BIVIN DE 536

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

John C. Butler Class Destroyer Escort Keel Laid 3 November 1943 - Launched 7 December 1943 USS BIVIN DE-536 Commissioned 31 October 1944 - Decommissioned 15 January 1947 Struck from Naval Register 30 June 1968 Sunk 17 July 1969 as target off California

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each name of the ship (for example, Bushnell AG-32 / Sumner AGS-5 are different names for the same ship so there should be one set of pages for Bushnell and one set for Sumner). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. USS Bivin DE-536 Covers Page 1     (1946)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each name and/or commissioning period. Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

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Post Office Established 20 September 1944 - Disestablished 14 May 1946

 

Locy Type 2rtz (used after POD)

1946-08-02

Post office disestablished May 14 1946. Additional SL added.

 

Locy Type 2z

1945-04-15

Censored, sailors mail.

 

Locy Type 2# (Br. #16081)

1946-04-17

Note:

 

Other Information

USS BIVIN earned the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon during her Naval career.

NAMESAKE - Seaman 1st Class Vernard Eugene Bivin, USN (23 November 1921 - 12 October 1942)
Bivin enlisted in the Navy at Louisville, Kentucky, on 26 March 1940. Seaman 1st Class Bivin served as trainer on one of the heavy cruiser USS SALT LAKE CITY CA-25's 5"/25 guns during the Battle of Cape Esperance on the night of 11-12 October 1942, when Task Group 62.4, under Rear Admiral Norman Scott, engaged a Japanese force of three heavy cruisers and two destroyers bent on shelling Henderson Field. Although SALT LAKE CITY and light cruiser USS BOISE CL-47 crippled Japanese heavy cruiser FURUTAKA during that fierce night engagement; both cruisers suffered damage in the fierce night action. S1c Bivin remained at his battle station, executing his duties so well that none of the other members of the gun’s crew knew he had been mortally wounded. Only when he collapsed during a lull in the battle, still trying to keep his pointers matched and the gun firing without cessation, did they learn of the extent of the young Kentuckian’s injuries that ultimately claimed his life. His courageous devotion to duty resulted in his being awarded, posthumously, the Navy Cross.

The ships sponsor was Mrs. Ella Florence Bivin, the mother of Seaman 1st Class Bivin.

 

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