Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate: HMS “Achilles”: Selection on leaves incl. boxed Naval Censor No. 10 mark in red on 1941 cover from the ship to Antarctic explorer Dr. J. Harvey Pirie in London (ex Alan Brown) at 5s.9d. rate and in blue-black on stampless cover to Auckland with framed “ON ACTIVE SERVICE”, also stampless “H.M. Ships” envelope to Switzerland and 1934 cover from Montserrat to Antigua flown by aircraft from “Achilles”, both ms. with endorsement, also 1935 incoming cover to Commander Cooper bearing Gibraltar 1935 Silver Jubilee set, photographs etc. (16 items) (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate: HMS “Ajax”: A correspondence of covers to and from Leading Gunner A.G. Tompkins on board ship, 23 sent by his wife from Portsmouth or Plymouth between 1938 (Oct.) and 1940 (Apr.) addressed c/o the G.P.O. in London from Plymouth or Portsmouth, most redirected to South American ports, all at the 6d. airmail rate except the last reflecting a major increase to 1s.3d., 17 sent by Tompkins to his wife in the U.K., posted from a range of South American or Caribbean countries, some with “Ajax” Mail Office dated cachet. also a further eight covers addressed to Tompkins on the ship sent from other countries and three addressed to him in 1933-34 whilst serving on HMS “Milford”. (51 covers) Alexander George Edward Tompkins (1904-1944) was ranked as an Officer on the “Ajax” during the Battle of the River Plate and later appointed Lieutenant Commander of HMS “Newfoundland” but was killed by a V1 strike in London in July 1944.

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, HMS “Ajax”, selection incl. range of pre-War covers sent from the ship incl. self-addressed by Lt. G.R. Watkins, crested covers sent 1938 from Fox Bay bearing 1/2d. to 1s. (8 values) and 1939 to London with framed “PASSED BY CENSOR” in red and cancelled on arrival on Nov. 6, 1939 incoming cover to Lt. P.M. Rouse with enclosure, 1939 incoming telegram to Montevideo, cuttings, commemorative items, etc.

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate: HMS “Ajax”: Official greetings message to the people of Uruguay on entry to Montevideo, dated Jan. 3 1940 from the “Ajax” and signed by Admiral Harwood, folded twice, also apparently a first rough draft of the message in English with corrections and amendments. (2 items) Admiral Sir Henry Harwood (1888-1950) had been appointed Commodore in command of the South American Division of the America and West Indies Station in 1936, “Ajax” being his flagship. For his actions in bringing an end to the “Graf Spee”, Harwood was promoted to rear admiral and knighted. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, HMS “Exeter”: Selection incl. 1941 stampless to England with enclosed letter on ship stationery, covers or cards showing “MAIL OFFICE”, “M.A.A.’s OFFICE” and “THE COMMANDING OFFICER” oval datestamps, 1942 covers (3) to Leading Stores Asst. E.H. Davies with return label due to addressee “missing, On Active Service” after the sinking of the ship on Mar. 1 1942 in the Java Sea and 1943 postcard to E.R.A. John King whilst held as a P.O.W. by the Japanese, also ephemera with Christmas cards, contemporary personal and reproduced photographs, etc. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate: HMS “Exeter”: Stampless ‘O.A.S.’ envelope sent from HMS “Exeter” by seaman George A. Symons to his wife ?(née Barbara Ilman) in Teignmouth, Devon showing straight line small capitals “PASSED BY CENSOR” in red (Heijtz cat. £300), initialled “JC” (ship’s surgeon John Cussen) in pencil, and London Nov. 6 1939 “RECEIVED FROM/H.M. SHIPS” receiving machine cancellation, 11/2d. due marking incorrectly applied and deleted in pencil. Transferred at sea to HMS “Ajax” prior to visiting Stanley for self re-fit from Sept. 12-19 1939. The property of another vendor. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate: HMS “Exeter”: Two stampless ‘O.A.S.’ envelopes sent from HMS “Exeter” by seaman George A. Symons to his wife in Teignmouth, Devon, both showing straight line capitals “PASSED BY CENSOR” in red, large and small respectively (each Heijtz cat. £300), initialled, both with London “RECEIVED FROM/H.M. SHIPS” receiving machine cancellation, the first Nov. 16 1939, the second Jan. 17 1940 but dated before battle “1/12/39” in ms. on reverse. (2 items) Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate: HMS “Exeter”: Stampless ‘O.A.S.’ envelope sent from HMS “Exeter” by seaman George A. Symons to his wife in Teignmouth, Devon showing straight line small capitals “PASSED BY CENSOR” in red (Heijtz cat. £300), initialled, with London Dec. 28 1939 “RECEIVED FROM/H.M. SHIPS” receiving machine cancellation, also earlier cover from the correspondence sent May 4 1939 from Bermuda (the home base for “Exeter”) franked 2d. (2 items) Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate: Unusual cover addressed to E.V. Millington-Drake at the British Legation in Montevideo, sent July 3 1941 from Ludlow, Shropshire endorsed “via North Atlantic Service/and Pan American from New York” with airmail etiquette and franked by 1s. and 2s.6d. brown with July 19 arrival on reverse. Sir John Henry Eugen Vanderstegen Millington-Drake, KCMG (1889-1972) served as Minister to Uruguay from 1934 to 1941 and played a key part in the British diplomatic effort to first hasten the departure, and then hold in port for as long as possible, the “Graf Spee”. