M.V "Princess Victoria". 1953 (Jan 30) Covers from Hindhead ...

Hammer

£380

M.V "Princess Victoria". 1953 (Jan 30) Covers from Hindhead or Haywards Heath, water damaged with stamps washed off (one 1½d stamp remaining on the first) and the addresses illegible, accompanied by the Manchester Post Office explanatory slip of 22 May "The enclosed item has been picked up in the Irish Sea by a / Fleetwood trawler and is thought to be part of the mail being / conveyed to Northern Ireland by the "Princess Victoria", which / was sunk on the night of the 31st January last" (the third line of the slip ending with "which", differing from the slip in the previous lot, where the third line ended with "was", both slips with "Northern" correctly spelt, unlike the slip illustrated by Hoggarth & Gwynn). Also a newspaper cutting about the finding of this final mailbag 15 weeks after the sinking, and the treatment of letters at Manchester; and a handwritten letter (May 26, with O.H.M.S envelope) from the Manchester Head Postmaster, sent with these two recovered letters (which could not be delivered) to a collector, "Today I inspected the salvaged remains of the "Princess Victoria" mail and herewith 2 covers, also the official note forwarded with such items as could be sent forward". A rare and interesting group. (2 + letter).