Ref: G5156
- £135.00
S S EMPIRE STAR. The 11,093 ton Empire Star, owned by Frederick Leyland and Co sailed from New Zealand on 30th May 1938, arriving in London 4th July. At some stage between these dates the mail was damaged, badly enough that on the known covers, the stamps have been washed off. Two possibilities are that either the hold in which the mail was stored got flooded or alternatively the mailbag fell into the water when unloading. Two explanatory cachets were used, one a red two line ‘DAMAGED BY SEA / WATER’, the other a violet one line ‘DAMAGED BY SEA – WATER’. This cover that is cancelled Wanganui 30 MAY 1938 has the red cachet. Uncommon.
