VESTAL AR 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.

Vestal Class Collier/Repair Ship
Ordered April 17 1904 as ERIE
Renamed October 1905
Keel Laid March 25 1907 - Launched May 19 1908


1. USS VESTAL Collier No. 1
   In Service October 4 1909 - Out of Service October 25 1912
   
   
2. USS VESTAL Fleet Repair Ship No. 4
   Commissioned September 3 1913
   
   
3. USS VESTAL AR-4
   Designated (AR) July 17 1920
   Decommissioned August 14 1946
   
   Struck from Naval Register September 25 1946
   Sold July 28 1950 to the Boston Metals Co. Baltimore, Md. 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).

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. Vestal Covers Page 1    (1913-44)

 

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

 

Locy Type 2z

1944-04-21

As AR-4
Censored wartime (WWII) use

 

Locy Type 3 (A) "HAMPTON / ROADS VA" USCS Catalog Illustration V-8

1913-11-10

As Fleet Repair Ship No. 4
Picture postcard of "Old Point Comfort VA".

 

Locy Type 3 (A) "GUANTANAMO / BAY" USCS Catalog Illustration V-8

1914-02-18

As Fleet Repair Ship No. 4
Postcard use

 

Locy Type 3 (AC) "AT / SEA" USCS Catalog Illustration V-8b

1917-02-28

As Fleet Repair Ship No. 4
postcard use

 

Locy Type 3 (AC) " / CALIFORNIA"

1920-02-18

As Fleet Repair Ship No. 4

 

Locy Type 3b (B-XOO)

1916-02-10

As Fleet Repair Ship No. 4

 

Locy Type 3b (A-OOX) "VERA CRUZ / MEXICO"

1914

As Fleet Repair Ship No. 4

 

Locy Type 3r (AC) "GUANTANAMO / BAY CUBA"

1915-02-05

As Fleet Repair Ship No. 4

 

Locy Type 3r (A) "BLOCK I. / R"

1926-06-04

As AR-4
Official Business

 

Locy Type 3r (A) "G'TMO BAY / CUBA"

1928-03-05

As AR-4
Sailor's Mail

 

Locy Type 3r (A-BTT)

1939-06-15

As AR-4

 

Locy Type 3r (AC-BBB) "SAN PEDRO / CALIF"

1938-07-29

As AR-4
Cachet by Walter G. Crosby

 

Locy Type 3r (AC-BBB) "RING IN THE / NEW YEAR"

1940-01-01

As AR-4
New Years Day 1940

 

Locy Type 3s

1922-12-13

As AR-4

 

Locy Type 3s (A-TTT) "28TH / ANNIVERSARY"

1937-10-04

As AR-4
28th Anniversary, Cachet by Frederick Horton

 

Locy Type 3s (A-TTT)

1934-11-29

As AR-4

 

Locy Type 3z (BBT)

1942-03-07

As AR-4
Add-on cachet by Bruce D. Liddell

 

Locy Type 6

1931-10-30

As AR-4

 

Locy Type 6

1933-06-10

As AR-4
Cachet by John Paul Jones Chapter No. 2, USCS

 

Locy Type 6

1932-09-27

As AR-4

 

Locy Type 9v

1937-12-25

As AR-4
Multiple mark cover
Christmas 1937 - New Year 1940

 

Locy Type 9efw

1937-12-25

As AR-4
Multiple mark cover
Christmas 1937 - New Year 1940

 

Locy Type 9x

1937-12-25

As AR-4
Multiple mark cover
Christmas 1937 - New Year 1940

 

Locy Type F USCS Catalog Illustration V-8c

1940-06-16

As AR-4

 

Locy Type F USCS Catalog Illustration V-8d

1946-05-07

As AR-4

 

Locy Type Fz USCS Catalog Illustration V-8e

1941-06-14

As AR-4
Flag Day, cachet by Jacques Minkus

 

Locy Type Fz USCS Catalog Illustration V-8e

1941-10-27

As AR-4
Navy Day 1941
Cachet by John Paul Jones Chapter No. 2, USCS

 

Locy Type SLK

1937-12-25

As AR-4
Multiple mark cover
Christmas 1937 - New Year 1940

 

Locy Type SLKb (53x8)

c1937

As AR-4
Undated straightline mark

 

Locy Type SLPb (53x8)

1937-07-04

As AR-4
Cachet is thermographed. The last digit of the date is illegible. 1937 is a best guess based on the known date range for this postmark.

 

Other Information

Earned 2 Battle Stars (WWII)
* Pearl Harbor December 7 1941

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons...
Combat Action Ribbon
Mexican Service Medal
China Service Medal
World War I Victory Medal
American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp)
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
World War II Victory Medal
Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

For his actions on December 7 1941 at Pearl Harbor, T.H., the VESTAL's Commanding Officer, Cdr. Cassin Young, was awarded the Medal of Honor

Members of the VESTAL's Repair Department that proceeded to sea in USS SARATOGA CV-3 before her repairs were completed were awarded the Navy Unit Commendation along with the SARATOGA's crew

NAMESAKE - Named for a virgin—dedicated to Vesta, the Roman goddess of hearth and fire—who tended the sacred fire kept perpetually burning on her altar

Undated postcard of the ship:

 

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