ARCTIC CHRONOLOGY

 

A Postal History Gallery of Related Events

1959-60





Evacuation of Ice Station NP6

 

Official Radiogram message from Moscow to the airfield at Franz Josef Land and polar pilot Ivan Cherevichnyi on August 9, 1959:

"Please give the detailed information concerning evacuation of NP6 for the press".

 

Radiogram sent from the drifting Ice Station NP6 to the station of the plane 04179, attention of pilot Cherevichnyi. It provided the size of the takeoff and landing strip on the ice island to be used for the evacuation. Signed by the Station Leader Antonov Komarov, September 1959.





 

Submarine Studies of the Polar Basin Continue

A naval post office was established on the USS SARGO during the 1960 cruise into the Bering and Chukchi Seas. A limited allowance was made for collectors mail.



 

The First Submerged Northwest Passage


The nuclear submarine SEA DRAGON made the first submerged east-west crossing of the polar basin via the North Pole in September of 1960.

 






A Grounded Ice Island

The grounded Ice Island T3 was officially transferred to the US Navy in 1960 on a "Where is" and "As is" basis. During the final season under Air Force administration, the designation "Bravo" finally began to appear on cachets, however the change was not complete.

 





Bravo to the Air Force !!

The final cachets used on mail from the floating ice island during 1960 finally omitted reference to T3. The ice station was transferred to the US Navy the following year.


(Exhibition pieces courtesy of George Hall)