Ukraine Post Ukrainian Resistance to Russian Aggression

UKRPOSHTA (UKRAINE POST) has issued three different versions of a stamp based on the illustration rendered from this post card. It refers to an incident early in the Ukraine-Russian War when the Russian warship “Moskva” (“Moscow”) approached Snake Island (Zmiinyi Island, Ukraine) and demanded Ukrainian border guards surrender. To this ultimatum, the Ukrainian soldiers (who were small in number and did not have the opportunity to escape or hide) suggested that the Russian warship go f*** itself. Afterwards, the phrase became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance against  Russian aggression.

 Ultimately the missile cruiser Moskva -- the Russian Navy flagship of the Black Sea Fleet -- was sunk on 14 April 2022, following a strike on 13 April 2022 in the area of Snake Island, by two missiles from the Ukrainian coastal missile system RK-360MTs “Neptune”.

Subsequently, Ukraine issued different stamp versions, among them being these stamps. Shown here are two different covers with the stamps, as well as a non-stamped post card of a Cossack couple.

 

Olesya Oleksandrivna Vakulenko is the artist. She was born on 30 June 1989 in Kharkiv. In 2012, she graduated from the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, majoring in "Artistic Fabric Modeling". Member of the National Union of Masters of Folk Art of Ukraine. she works in the genres of Ukrainian decorative painting, book and easel graphics, embroidery, batik, clothing painting, and graphic design.

Ukraine Post Tractor & Tank stamp with 'W' Denomination.

UKRPOSHTA (UKRAINE POST) issued on  28 July 2022 issued a special First Day Cover "Good evening, we are from Ukraine!" Tractor & Tank stamp with 'W' denomination. Another stamp of the same design was released earlier with the letter 'M' denomination, which apparently is rare and highly valued amongst collectors. Postmark   cancellation on this FDC stamp originated from Kiev.

About the stamp:Greetings: "Good evening, we are from Ukraine!" became an iconic phrase in 2022 after the Russian military invaded Ukraine. Today, journalists, officials and military personnel start their broadcasts with this phrase; it sounds in musical.

The very phrase "Good evening, we are from Ukraine!" was chosen by Ukrainians, from among 5 topics presented and put to the vote to decide on the next postage stamp from Ukraine. The open competition for the best sketch based on the phrase "Good evening, we are from Ukraine!", involved the submission of 1,500 works. The drawing by Anastasia Bondares was the undisputed winner, after 900,000 respondents had voted.

According to author of the postal edition. Anastasia Bondareta, her drawing is about the fact that every Ukrainian, by virtue of his/her own capabilities, does everything that depends on him/her to bring our Victory closer.

Source: Ukrposhta

USPS Aviation Stamps

 

USPS issued aviation classics like the P-38 Lightning and P-47 Thunderbolt at two different times. 

The P-38 Lightning, 32 cent First Class stamp was released on 19 July 1997. First day postmark originated from  Dayton, Ohio. Venturers at J.W. Fergusson and Sons, Richmond, Virginia printed a total of 161,000,000, using a Photogravure method.

The P-47 Thunderbolt, 37 cent First Class stamp was released on 29 July 2005. It was one of many  aircraft highlighted in the American Advances in Aviation series. First day postmark originated from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd printed a total of 110,000,0000, using a Lithographed method.

This maxim card features an illustration of the P-38 Lightning, but the special postmark used is from the American Advances in Aviation. 

About the P-38 Lightening 

When the US Army Air Corps issued specifications for a high-altitude interceptor in 1937, Lockheed was already aware of the qualities demanded: speed, ceiling, and firepower combined with the ability to carry enough fuel for superior range were essential.  Built to meet these requirements, Lockheed’s P-38 Lightning became one of the most feared and respected aircraft to fly in the Axis skies.  Its firepower was lethal and its long range allowed it to accompany bombers to Berlin and beyond.

The Lightning entered service in 1941 and was deployed in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific during 1942.  Throughout the war it gained steadily in performance, demonstrating remarkable versatility.  Although it achieved its ultimate effectiveness as an escort, the P-38 was also used extensively as a ground-attack aircraft, as well as during night raids, photograph reconnaissance missions, and to drop smokescreen layers.

