Battle of Dunkirk

Date of Issue: May 13, 2010

Received this PHQ card addressed to me with the same stamp fixed on other side, from Ms. Eileen, UK through postcrossing.com.

Royal Mail brought a special issue of 8 stamps and a miniature sheet with 4 stamps on "Britain Alone". It is Royal Mail’s tribute, 70 years on, to those who stood proud and defiant against the Axis powers in the dark days of 1940.

The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 24 May-4 June 1940.

The above stamp shows two boats packed with evacuees from Dunkirk, France heading back to UK.

                                  British propaganda later exploited the successful evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940, and particularly the role of the "Dunkirk little ships", very effectively. Many of the "little ships" were private vessels such as fishing boats and pleasure cruisers, but commercial vessels such as ferries also contributed to the force, including a number from as far away as the Isle of Man and Glasgow. These smaller vessels, guided by naval craft across the Channel from the Thames Estuary and from Dover, assisted in the official evacuation. Being able to reach much closer in the beachfront shallows than larger craft, the "little ships" acted as shuttles to and from the larger craft, lifting troops who were queuing in the water, many waiting shoulder-deep in water for hours. The term "Dunkirk Spirit" still refers to a popular belief in the solidarity of the British people in times of adversity.

Source: Wikipedia, Royalmail.com

Royal Navy Submarines PHQ Cards

Date of Issue: October 22, 2001
PHQ230 a-d

Royal Mail issued set of four PHQ cards commemorating Centenary of Royal Navy Submarines (1901-2001). These are the first set of PHQ cards in my collection and I thank Mr. Ian Gibbons, UK for sending me these wonderful cards.

What are PHQ Cards..?

PHQ Cards are postcards depicting the design of a commemorative stamp issued by the British Post Office. The 'PHQ' stands for Postal Headquarters, all items published by the Post Office are given a number which is prefixed by letters. The first card issued, was the 3p W.G. Grace stamp from the set of stamps commemorating County Cricket, issued on 16 May 1973, this card was numbered PHQ 1, the numbering sequence has continued to the present day.

Click here to see complete listings of PHQ cards issued by GB.

These four cards were designed by Dick Davis's using extensive archive material available at the Royal Naval Submarine Museum at Gosport as the basis for the stamp designs.

The 45p Stamp: The Unity Class was a small (191ft) but highly successful design introduced in 1939 and employed mainly in the Mediterranean during World War II. It achieved amazing distinction during this time, cruising at periscope depth for long periods, hence the 'periscope view' graphic featuring an enemy ship.

The 65p Stamp: The photograph on this stamp was taken on the Solent and the graphic is a reproduction of John Holland's original drawing for the boat. The Holland Class boat was, from a naval point of view, the first wholly successful submarine in history. In 1901, the British Navy adopted and developed the design of John Holland, and the Royal Navy Submarine Service was born.

The 1st Class Stamp: The Swiftsure is a typical cold war period submarine, patrolling the waters of the world.

The 2nd Class Stamp: The Vanguard is the most recently developed class of submarine in service. As a Peacekeeping 'Sentinal' (RN expression) it stays deeply submerged for long periods and carries ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.

Source: Wikipedia, prnewswire.co.uk