvis9 | SRS - Destroyer | DD-709 | Y (E. Rare) |
| USS Recovery | SRS -Salvage & Rescue Ship | ARS-43 | N |
| USS Sarsfield9 A Second Example13 | SRS - Anti-Submarine Destroyer | DD-837 | Y (E. Rare) |
| USS Charles S. Sperry | SRS - Destroyer | DD-697 | N |
| USS Stormesviii,13 | SRS - Destroyer | DD-780 | Y (E. Rare) |
| USS Stribling | SRS - Destroyer | DD-867 | N |
| USS Turner | SRS - Destroyer | DD-834 | N |
| USS Witek9 A Second Example13 | SRS - Destroyer | EDD-848 (DD-848) | Y (E. Rare) |
| Tracking Ships | |||
| USAF Coastal Sentry | TS - Indian Ocean Tracking Ship | T AGM-15 | N |
| USAF Rose Knot | TS - Atlantic Tracking Ship (off the coast of Liberia) | T AGM-14 | N |
| On Standby (Guantánamo Bay Cuba) | |||
| USS Enterpriseiv | TS - Carrier | CVA-65 | Y |
| Others | |||
| USS Nantahala | Replenishment Ship for the Recovery Force | AO-60 | N |
| DesRon 36ix | |||
| USS Basilone13 | Destroyer | DDE-824 | Y |
| USS Holder13 | Destroyer | DDE-819 | Y |
| USS Damato13 | Destroyer | DDE-871 | Y |
| USS Harold J Ellison (probably) A Second Example13 | Destroyer | DD-864 | Y |
| USS Manley8c (probably) | Destroyer | DD-940 | Y |
| USS McNair13 | Destroyer | DD-679 | Y |
| USS Robert A Owens13 | Destroyer | DDE-827 | Y |
| USS Rich | Destroyer | DDE-820 | N |
| USS R L Wilson | Destroyer | DDE-847 | N |
| Not Involved | |||
| USS Alstede | Stores Ship | AF-48 | Y |
| USS Amphion8d | Repair Ship | AR-13 | Y |
| USS Atka8d | Icebreaker | AGB-3 | Y |
| USS Bausell8d | Destroyer | DD-845 | Y |
| USS Constellation. (Also USS Constellation8c) | Carrier | CVA-64 | Y |
| USS Decatur9 | Destroyer | DD-936 | Y |
| USS Edmonds9 (Was this cover backdated) | Destroyer Escort | DE-406 | Y |
| USS Lowry8h | Destroyer | DD-770 | Y |
| USS Los Angeles8d | Heavy Cruiser | CA-135 | Y |
| USS Mahan13 | Guided Missile Frigate | DLG-11 | Y |
| USS Manley8c | Destroyer | DD-940 | Y |
| USS General William Mitchellvii,11 (Was this cover backdated) |
Troop Transport | T-AP-114 | Y |
| USS Robert A. Owens8c | Destroyer | DD-827 | Y |
| USS Power8d (See also this cover) | Destroyer (postmarked for mission scrub) | DD-839 | Y |
| USS Providence | Guided Missile Cruiser | CLG-6 | Y |
| USS Ranger8d | Carrier | CVA-61 | Y |
| Cachet | Description of Cachet | Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldcraft Cachetx? | USS Noa & Capsule cachet | Blue, Black & Red | Printed |
| Gordon Cachet 1 | Astronaut Col. Glenn picked up etc | Maroon, Black8i | Rubber Stamp |
| Gordon Cachet 28i | Ships on Station etc | Red | Rubber Stamp |
| Fuerst Cachet8 | Small circular multicolor cachet | Multicolour | Printed |
| Ship | Description of Postmark | Scarcity |
|---|---|---|
| USS Forrestal | Machine Cancel | Rare |
| USS Forrestal | Hand Cancel | Even Rare |
| USS Noaii | Feb 23 1962 - Goldcraft Cachet - Legitimate | Common |
| USS Noa1,ii | Feb 20 1962 - PM Time Slug - Legitimate | Extremely Rare |
| USS Noaii | Feb 20 1962 - Project Mercury stamp - Goldcraft cachet - Backdated | Scarce |
| USS Noaii | Feb 20 1962 - Non Project Mercury stamp - Goldcraft cachet May be Legitimate or backdated | Rare |
| USS Noa1,7a | Feb 20 1962 - another example - Goldcraft cachet | Rare |
| USS Noaii | Extremely Rare Red NY Double Circle Cancel plus Hand Cancel | Extremely Rare |
| USS Randolph | Feb 20 1962 PM - Legitimate | Scarce |
| USS Randolph14 | Feb 20 1962 AM - Legitimate | Extremely Rare |
| USS Randolph | Feb 20 1962 PM - Backdated - See also10 & This one8b and this one9. |
Rare |
| USS Enterprise | 3 PM Postmark | Common |
| USS Enterprise | 4 PM postmark | Common |
| USS Enterprise9 | Dual Postmarks - 9AM & 5 PM. A different example. | Rare |
| USS Antietam | Feb 20 1962 AM - Legitimate | Scarce |
| USS Antietam11 | Feb 20 1962 AM - Backdated | Extemely Scarce |
| Cachet | Description of Cachet | Colours | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS Noaii | Hand Painted Cachet - Backdated Postmark | Various | Hand Painted |
| USS Noa | Shows the USS Noa approaching the capsule - Backdated Postmark | Black | Printed |
| USS Noa | Late postmark showing the usual USS Noa postmark has a time slug | Black | Printed |
| USS Noa | Both a backdated postmark and a first anniversary postmark | Black | Text |
