Ref: G1502
- £490.00
Owned by the British Transport Commission, the 2694 ton steamship 'Princess Victoria' was the ferry on the Larne to Stranraer route. On 31 January 1953, in very heavy seas in the Irish Sea, her car deck doors burst open, flooding the interior and finally capsizing her. She sank with the loss of 134 lives. A couple of mailbags were subsequently washed ashore a few weeks later, and received either a cachet 'DAMAGED BY SEA WATER', or a post office notification. This envelope from Middleton, Manchester, with the original letter enclosed, was posted on 30 JAN 1953 to Lisburn, Northern Ireland. The purple 'DAMAGED BY / SEA WATER' handstamp was applied in Dublin where the recovered mail was sent. A rare item, about 10 recorded.
