A Christmas greeting to India and back

U.S. Stamp Notes by John M. Hotchner

The cover shown above began its journey in North Hollywood, Calif., on Dec. 18, 1945. It is addressed to a sailor aboard the SS American Victory, which was expected to call at Calcutta, India. The two Twin-Motored Transport Plane airmail stamps (Scott C29, C31) paid the 70¢ airmail rate from the United States to India.

American Victory was a Victory ship launched during the final months of World War II and saw service in the Pacific theater of operations. After the war, the ship was used to collect military cargo being returned to the United States from South Asia and the Middle East.

It was later used in the Korean War and Vietnam War, before being retired to the reserve fleet in 1969. Thirty years later the vessel was turned over to become the main feature of the American Victory Ship and Museum in Tampa, Fla.

But back to 1945. By the time the letter got to the point of delivery on Jan. 3, 1946 (per the backstamp), the addressee had apparently signed off the American Victory and the envelope got a large “NOT ON BOARD, AMERICAN EXPORT LINES” handstamp on the front. The letter was returned addressed to the American Export Lines office in New York City, arriving in Jersey City, N.J., on April 12, 1946, according to another back cancel.

Presumably some effort was made to deliver the letter in New York, but that was fruitless, garnering only another handstamp saying “UNKNOWN AMERICAN EXPORT LINES.” At this point (again per a backstamp dated May 16, 1946), the post office in Jersey City threw up its hands and put its own purple Return to Sender pointing finger handstamp on the front, sending it on its way back to North Hollywood.

Another feature of this cover is the nice pair of 1945 Christmas seals (Scott WX125) that is tied by the “UNKNOWN AMERICAN EXPORT LINES” handstamp.

This fits into many collecting categories, such as transport airmail, Christmas mail, foreign destinations, World War II history, Christmas seal collecting, and more. To me, it is a nice example of what 70¢ postage can get you — a cover traveling in search of the addressee for more than five months and over a distanace of 15,000 miles. Impressive.

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