BEAR AG 29

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.

Screw Steamer Built 1874 as Sealing Vessel Purchased by U.S. Navy January 28 1884 USS BEAR Commissioned March 17 1884 - Decommissioned April 1885 Struck from Naval Register April 1895 USRC BEAR Transferred to U.S. Revenue Cutter Service March 2 1895 USCGC BEAR U.S. Revenue Service changed to U.S. Coast Guard 1915 Decommissioned May 3 1929 Sold 1929 to the City of Oakland, CA, for use as a museum Repurchased by U.S. Navy September 11 1939 USS BEAR AG-29 Recommissioned Miscellaneous Auxiliary (AG) September 11 1939 Decommissioned May 17 1944 Transferred to Maritime Commission for disposal February 13 1948 ARCTIC SEALER (Commercial Service) Sold 1948 and renamed Sold 1962 for conversion to floating museum and restaurant at Philadelphia, PA Foundered March 19 1963 while under tow off Chatham, MA

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. Bear Covers Page 1     (1939-42)

 

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 Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

 

N/A

ca. 1930's

Real-Photo postcard, Unused Annotated "BEAR" but not the correct ship.

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2nd Commissioning September 11 1939 to May 17 1944

 

Locy Type 3r (A-BBT) USS Goff DD-247

1939-09-11

N/A

First Day of Recommissioning, cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson

 

Locy Type 3r (A-BTT) "AT / SEA"

1939-12-25

Christmas, cachet by Walter G. Crosby

 

Locy Type 3r (A-BTT) "LITTLE / AMERICA"

1940-01-14

Sailor's Mail

 

Locy Type 3r (A-BTT) "LITTLE / AMERICA"

1940-01-14

No. 10 decorated cover

 

Locy Type 3br (A-XTT) "LITTLE / AMERICA"

1941-01-16

Note:

 

Locy Type 3br (repaired) "BOSTON / MASS"

1941-05-27

Note:

 

Locy Type 3r (A-TBT)

1941-01-27

Cachet by Mae Weigand

 

Locy Type 3r (A-TBT)

1941-11-15

Cachet by Robert B. Kirchgraber

 

Locy Type 3z (BBT)

1942-02-04

Patriotic cover by Ted Harrington

 

Locy Type 3z (BBT)

1942-02-04

Back side of the Feb 4 1942 cover showing the censor marking and manuscript ship's name.

 

Other Information

USS BEAR earned the American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp), the American Campaign Medal, the Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal during her US Navy career.

NAMESAKE - Named for the large, heavy mammal with long shaggy hair

 

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If you have images or information to add to this page, then either contact the Curator or edit this page yourself and add it. See Editing Ship Pages for detailed information on editing this page.

 

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