60 Years of Korean Coast Guard - 1953 - 2013

Date of Issue: September 10, 2013

Many thanks to friend, Park Choonjong from Rep. of Korea for this cover posted on issue date of this stamp commemorating 60 Years of Rep. of Korea Coast Guard. Additional stamps for required postage is affixed on reverse side of the cover, making it suitable for my theme.

The Coast Guard Authority was formed on 23 December 1953 in Busan, at the same time a Maritime Police Unit was also established as part of the National Police Agency.

In October 1962, new bases in Incheon, Yeosu, Pohang, and Kunsan. In February 1963, the aviation unit of the KCG closed, though it reopened in the 80's. Since 1980 the KCG began expanding its fleet largely, and in August 1991 the Police Unit was renamed the Korea National Maritime Police Agency. In 2007 the Korea National Maritime Police Agency was integrated into the Coast Guard.

The Korea Coast Guard is responsible for maritime safety and control off the coast of South Korea. The KCG is an external branch of Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries at peacetime. Recently, with continuous border crossings by Chinese watercraft, the Korean Coast Guard has deployed a significant number of heavy vessels to the Yellow Sea. The KCG has its headquarters in Songdodong, Incheon, and has hundreds of smaller operating stations along the coastline of the Korean Peninsula.

The Korean Coast Guard operates 4 classes of heavy vessels (over 1000 tons), 3 classes of medium vessels (over 250 tons), and 3 classes of light vessels (speedboats over 30 tons). The KCG also uses several types of 'special purpose watercraft', such as firefighting vessels, barges, high speed scout boats, light patrols, and amphibious hovercraft. The KCG aviation unit fields 6 fixed-wing aircraft and 16 rotary-wing aircraft. The Coast Guard also has its own asymmetric warfare unit, the 'Korean Coast Guard Special Operation Unit'.

Source: Wikipedia

Polish Navy - ORP Kontradmiral Xawery Czernicki

Date of Issue: August 14, 2013

Polish Post issued a set of 3 stamps on Modern Polish Army Weapons, among them is one stamp that depicts ORP Kontradmiral Xawery Czernicki, a multitask logistical support ship of the Polish Navy.

She was named after Xawery Czernicki - a Polish engineer, military commander and one of the highest-ranking officers of the Polish Navy, considered one of the founders of Polish Navy's logistical services.

She was designed as a logistical support vessel, to transport troops and supplies for the NATO forces worldwide, and to cooperate with air transport and Polish vessels in distant seas. She can carry up to 140 troops with vehicles, food and equipment, and can conduct offensive landing operations using landing ships, helicopters and armored personnel carriers, as well as evacuating of troops and civilians. The ship can transport containers, fresh water, food and other supplies, and repair other vessels at open seas.

Czernicki took part in the Afghan and Iraq wars. During operation Enduring Freedom she joined the United States Fifth Fleet in the Indian Ocean. After change of crew, she took part in the Iraq invasion, patrolling the Euphrates estuary and serving as a floating base for commando operations.

After the conclusion of the invasion she returned to home port in Poland for refit and upgrades.

I am thankful to my friend, The Right Honourble Shri Nansey of Jamnagar, for helping me add this cover to my collection.

Source: Wikipedia