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1940 to 1942, four stampless covers addressed to Matr.-Ob.-Gefr. Ewald Niewiak in Mendoza, apparently sent surface mail from Leipzig and censored in both Berlin and Trinidad, one endorsed “Mit Luftpost über Lissabon–/Bolama-Natal”. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, Four covers incoming from Germany at the 175pf. for 5g. airmail rate, franked by Hindenburg adhesives, the first sent 1940 (Feb. 25) to Bootsmaat Kurt Friedrich and uncensored, (Feb. 5) and (June 15) to Matr.-Haupt.-Gefr. Hans Leidemer only, all from Kiel, and 1941 (Jan. 3) from Stassfurt to Matrose (II) Karl Tyson, each censored in Germany only. (4 covers) Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1940 (Apr. 29) Ministerio de Marina document confirming permission for three doctors from the “Graf Spee” crew to work in the community and their salaries, also 1941 (Oct. 12), 1942 (Apr. 12), 1943 (Nov. 27) three Argentine Naval Ministry parole slips (’furloughs’) individually signed by Stbs. Masch. Fritz Banse, Stbs. Ob. Verw. Feldw. Wilhelm Denckert and Stbs. Masch. Fritz Pruessner staying in hotels on the mainland (Banse in Hotel Adam, reputed to be the local brothel), each with “Kriegsmarine/Kommando Panzerschiff Admiral Graf Spee” cachet in blue-green, black and violet respectively. (4 items) Between April 1940 and the end of 1941, all but six of the Graf Spee officers, and about 200 technical NCOs, absconded from internment and returned to Germany where the majority served in the U-boat Arm. Argentine naval connivance was suspected but never proved.

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, San Juan, 1940 incoming German 6pf. stationery card addressed to Machinin-Ob.-Gebr. Friedrich Bachmann, sent June 15 from Wittelshofen and censored in Germany, also airmail envelope sent Oct. 3 from Frankenstein, twice censored in Germany, forwarded with re-address label to Matr.-Ob.-Gefr. Erich Pilz in San Juan, 1942 (June 6) airmail envelope “Via Panair/Natal-Lisboa” sent by Matr.-Ob.-Gefr. Erich Sass to Warnemünde, censored in Trinidad (this unknown to the internees) and on arrival. (3 covers) A group of 50 men were transferred to San Juan in the north east of the country on Apr. 1 1940, later relocated to Mendoza after an earthquake. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1942 (June 10) Argentine Red Cross postage free printed postcard with two strikes of Isla Martin Garcia c.d.s, to the Red Cross International Prisoners of War Agency in Geneva notifying the escape of Kapitanleutnant Joachim Kuhn in Aug. 1940, archival punched holes at left and handstamp. Between April 1940 and the end of 1941, all but six of the Graf Spee officers, and about 200 technical NCOs, absconded from internment and returned to Germany where the majority served in the U-boat Arm. Argentine naval connivance was suspected but never proved. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, Isla Martín García, 1940 (Nov. 5) stampless cover locally addressed to Palermo by Bootsmaat Fritz Langer with Isla Martín García despatch c.d.s., red boxed “FRANCHISE POSTALE/Convention Postale Universelle-Art.49§2” handstamp and sender’s endorsement, “VIA CONDOR” covers (3) to Germany, censored and with endorsements, sent 1940 (Mar. 31) and (Dec. 31) by Ob.-Mech.-Maat Herbert Klemm from Buenos Aires and (Dec. 3) by Funk-Ob.-Gefr. Martin Coutureau from the island, also a further cover to Germany from unidentified patient in the German Hospital in Buenos Aires. (5 items) Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1940 (Dec. 4) telegram sent by Fregattenkapitän Walter Kay to the commander of the Isla Martín García camp from the Hotel Jousten requesting extended leave of absence for Walter or Herbert Reinhold until Dec. 10, also (July 5) telegram to the commander from the German Hospital in Buenos Aires advising delayed return of another internee and 1942 telegraph receipt to the Prison Hospital with “SIN PREVIO PAGO” and archival handstamps, Isla Martín García arrival c.d.s. of June 16. (3 items) Kay served as First Officer on the “Graf Spee” and assumed responsibility for the more than 1,000 members of the ship’s company after the suicide of Capt. Hans Langsdorff. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, Santa Fe, 1941 incoming Condor envelope addressed to Mechanikers-Gefr. Hans Dobler, sent Mar. 31 from Naval Flak Unit 231 in Rensburg and censored in Germany, forwarded by the German Embassy in Buenos Aires to Santa Fe, also 1944 (Sept. 2) registered airmail cover sent by Bootsmaat Heinz Georgi to Rittersgrün, censored in Puerto Rico and on arrival, with endorsement from Santa Fe. (2 covers) 200 men were transferred to Santa Fe on Mar. 29 1940 but the programme administered by the German Consulate proved inadequate and 100 were subsequently sent on to Rosario. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1941 stampless cover to Bootsmaat Joachim Klinkmüller on Isla Martín García sent from Feldpost 15447 Aug. 5, censored in Berlin and subsequently ‘officially sealed’, and 1942 to the German Consulate in Córdoba sent Sept. 10 from Stargard, Pomerania franked 1RM80pf., the first by surface mail (possibly neutral country mailship), the second airmail by FAM18 and both censored in Bermuda, also 1944 to Matr.-Ob.-Gefr. Erich Pilz at a private address in Buenos Aires, posted free from Hainichen on Aug. 2 and censored in Vienna, unusually routed via Egypt with resealing label and framed “P/W MIDDLE/EAST. 106”. (3 covers) Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, Two covers sent from the Isla Martín García camp where “Graf Spee” crew were held, both with Armada Argentina and two line “CORRESPONDENCIA OFICIAL/ISLA MARTIN GARCIA” cachets, one a Ministerio de Marina envelope sent 1941 (Sept. 21) locally addressed and franked Official 10c., the other a later window envelope sent 1951 franked Official 5c., 15c. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1941 (Dec. 15) plain P.O.W. lettersheeet sent from “No. 15 P.O.W. Camp, Great Britain” by Georg-Robert Ratsch to his family in Germany with camp’s double oval cachet in violet and octagonal crown censor mark in red. Leutnant z. S. Ratsch was among the first officers of the “Graf Spee” to escape from internment, returning to Germany and retraining for service on E-Boats but subsequently seriously wounded during the action in the North Sea in which "S 38" was sunk and Ratsch captured as a P.O.W. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1942 (Feb. 24) German Red Cross form sent to Leipzig by Matr.-Ob.-Gefr. Ewald Niewiak interned in Mendoza with transit marks and addressee’s reply on reverse, these forms having been used twice in Dec. 1939 and Feb./Mar. 1942, also (June 10) Argentine Red Cross postage free printed postcard with two strikes of Isla Martin Garcia c.d.s, to the Red Cross International Prisoners of War Agency in Geneva notifying the escape of Kapitänleutnant Joachim Kuhn. Between April 1940 and the end of 1941, all but six of the Graf Spee officers, and about 200 technical NCOs, absconded from internment and returned to Germany where the majority served in the U-boat Arm. Argentine naval connivance was suspected but never proved. (2 items) Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1943 stampless incoming cover with long enclosed letter to Ob. Mach. Walter Prehl at Isla Martín García, sent by his wife from Kiel on June 17, prepaid in cash and sent airmail, censored in Vienna, carried by FAM 18 from Lisbon and transferred to FAM 22, apparently censored in Puerto Rico with clear U.S. clear censor tape, ms. arrival note on reverse of Sept. 16, most unusual. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, Córdoba, 1943 stampless incoming envelope sent from Berlin Nov. 9 pre-paid 180pf., addressed to Masch.-Ob.Gefr. Alfred Konrad via the German Embassy with street address in Córdoba, endorsed “über Lissabon - Via Natal-Bolama”, twice censored. 252 men were interned in Córdoba, the main group in town and a smaller group 50 miles out. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, Sierra de la Ventana, 1944 cover addressed to Matr.-Ob.-Gefr. Kurt Voigt sent internally May 22 from Buenos Aires franked 5c., and 1944 (July 7) registered airmail cover to Hamburg, censored at Puerto Rico and on arrival, endorsed sent by Ob.-Mech.-Maat Herbert Klemm, also stampless earlier “Gefangenpost” cover to Voigt sent Feb. 23 from Eisenach c/o the German Embassy in Buenos Aires. (3 covers) Following a request for transfer to a healthier site on the mainland the Isla Martín García internees were moved to a disused hotel in Sierra de la Ventana. Photo. (Image1)

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1944 (May 21) cover sent by Fregattenkapitän Walter Kay, second-in command of the “Admiral Graf Spee” interned on the island of Martin Garcia, registered to Hamburg, redirected to Kulmbach and Thurnau, endorsed “Via Natal-Bolama-Lisboa” and with typed sender’s endorsement on flap, franked by Argentine 40c. and 1p.25 tied by Isla Martin Garcia c.d.s., showing U.S. censor clear resealing tape, German censor resealing label and cachet, transit and arrival backstamps. Photo. (Image1)