It was this combination of power and versatility that gained the P-38 a formidable reputation among the Japanese and Germans, who dubbed it the “fork-tailed devil.”  In fact, the Lightning ended the war with more Japanese aircraft to its credit than any other type.  And it was the only American fighter built before WWII to still be in production on VJ Day.  

About the P-47 Thunderbolt

Republic Aviation built the P-47 Thunderbolt during World War II as a high-altitude escort fighter. Carrying three external fuel tanks allowed P-47s to accompany U.S. Army Air Force (AAF) bombers far into German territory and to travel the vast distances of Pacific Ocean operations. In a sustained dive, no other aircraft could stay with it.

In addition, Thunderbolts frequently attacked ground targets like tanks, airfields, and trains while returning from escort duty. Fast and heavily armed, the P-47 became the chief Allied low-altitude fighter-bomber.

The P-47 was the largest single-engine aircraft built during World War II. It was nicknamed the Juggernaut, or “Jug,” because of its huge size. Its sturdy construction and air-cooled radial engine enabled the Jug to sustain severe battle damage and keep flying. The rugged Thunderbolt protected the pilot in all but a nose-first crash.

The AAF acquired the P-47 in greater numbers than any other fighter. By the end of the war, more than 15,600 Thunderbolts had been built. During the war, P-47s were active in almost every theater of operations and in the forces of several Allied nations. Thunderbolts served with Air National Guard units until 1955.

New Zealand Post Anzac Commemoratives - 2014

NEW ZEALAND POST on 2 April 2014 issued Anzac stamps depicting six WWII-era posters produced during the war. Between 1939 and 1945 New Zealand produced hundreds of thousands of posters, window stickers and cards in support of its involvement in World War II. The purpose of these posters was to raise funds, recruit New Zealanders and give advice and information about the war. They helped to create a war-like atmosphere at home and keep people focused on the war effort.

In addition to the stamps, a  First Day Cover was also produced, on which all six stamps were displayed. To the left of the stamps was another ‘Protect New Zealand’ poster which was designed to raise funds for New Zealand’s war effort and appealed to New Zealanders' sense of patriotism.

The stamps were designed by New Zealand Post Ltd, New Zealand. Printer was Southern Colour Print Ltd who used an offset lithography printing method. The number of colours involved a four process colours plus Synseal spot overgloss Stamp size and format was 35mm x 46mm.

70c – Duty Calls the Youth of New Zealand.

This poster was an invitation to young New Zealanders to join the Air Training Corps, founded in 1941 to ensure there were enough future recruits to fill the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ranks. Boys aged between 16 and a half and 18 years were eligible to join. The corps reached its peak strength of 9,244 in May 1944.

70c – Help Farm for Victory.

Also known as the Women’s Land Army, the Women’s Land Service was established in 1940 to meet the shortage of male farming labour caused by conscription in New Zealand. By 1944, more than 2,000 women had joined, all of them employed on farms. This small 'posterette' encouraged young women to 'Help Farm For Victory'.

$1.40 – The Air Force Needs Men!

The pilot in this invitation to join the RNZAF is a self-portrait of the artist, Claude Wade. The heroic theme of the poster tapped into values of patriotism and loyalty. Many New Zealanders answered the call of the RNZAF, with more than 40,000 men and women serving in the war.

$1.90 – Navy Week.

New Zealand’s naval force, which from 1 October 1941 became the Royal New Zealand Navy, grew substantially during the course of the war. This poster is an emotionally charged call for New Zealanders to give money to the war effort through loans - 'New Zealand expects that everyone this week will invest in the 3rd Liberty Loan'.

$2.40 – Army Week.

New Zealanders lent their money to the government to be repaid after the war, known as 'Liberty Loans'. Nearly half of New Zealand's war spending was covered by internal borrowing, so New Zealand had no outstanding overseas debt after the war. Posters like this tried appealing to New Zealanders' sense of patriotism and sacrifice.

$2.90 – Taringa Whakarongo!