| USS Noa | 1st Anniversary cover with a Karcher cachet | Aqua & Black | Printed |
| USS Noa | 10th Anniversary cover with the ship's cachet. An interesting variation. | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Noa | As above with an added Glenn's head cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Noa8f | Has a stick-on picture of Mercury capsule re-entering the atmosphere plus added text cachet | Multicolour | Stick On |
| USS Noa8h | Goldcraft cachet with the black misplaced | Multicolour | Printed |
| USS Randolph | Captain's Cover | Blue & White | Printed |
| USS Randolph8g | Unusual capsule under parachutes cachet | Blue | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Randolph9 | Unusual cover with Captain's Cover Label but without the Captain's signature | Blue & White | Printed |
| Astronaut Glenn Orbits the Earth | Drawing of Glenn & a Rocket | Black | Printed |
| Cape Canaveral | Hand Drawing of rescue helicopter with Capsule & PRS - FDI postmark | Black | Drawn |
| Cape Canaveral | Photo of the USS Noa | Greyscale | Printed |
| USS Antietam9 | Postcard postmarked for the scrubbed mission of 16th February 1962! | Black | Printed |
| USS Antietam3 | An interesting late postmark on a Space Craft cover | Multicolour | Printed |
| USS Antietam1 | Postcard | Black | Printed |
| USS Antietam9 | A general John Glenn launch cachet | Black | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Antietam9 | Airmail Envelope with simple text cachet | Black & Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Hugh Purvis9 | A USS Hugh Purvis cover with an attached interesting note from a member of the crew regarding stamps | Black | Corner Card |
| USS Enterprise | A USS Enterprise Postcard with added cachets | Multicolour/Black | Printed / Rubber Stamp |
| USS Enterprise | Card with Mail Clerk's printed signature on the back plus Gordon cachet | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Enterprise8c | A USS Enterprise Postcard with ship's cachet | Multicolour/Maroon | Printed / Rubber Stamp |
| USS Enterprise9 | USS Enterprise cover with a Project Mercury Stamp | Maroon | Rubber Stamp |
| USS Forrestal8a | On a cover with a USS Enterprise cachet | Maroon | Printed |
| USS Cone13 | A late postmark plus interesting information | None | None |
| USS Sarsfield | A stuffer with a 20 Feb on-board postmark plus a 20 Feb double ring Uss Sarsfield New York postmark. | None | None |
| Postmark | Description of Cover | Postmark Date |
|---|---|---|
| USS Noa | Hand Painted Cachet | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Noa | Shows the USS Noa approaching the capsule | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Noa | Text cachet with time & date etc | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Noa8j | Text cachet with time & date etc plus signature | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Noa8f | Has a stick-on picture of Mercury capsule re-entering the atmosphere plus added text cachet | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Noa8g | Has a stick-on picture of Glenn | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Noa8a | USS Constellation Cachet with a USS Noa postmark | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Noa8a | USS Enterprise Cachet with a USS Noa postmark | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Noa15 | USS Enterprise Cachet with a USS Noa postmark - Another copy | 20 February 1962 |
| Postmark | Description of Cover | Postmark Date |
|---|---|---|
| USS Noa1 | S/H Cachet shows John Glenn. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa8c | S/H Cachet shows Glenn being rescued from capsule in Ocean. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa3 | S/H Cachet shows Glenn entering capsule. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa2 | S/H Cachet shows Glenn seated in capsule. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa7 | S/H Cachet shows Glenn exitting capsule in Ocean with a rescuer nearby. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa7 | Text Cachet only. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa10 | S/H Cachet shows Glenn being rescued from capsule in Ocean. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. Different cover to above. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa14 | S/H Cachet shows Glenn exitting capsule in Ocean with a rescuer nearby. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa15 | S/H cachet shows the Mercury 7 beside a Mercury capsule. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa16 | Text Cachet only. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa15 | S/H shows Glenn being lowered from a helicopter - also has a USS Noa Corner Card | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa15 | No cachet but has a USS Noa Corner Card | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa8i | S/H shows two men watching a rocket on its launch pad. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| USS Noa17 | S/H Cachet shows John Glenn. Addressed to Mrs Trudy Woods. Difference to the first cover. | 20 February 1962 PM |
| Postmark | Description of Cover | Postmark Date |
|---|---|---|
| USS Randolphv,8c | Signed by the pilot of the helicopter that ferried Glenn from the USS Noa to the USS Randolph. An outstanding find. | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Randolph8c | Signed by the pilot of the helicopter that ferried Glenn from the USS Noa to the USS Randolph and signed by John Glenn. Another outstanding find. | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Enterprise10 | Signed by John Glenn, and the Commanding Officers of the USS Randolph (designated PRS), the USS Noa (actual PRS) plus the Recovery Commander. A rare combination | 20 February 1962 |
| USS Noa | A late postmarked cover signed by the Commanding Officer | 28 February 1962 |
Notes General:
i) Mission posponed several times, mainly due to weather.
ii ) See article by Dr Ross J. Smith for a discussion of USS Noa covers. Also article on backdating.
iii ) See article by Dr Ross J. Smith for a discussion of USS Antietam cover
iv ) While there is some confusion regarding the role of the USS Enterprise the following seems the most likely. The Enterprise was part of the recovery effort during late January. However, when Glenn's flight was rescheduled, she was in Guantánamo Bay Cuba and was then put on standby in case she was need for tracking the flight. Although on standby, it appears that she carried out Carrier qualification tests and returned to her anchorage (1600-1800), probably just after splashdown (1745). (http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/e4/enterprise-viiia.htm)
v) Athough there was some doubt expressed about this cover, on balance it appears to be genuine. It sold for $821 on eBay during 2013.
vi) Only one cover postmarked 2 days before splashdown has been found
vii) This cover was not backdated as shown by correspondence between the creator of the covers and Roland Mantovani (see page 1 & page 2). 759 covers were produced.
viii)This late postmarked cover is the only one known.
ix)In early 1962 Destroyer Squadron, DesRon 36 deployed from Florida to Bermuda to participate in an early attempt to launch John Glenn on Mercury 6. When that attempt was posponed the Squadron spent two weeks of tender availability until 20th February when it was again deployed off Bermuda for the actual Mercury 6 flight. DesRon 36 consisted of 9 destroyers.
x) The is now considerable doubt as to whether George Goldey actually designed this cachet. There is a strong possibility that he just copied this design for subsequent missions. If that is the case the designer is unknown.
Notes Other:
1) 'Project Mercury Points the Way', CD book, Steve Durst (2011)
2) From the collection of David Ball
3) From the collection of Eddie Bizub
7) Sold by Regency-Superior auction 2007 a) 2010
8) Sold on eBay during 2009 a) 2010 b) 2012 c) 2013 d) 2014 e) 2015 f) 2019 g) 2020 h) 2022 i) 2023 j) 2024
9) From the collection of Tom Steiner
10) Shown in 'Primary Recovery Ship Cover Handbook', Ray E. Cartier (1993)
11) From the collection of Roland Mantovani
12) Sold in RR Auction January 2011
13) From the collection of Joseph Volutza
14) From the collection of Lee Kok How
15) From the collection of Walter Hopferwieser
16) From the collection of Timothy Preston
17) From the collection of Alan Green
This page © Dr Ross J Smith
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Last modified on 17 September 2024
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