MOSLEY DE 321

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.

Edsall Class Destroyer Escort
Keel Laid 6 April 1943 - Launched and Christened 26 June 1943


1. USS MOSLEY DE-321
Commissioned 30 October 1943 - Decommissioned 15 March 1946

Struck from Naval Register 2 January 1971
Sold 22 August 1973 for scrap

 

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).

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1. USS Mosley DE-321 Covers Page 1    (1946)

 

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.
 
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Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

 

Locy Type 2(n)

1946-01-07

Note:

 

Locy Type 9efu ("U.S.S." omitted)

1945-07-03

Registered Official Business. From the Bob Govern collection.

 

Other Information

USS MOSLEY earned the Combat Action Ribbon, the American Campaign Medal, the European-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal w/ 2 Battle stars and the WWII Victory Medal during her Naval career.

NAMESAKE - Ensign Walter Harold Mosley, USN (17 January 1916 - 4 June 1942)
         Ens. Mosley was assigned to Patrol Squadron 22 based at Ford Island Naval Air Station Pearl Harbor during the Pearl Harbor attack. Beginning in January 1942 Mosley flew patrols north of Australia into the Java Sea and surrounding waters plotting the movements of the Japanese. As copilot of a PBY‑5, he departed for a patrol south of Amboina, Moluccas, 19 February 1942. With Lt. Thomas H. Moorer (later Admiral and Chief of Naval Operations) as pilot, the patrol plane spotted a merchant ship off Melville Island, Australia, and turned to investigate. About 0920, nine Japanese fighters jumped the PBY. Soon the plane was in flames, its port engine out and fuel streaming along the fuselage. Despite the attacking fighters, Lieutenant Moorer and Ensign Mosley skillfully landed the plane. In Lieutenant Moorer’s words, Mosley assisted by handling the throttle “although dazed and bleeding profusely from a wound in the head.” While serving with VP-44 as co-pilot of a PBY-5A flying boat on patrol off Midway Island, Mosley's plane was shot down by two Japanese seaplanes. Ensign Mosley was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for “extremely gallant and intrepid conduct” during the air action 19 February 1942.

The ships sponsor was Mrs. A. G. Mosley.

 

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