The war effort included appeals made in Māori to ensure all citizens were informed and persuaded. Such posters were rare, as government messages were usually delivered orally on the marae. This poster asks for funds for weapons for the war effort, with one line of the text translating to “without weapons we shall perish”

Source: New Zealand Post

New Zealand Peace Issue - 1946

NEW ZEALAND, following the end of World War II, issued a set of 11 stamps to mark the end of the war. These stamps were released as a First Day Cover on 1 April 1946. The postmark for this FDC originated in Lower Hutt (a city in the Wellington area), New Zealand. The designs for this issue were all prepared by James Berry of Wellington. They project a variety of subjects: Victory, Peaceful Government, Tributes, and Memorials.

'Tribute to the People of Britain' - 1½d

This stamp is different in that the idea of Victory is included in the design.The view is of St. Paul's Cathedral in London with the British flag, the 'Union Jack' in the background. The stamp pays tribute to the people of Britain who stood up to the forces of Nazi Germany.

'Faith in Constitutional Government' - 1d        

'In Peace, long may they Reign' - 2d

These two stamps depict aspects of peaceful government. In the 1d value, the New Zealand Houses of Parliament is shown with King George VI in the insert.

The 2d shows the Royal Family - His Majesty King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in a frame representing the Royal Crown.

'Tribute to the Air Force' - 3d   

                    'Tribute to the Army' - 4d

 'Tribute to the Navy and the Mercantile Navy' - 5d

'Tribute to Workers on the Home Front' - 6d

These four stamps pay tribute to different groups of people involved in the war effort. In a war such as World War II, all parts of New Zealand society were helping and contributing towards a common goal.

3d - Depicts the Badge of the Royal New Zealand Air Force surrounded by some of the aircraft flown by New Zealand pilots. New Zealand airmen in large numbers flew with the RAF during the Battle of Britain. They were also found in many other areas of conflict too. 4d - Shows the New Zealand Army Badge with two scenes where the army was involved, fighting in the deserts of North Africa and helping on farms to provide food. New Zealand soldiers saw action in North Africa, Italy and in the Pacific against the Japanese. 5d - Highlights the Navy Badge. In the background on the left is the H.M.N.Z.S. Achilles which took part in the battle of the River Plate where the German pocket battleship Graf Spee was cornered and destroyed.  On the right is the Dominion Monarch one of the many ships carrying troops and produce from New Zealand to England. 6d - Shows the New Zealand Coat of Arms. The scenes behind show two of the many tasks performed by people back in New Zealand working in vital industries and on farms. In many cases, these tasks, normally the role of men, were taken over by women.

'The Service and Devotion of Youth in the Nation's Cause' - 8d

'Remembrance' - 1/shilling

These two stamps are the memorial stamps to remember the many people who lost their lives during the war. 8d - The stained glass window of the Wellington College Memorial Hall features a knight holding a banner depicting the Cross of St George.

1/- (1 shilling) - The National Memorial, Wellington.

'Peace and Tranquillity' - ½d                                      

              

 'A Spirit of Thankfulness' - 9d

Finally, there are two stamps showing the peace which the whole country was looking forward to.

½d - Lake Matheson with the two peaks, Mt Cook and Mt Tasman, in the background. The idea is a beautiful scene in a time of peace. 9d - The Chapel window, Waiho Gorge, with the Franz Joseph Glacier in the background.

Source: Virtual New Zealand Stamps

Papua & New Guinea Post "Pictoral Issue" - 1952

 

PAPUA & NEW GUINEA POST released on 30 October 1952  a set of  First Day Cover stamps entitled "The Pictoral Issue"  showing local topics and bearing the name "Territory of Papua and New Guinea". The topics featured included  local cultures, fauna and flora. These stamps would remain in circulation up until 1959

Papua Post Coronation of King George VI - 1937

PAPUA POST on 4 September 1937 issued four stamps to mark the coronation of King George VI. This particular First Day Cover was registered and posted from Port Moresby (British colony) to an address in Wau, Papua (Dutch colony). Guinea  Airways delivered the letter. Note the air mail sticker is in Dutch and French.

