HAROLD J ELLISON DD 864

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.

Gearing Class Destroyer Keel Laid October 3 1944 - Launched March 14 1945 USS HAROLD J. ELLISON DD-864 Commissioned June 23 1945 - Decommissioned October 1 1983 Stricken from Naval Register October 1 1983 PNS SHAH JAHAN D-164 (Pakistani Naval Service) Sold to Pakistan October 1 1983 and renamed Stricken by Pakistan 1994 Cannibalized and sunk as a missile target

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. Covers Page 1    (1946-72)

 

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 2(n) (plain killers) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. H-13

1946-05-11

War Games, cachet by the Morris W. Beck

 

Locy Type 2(n) (plain killers) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. H-13

1947-01-28 to 1947-01-29

Note:

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS) (Black Ink)

1965-03-23

GEMINI Recovery Force, cachet by the Morris W. Beck

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS) (Blue Ink)

1965-03-23

GEMINI Recovery Force, cachet by the Morris W. Beck

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS) (Gold Ink)

1965-03-23

GEMINI Recovery Force, cachet by the Morris W. Beck

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS)

1969-07-22

Official Ship's Cachet

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u) (USS)

1972-07-01

Official Ship's Cachet

 

Locy Type 9ef(nu) 1946

1947-01-28 to 1947-01-29

Note:

 

Locy Type 9ef(nu) 1966

1966-04-08

Note:

 

Locy Type 9eft(nu) (USS)

1972-07-01

Official Ship's Cachet. Weak strike of this postmark.

 

Locy Type 9# (Br. #15968)

1947-01-28 to 1947-01-29

Note:

 

Locy Type LDPS 2t(n+u)

1972-07-06

Last Day Postal Service

 

Locy Type LDPS 9eft(nu)

1972-07-06

Last Day Postal Service

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Mailer's Postmark Permit 18203 Philadelphia PA

1983-06-23

No Image

38th Anniversary and Open House, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

USPS Pictorial "B Free Franklin Station" Philadelphia PA

1983-10-01

No Image

Decommissioning, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Other Information

NAMESAKE - Harold Ellison USN (? - June 5 1942)
Ellison was appointed Ensign October 20 1941 after completing flight training. Soon afterwards he reported to Torpedo Squadron 8 on board famous Carrier USS HORNET CV-8. In the pivotal battle of Midway, June 4-5 1942, Ellison and his comrades led a torpedo attack on the Japanese ships, pressing home, the attack without fighter cover and knowing they had insufficient fuel to return to HORNET. Though no hits were scored in this first attack, the torpedo bombers diverted the Japanese ships, decoyed their combat air patrols away from Navy dive bombers, and thus contributed importantly to the great victory. Ensign Ellison was presumed dead June 5 1942 and received the Navy Cross posthumously for his gallantry.

 

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