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Grosvenor Sale: 151

Great Britain and British Commonwealth
Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate
image Sale No: 151
Lot No:950
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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)



Opening GBP 80.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
Sold For 0

image Sale No: 151
Lot No:951
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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)



Opening GBP 100.00
Sold...GBP 300.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
Sold For 300

image Sale No: 151
Lot No:952
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Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1940 to 1943, five covers (two endorsed “Interniersenpost”) sent, c/o the German Embassy in Buenos Aires, by airmail from Germany to Graf Spee crew members interned in Argentina, four being to Verw.-Feldwebel Paul Maiwald (one with sender’s typed note “Graf Spee Besatzung”) and sent from Namslau or Wölfelsdorf (3), the other to Masch. Maat Paul Hohn and sent stampless from Kiel with postage due marking and two resealing labels, having been censored by German military authorities and again in the U.S.A., also two picture postcards of the ship. Photo. (Image1)



Opening GBP 200.00
Sold...GBP 250.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
Sold For 250

Sale No: 151
Lot No:953
Symbol:

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.



Opening GBP 150.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
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image Sale No: 151
Lot No:954
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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)



Opening GBP 100.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
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image Sale No: 151
Lot No:955
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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)



Opening GBP 80.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
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image Sale No: 151
Lot No:956
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Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1941 (Dec. 15) plain P.O.W. lettersheet 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)



Opening GBP 80.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
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image Sale No: 151
Lot No:957
Symbol:/ On

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)



Opening GBP 100.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
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image Sale No: 151
Lot No:958
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Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1942 (Aug. 28) envelope from Berlin addressed to the German Embassy in Buenos Aires and endorsed as containing a message for Alfred Konrad interned from the “Admiral Graf Spee” on the island of Martin Garcia, the sender’s endorsement “Karl Conrad” on flap suggesting that the message was from a relative. The envelope with resealing labels having been censored by German military authorities and again in the U.S.A., and with Buenos Aires and Las Varillas (Cordoba) backstamps. Photo. (Image1)



Opening GBP 250.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
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image Sale No: 151
Lot No:959
Symbol:/ On

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)



Opening GBP 80.00
Sold...GBP 60.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
Sold For 60

image Sale No: 151
Lot No:960
Symbol:/ On

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)



Opening GBP 180.00
Sold...GBP 140.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
Sold For 140

image Sale No: 151
Lot No:961
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Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, “Graf Spee” ?Internees, 1946 stampless envelope with purple circular “FROM H.M. SHIP”, with endorsement sent from the “Highland Monarch” by Mach.-Ob.-Gefr. Gerhard Hävernick to his wife in Buenos Aires and Apr. 3 machine arrival on reverse. Also an unused photographic postcard of the ship and two further intriguing covers to Mrs. Hävernick suggesting an unhappy story, the first sent registered by her husband from Isla de la Ventana and likely containing money, the second sent 1948 (Jan. 14) from the camp for undesirable aliens at Le Fraschette di Alatri, Italy. (3 covers) The crew of the “Graf Spee” were compulsorily repatriated on the “Highland Monarch”, departing on Feb. 15 1946, although many did not wish to leave. In the confusion prior to departure, the British attaché noted a suspicion that “some substitutions might have occurred” and afterward a significant proportion of the original crew chose to return to Argentina. Photo. (Image1)



Opening GBP 150.00
Sold...GBP 110.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
Sold For 110
Sale No: 151
Lot No:962
Symbol:/ On
Cat No:Collection

Falkland Islands: 1939 Battle of the River Plate, ?collection on leaves etc. incl. postcards of British ships, Falklands postcard (Heyburn AB-5-ab) to London written from the Islands bearing G.B. 1/2d. pair cancelled Feb. 4 1937 “RECEIVED FROM/HM SHIPS” on arrival, ephemera incl. 1940 Admiralty report, H.M.S. “Ajax” and “Exeter” ship Christmas cards, 1938 printed HMS “Exeter” Christmas dinner menu, “Graf Spee” postcards of ship incl. sent by crew member before departure, Capt. Langsdorff and crew, damage to ship, postcards set of photographs of scuttling, Argentine Naval Ministry printed day pass permitting German Ambassador passage to Isla Martín García to visit Capt. Robert Höpfner, with cachets (Höpfner had been permitted to work at the embassy with intelligence officer Dietrich Niebuhr), etc.



Opening GBP 200.00
Sold...GBP 500.00


Closed..Mar-14-2023, 03:00:00 EST
Sold For 500


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