In 1937, Guinea Airways had a Junker Ju 86 eight-passenger airliner flown from Germany in March 1937. It was the final Australian pre-war Junkers. Although it may seem to be a surprising aircraft type to bring to Australia for demonstration and hopefully sale, at that time the Ju 86 looked to be a viable all-metal airliner smaller than the DC-2 for services with lower passenger loadings. Australian Transcontinental Airlines proposed using Ju 86s on its Adelaide-Darwin routes and a small Melbourne airline Southern Airlines and Freighters Ltd had big plans to compete with ANA by importing seven Ju 86 airliners. SA&F Director Ian H. Grabowsky had previous flown Junkers aircraft with Guinea Airways in New Guinea.

         

After World War II, a lone Junker was still flying the Junior VH-UCC. It flew with a series of private owners for the next 40 years and today rests in a German aviation museum. Following WWII the only Junker aircraft imported were three Ju 52/3m trimotors purchased in 1955 from Sweden by Gibbes Sepik Airways for freight work in New Guinea. 

Papua New Guinea Post "Panorama of Papua New Guinea" Definitives - 1973-1974

PAPUA NEW GUINEA POST from 1973 till 1974 issued 19 definitive stamps called "Panorama of Papua New Guinea". The series was released in four parts, It depicted aspects of life in the different Districts of Papua New Guinea. The stamps were printed by Serint, and replaced the definitive series of Shells issued in 1968-69. The designer was Richard Bates. First Day Cover postmarks originated from Port Moresby.

Part I - 13 June 1973
1c - Milne Bay
7c - Centrul District
9c - East New Britain
15c - Chimbu
25c - East Sepik
40c - Madang

Part II - 22 August 1973

5c - Bougainville
14c - Western District
21c - Gulf District
28c - Morobe
30c - New Ireland

Part III - 23 January 1974
3c - Southern Highlands
8c - West New Britain
10c - West Sepik District
20c - Manus District

60c - Northern District
$1.00 - Eastern Highlands

Part IV - 7 August 1974
6c - Western Highlands
$2.00 - Enga District

Isle of Man Battle of Jutland

ISLE OF MAN POST on 17 February 2016 issued a First Day Cover miniature sheet marking the  centenary of the Battle of Jutland.

The Battle of Jutland was the First World War's largest naval engagement, a battle fought between the "Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and Admiral Reinhard Sheer's High Seas Fleet". Jutland was the largest meeting of dreadnoughts in history. It was the only encounter between the main British and German fleets during WWI and in a struggle that lasted less than 12 hours, 249 ships and 100,000 men fought each other to maintain maritime dominance, with the Germans attempting to lift the naval economic blockade that was slowly but surely draining Germany's lifeblood.

The battle saw a great loss of life with significantly more British casualties for Britain compared to Germany; 14 British and 11 German ships were sunk. Both sides claimed victory. Jutland has been described as a tactical victory for the German High Seas Fleet but a strategic victory for the British Grand Fleet. The Germans had inflicted heavier losses on the numerically superior Grand Fleet and escaped near destruction but had failed to break the British blockade or control of the North Sea and had not altered the balance of power in any meaningful way.

This action packed miniature sheet features stamp designs by Francesca Jellicoe, daughter of Nick Jellicoe, and is divided into two parts, each showcasing a painting of HMS Iron Duke, the flagship of the Grand Fleet during the First World War, including Jutland. On the left is William Whyillie's painting of HMS Iron Duke opening fire at Jutland on a stamp depicting Admiral Sir John Jellicoe and Admiral Scheer. To the right, is William Stӧwer's painting of a German torpedo boat with portraits of Vice Admiral Sir David Beatty and Vice Admiral Franz Hipper on a stamp.

Source: IOM Post

Deutsche Bundespost "Europa" 300th birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach

DEUTSCH BUNDESPOST on 16 April 1985 issued a First Day Cover "Europa" postage stamp, commemorating the European year of music and 300th birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach (1985—1750).  Georg Friedrich Händel (1685—1759) was also part of the series. Value was 80 Pfennig. Graphic design was done by Walter. Postmark originated from Berlin.

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the Brandenburg Concertos; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard works such as the Goldberg Variations and The Well-Tempered Clavier; organ works such as the Schubler Chorales and the Toccata and Fugue in D minor; and vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach revival he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music.

