BOWDITCH AGS 4

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Built 1929 as Passenger Ship SANTA INEZ
Purchased by U.S. Navy March 4 1940 and renamed


1. USS BOWDITCH AG-30
   Placed in Temporary Commission March 12 1940 for conversion
   Commissioned (Full) Miscellaneous Auxiliary (AG) July 1 1940
   
   
2. USS BOWDITCH AGS-4
   Redesignated Survey Ship (AGS) December 11 1943
   Decommissioned January 31 1947
   
   Struck from Naval Register (Date unknown)
   Transferred June 9 1948 to Maritime Commission for disposal
   
   Fate unknown

 

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. Bowditch Covers Page 1     (1940-47)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Date From to Date To	Thumbnail Link To Close-Up Image	Thumbnail Link To Full Cover Image

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Post office established May 1 1940 - Disestablished January 13 1947

 

Locy Type FDPS 3 May 9, 1940 "1ST DAY / CANCEL"

1940-05-09

As AG-30
First Day of Postal Service. Cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson

 

Locy Type FDPS 3 May 9, 1940 "1ST DAY / CANCEL"

1940-05-09

As AG-30
First Day of Postal Service. Cachet by Al Cohen

 

Locy Type FDPS 3 May 9, 1940 "1ST DAY / CANCEL"

1940-05-09

As AG-30
First Day of Postal Service. Cachet by Dr. S. E. Hutnick

 

Locy Type FDPS 9v

1940-05-09

First Day Postal Service

 

Locy Type FDPS 9efw

1940-05-09

First Day Postal Service

 

Locy Type FDPS 9x

1940-05-09

First Day Postal Service

 

Locy Type 2z

1945-09-20

As AGS-4

 

Locy Type 3 (A-BBT)

1941-02-05

As AG-30
Add-on cachet by Bruce D. Liddell

 

Locy Type 3z (BTB)

1943-10-22

Note:

 

Locy Type 9v

1940-05-30

As AG-30
Memorial Day, cachet by George Neumann

 

Locy Type LDPS 2z Jan 31, 1947

1947-01-31

As AGS-4
Last Day Postal Service

 

Other Information

BOWDITCH earned 3 Battle Stars for WWII service
* Marshall Islands operations
Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, February 4 1944
* Marianas operation
Capture and occupation of Saipan, July 21 to August 10 1944
* Okinawa Gunto operation
Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, March 28 to June 30 1945

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons...
American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

NAMESAKE - Nathaniel Bowditch (March 26 1773 - March 16 1838)
An astronomer and navigator, he published the first edition of his The New American Practical Navigator in 1802. He as the author of numerous other scientific works including a translation and commentary on Laplace's classic Mecanique Celeste. He died in Boston, Mass., March 16 1838

 

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