CHILDS AVD 1

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.

Clemson Class Destroyer Keel Laid 19 March 1919 - Launched 15 September 1920 USS CHILDS DD-241 Commissioned 22 October 1920 - Decommissioned 1 March 1935 Recommissioned 7 July 1935 USS CHILDS AVP-14 Reclassified Small Seaplane Tender (AVP) 1 July 1938 USS CHILDS AVD-1 Reclassified Seaplane Tender-Destroyer (AVD) 1 October 1940 Decommissioned 10 December 1945 Stricken 3 January 1946 Sold 23 May 1946 and broken up for scrap

Lieutenant Earle W. F. Childs, USN

 

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 incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). 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 Childs DD-241 Covers Page 1    (1923-1938)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). 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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1st Commissioning 22 October 1920 to 1 March 1935

 

Locy Type 3(n)s "BALBOA / CANAL ZONE,"

1923-03-19

As DD-241

 

Locy Type 3r

1930-12-08

As DD-241

 

Locy Type 3r

1930-12-14

As DD-241. 1930 Christmas seal on reverse

 

Locy Type 3r

1934-09-23

As DD-241
"The Fleet Is In" - Newport RI. Cover designed and autographed by P. J. (PeeJay) Ickeringill.
Other signatures are Ken Yates, USCS 438, Charles Northup, USCS 414 and June Newell, USCS 428. All of Providence, RI.

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2nd Commissioning 7 July 1935 to 10 December 1945

 

Locy Type 3 (AC-TBB) "CANAL ZONE / ANIV."

1936-08-15

As DD-241. Cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson

 

Locy Type 3r "DECATUR / CONVENTION"

1938-10-23

As AVP-14. Cachet by Al Cohen, sponsored by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 3r (AC-BBT) "FIRST DAY / THIS CANCEL"

1938-10-23

As AVP-14. Cachet by Al Cohen, sponsored by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 3r (AC-BBT) "FIRST DAY / AS TENDER"

1938-12-29

As AVP-14. Cachet by Dr. S. E. Hutnick

 

Locy Type 9v USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. C-44

1938-10-23

As AVP-14. Cachet by Al Cohen, sponsored by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 9v USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. C-44b

1938-10-23

As AVP-14. Cachet by Al Cohen, sponsored by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 9x

1938-10-23

As AVP-14. Cachet by Al Cohen, sponsored by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Other Information

USS Childs earned the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (w/ 1 Battle star), the World War II Victory Medal and the Philippines Defense Medal during her career.

NAMESAKE - Lieutenant Earle Wayne Freed Childs, USN (1 August 1893 – 6 March 1918).
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Childs was a member of the Naval Academy class of 1915. He was appointed temporary Lieutenant on 15 October, 1917. As a lieutenant, he served in World War I in the submarine L-2. On board HMS H-5 as an observer, Lieutenant Childs was lost on 2 March 1918 when H-5 sank with all hands after a collision with a merchantman SS Rutherglen off the English coast. Lt. Childs was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously. The citation reads: "The Navy Cross is awarded to Lieutenant Earl W. F. Childs, U.S. Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service engaged in the important, exacting and hazardous submarine duty in the war zone".

 

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