Deutsche Bundespost Centenary of Otto Nossan Klemperer

DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST on 7 May 1985 issued a centenary First Day Cover stamp of Otto Nossan Klemperer who was a Jewish German-born conductor/composer and described as "the last of the few really great conductors of his generation," despite his much-cited tendency to extremely slow tempos.  This postmarked maxim card originated from Berlin.

Klemperer studied music first at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, and later at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin under James Kwast and Hans Pfitzner. He followed Kwast to three institutions and credited him with the whole basis of his musical development. In 1905, he met Gustav Mahler while conducting the off-stage brass at a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Resurrection. He also made a piano reduction of the second symphony. The two men became friends, and Klemperer became conductor at the German Opera in Prague in 1907 on Mahler's recommendation. Mahler wrote a short testimonial, recommending Klemperer, on a small card which Klemperer kept for the rest of his life. Later, in 1910, Klemperer assisted Mahler in the premiere of his Symphony No. 8, Symphony of a Thousand.

Klemperer went on to hold a number of positions, in Hamburg (1910–1912); in Barmen (1912–1913); the Strasbourg Opera (1914–1917); the Cologne Opera (1917–1924); and the Wiesbaden Opera House (1924–1927). From 1927 to 1931, he was conductor at the Kroll Opera in Berlin. In this post he enhanced his reputation as a champion of new music, playing a number of new works, including Janáček's From the House of the Dead, Schoenberg's Erwartung, Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex, and Hindemith's Cardillac.

Klemperer is less well known as a composer, but like other famous conductors such as Furtwängler, Walter and Markevitch, he wrote a number of pieces, including six symphonies (only the first two were published), a Mass, nine string quartets, many lieder and the opera Das Ziel.

One of his greatest struggles was with cyclothymic bipolar disorder, which exacerbated his personal and professional relationships.  He was the father of actor Werner Klemperer, and the diarist Victor Klemperer was a cousin.

Czech Post Tribute to Nicholas Winton

 

CZECH POST on 2 September 2015 issued a First Day Cover commemorative postage stamp titled  "Tribute to Sir Nicholas Winton".  The stamp designed by Czech graphic artist, painter and illustrator Zdeněk Netopil is the first stamp in the world issued as a tribute to the man who saved 669 children from transportation to concentration camps. The CZK 13 stamp portraying Nicholas Winton came out in a limited number of 750 thousand pieces, which was printed by the Postal Security Printing Company.

In 1938, Nicholas Winton, a young stockbroker from London planned to spend his 2-week vacation skiing on the Alps. He went to Prague instead, and devoted the next months to saving the lives of 669 children. He arranged for trains -- "Kindertransport" -- that carried mostly Jewish, but other children as well out of then-Czechoslovakia.

To ensure the safety of these children required battling bureaucracy as well as fundraising. In London, Winton raised money to pay for the transport of these kids from Prague to England, including a 50-pound-per-child guarantee that was demanded by the British government. Besides that, he also had to find families willing to care for these refugees, all while he worked as a stockbroker during the day. The late afternoon and evenings were devoted to this worthy cause.

In total, he managed to get 8 of 9 Kindertransport trains loaded with 669 children out of Czechoslovakia. The last train carried 250 children, but when WWII began the Nazis  stopped the train and these children eventually perished in concentration camps. Nevertheless, Winton and his colleagues saved at least 669 children: 566 of them Jewish, 52 Unitarian, 34 Catholic and 17 others.

He never spoke about this for over 50 years until his wife discovered a scrapbook with details about some of the children. For his part, in 2003, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him and the Czech Republic honoured him with a similar accolade -- the Order of the White Lion (1st class). Winton was the subject of numerous films. In 2015, he died at age 106.

Stamps dedicated to Sir Nicholas Winton have been issued from the  the UK and Israel as well.

Source: Czech Post

Rwanda 1982 Belgica & Philexfrance International Stamp Exhibition - "Pygmalion" by Paul Delvaux

REPUBLIQUE RWANDAIS on 10 December 1982 issued four souvenir sheets in conjunction with the 1982 Belgica & Philexfrance International Stamp Exhibition. Among the souvenir sheets printed for this event was one entitled "Pygmalion", a surrealistic painting created by Belgian artist Paul Delvauxin 1939. Only 50,000 of these 60F souvenir sheets were printed using the photogravure method.