Lot No. 1698
| Auction No. | 10 |
| Category |
Disaster Mail Miscellaneous |
| Est. | $300 |
| Status | Archived |
1918 Kenilworth Castle Explosion env with South Africa 1d red KGV pmkd Pietermaritzburg 6th AP 1918 hand addressed to Pte FG Stephenson No. 15 Platoon "W" Company, South African Scottish British Ex Force, France. The reverse has the cachet in purple, "E. Postal Section L'don NW1 Damaged by immersion in sea water" with "Rec. 9/6/18" in m/s. The mail steamer Kenilworth Castle of the Union Castle Line, sailed from Cape Town on 2nd May & was in a convoy that sailed for England. At 1.10am on the morning of the 4th June, off the Eddystone lighthouse in the English Channel, she was involved in a collision with an escorting destroyer. Two depth charges fell off the destroyer & exploded under her causing extensive damage to the bow. 14 passengers & crew were killed & the badly damaged ship was taken into Plymouth Sound & beached. The hold in which the mail was being carried was flooded but all the mail was subsequently recovered. Four different cachets are known, three in English & one in French. A lovely example of this recovered mail.
Image represents the entire lot.