The Wreck & Crash Mail Society
The wreck of
thesouthbound Delaware & Hudson train on September 3, 1908
The mail car is in the
middle
The Wreck & Crash Mail Society is a recent Affiliate of the American Philatelic Society
Publishers of "La Catastrophe", issued quarterly in March, June, September & December - Vermeil medal winner at Stamp Expo 400, Albany, New York - September 2009
The Wreck & Crash Mail Society was formed in the latter part of 1994, and is devoted to the collecting and study of all aspects of delayed and/or damaged mail and interrupted mail services. Currently the Society is composed of four study groups, namely: the Air Crash Study Group, The Railroad Wreck Study Group, the Ship Wreck Study Group, and the Suspended Mail/Conflicts Study Group.
The Society publishes a quarterly journal "La Catastrophe", which contains articles on all aspects of wreck and crash mail, as well as news on new cover discoveries, auction realizations on wreck and crash mail, and questions from members who are seeking information on their crash and wreck covers and the stories behind them.
The Wreck & Crash Mail Society
normally holds an annual meeting (so far, all have been held in
If you have an interest in this area of
postal history, we believe that the Wreck & Crash Mail Society will fulfill
your interest. Annual membership dues are UK£15.00 or US$25.00, which
includes a subscription to four issues of "La Catastrophe".
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The March 2012 issue of La Catastrophe has been mailed. The feature
article is "Titanic Mail Facing Slips”, by Ken Sanford. April
15, 2012 is the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking.
The facing slips, were found on the body of Titanic mail clerk Oscar Scott
Woody. Sanford’s research has identified 23 different facing slips, where
previously only 13 were recorded. If you
have one or have seen one that isn’t in the article, please send a scan (at
least 300 dpi), and the auction house and date on which it was last sold, and
the amount it sold for. Send to: 
THE HISTORY OF MAIL BOMBS
A Philatelic & Historical Study
by Dale Speirs
A new book from the Wreck & Crash Mail Society
Winner - Vermeil
medal - APS Philatelic Literature Exhibition - Richmond, Virginia, USA - August
2010
This 128 page soft
cover book, with 60 color pages, provides a complete history of letter &
package bombs. Hacking communications systems is not a new thing that
came in with the Internet. The postal system is just as susceptible to
abuse of trust, be it theft, fraud, or striking out at enemies via mail bombs.
Philatelists seldom write about mail bombs for the obvious reason that there is
little material available. Successful mail bombs are usually shredded by
the explosion, and unsuccessful devices are confiscated by police as
evidence. The closest one can get to exhibition material are handstamped
postal markings and labels, indicating that a letter has been inspected by
security forces. Mail bombs are invisible postal history.
The first recorded
mail bomb was in 1764 in Denmark. A mail bomb is known from 1881 in Australia,
and in 1895 a letter bomb was sent to Baron de Rothschild in France, which
exploded when he opened it. Letter bombs and package bombs have been sent
through the mail for various reasons, such as revenge, political causes,
terrorism, personal vendettas, or crazy people who have a grudge against
society, like the famous unibomber.
The book gives a
history and background of all types of mail bombs and the people who sent
them. Many different types of letter bombs are shown and described, as
well as the various types of markings and labels used by postal authorities to
indicate that a letter or package has been inspected to check against bombs or
chemicals, such as anthrax.
The book provides a
fascinating look into an often overlooked aspect of the postal service and
philately.
The
book is available for US$37.50 or
Order
from:
Ken
Sanford
613
Championship Drive
Oxford,
CT – USA 06478-3128
Telephone
& Fax - +1 203 888 9237
Email:
kaerophil(a)gmail.com
Published in the 2nd quarter 2009 edition of The Philatelic Communicator, Journal of the APS Writers Unit #30
Attendees at Annual General Meeting of the Society - London - May 2010
Webmaster - Ken Sanford - 
revised
