17 Whaling Season 1959/1960


Karl A Wirgenes working on the whale factory ship “Thorshøvdi” sent this letter to there familie in Lardal. 



Letter  was written on the whaling ground 17.2.1960, and delivered to a transport ship coming down with fuel oil and bringing whale oil (and mail) back to Europe. The transport ship visited Dakar (sea port in Senegal) and delivered all the letters in a bag to the post office in Dakar.

Letter were cancelled 19.III.1960 with the Federation du Mali cancel. Federation du Mali was a short-lived union between the two French colonies Senegal and French Soudan under the name Federation du Mali. The union was formed in 1959. After the union got independence in 1960, it was dissolved. Senegal took its old name -- Senegal, while French Soudan took the name Mali. Airmail letter from Dakar to Norway.

 


 



Norwegian whaling factory ship Thorshøvdi, sometime between 1948 and 1966. Note ramp for hauling the whale aboard.


Airmail letter, sent from Teie on 4-12-1959, to Ole Amundsen,  working as a gunner at the whaler H / B Busen 5, Husvik station Harbor South Georgia, This letter, via Messrs. Maclean & Stapleton S.A. shipping agency based in Montevideo Urguay. There was the supply ship RMS Darwin, which sailed in between several South American ports and the Falkland Islands.

Rate: letter abroad, from 1-4-1959 to 1-1-1969 was 90 øre, airmail rate, for Central and South America between 1-8-1953 and 1-7-1971 was 50 øre per 5 grams. Total postal value 190 øre. Airmail rate twice, because one note in the lower left corner makes it clear that the letter more than Weighs 5 grams.

The RMS Darwin was completed in 1957 built for the Falkland Islands Company Limited in Goole. It was a steamship with one single propeller with a registered tonnage of 738.55.

Letter sent from Leith Harbour 10.6.1959 from whaler K. Karlsen, to his familie in Skjeberg, living in Østfold, a county situated on the eastern side of the Oslo-fjord. Postage value = 1 shilling per 5 grammes Air Mail for foreign countries was in force from 6. October 1950 until 15. February 1971. (5 grammes x 2 =10 grammes ). This season he seems to be on board a whale catcher named Southern Soldier, that particular season catching for factory ship Southern Harvester owned by the Salvesen company.


Whalers at work at the whale factory ship Southern Harvester




The letter is addressed to Einar Stiansen who worked in the laundry of the factory ship "Norhval". The letter was sent on 11-14-1959 via the whaler Nortreff who for some reason was due to visit Montevideo in the middle of the season. The letter would have been sent by ship to the agent of the expedition Agencia Agentura, Christophersen S. A. P.O. Box 295 in Montevideo. Rate for a letter abroad was 90 øre from 1-4-1959 to 1-1-1969 to 20 grams. Transport to Montevideo, went in a mail bag by ship.

Whale Catcher "Nortreff", built in 1955. Owner, Globus & Polaris A / S, Larvik

Whale factory “Norhvall” built in 1945, owner, Globus & Polaris A / S, Larvik.

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