Guernsey Post announces that it will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, a major air campaign that took place during the Second World War, with the release of six Alderney stamps (issue date: 21 July 2020).
The Battle of Britain took place over southern England in the summer and autumn of 1940. Following the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk and the fall of France, Germany planned to gain air supremacy in preparation for an invasion of Great Britain. Flying iconic aircraft including the Hurricane and Spitfire, the pilots of RAF Fighter Command were supported by a vast network of ground crew during the battle. The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) was eventually defeated by Fighter Command, forcing Adolf Hitler to abandon his invasion plans.
The stamps: -
50 pence: - The Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation set up to search for enemy aircraft over Great Britain. The stamp depicts an aircraft spotter standing on the roof of a building with St Paul’s Cathedral in the background.
68 pence: - The Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, the two main fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, are depicted. The Hurricane shot down the highest number of enemy planes during the campaign.
70 pence: - The Luftwaffe systematically bombed London in a campaign known as ‘the Blitz’. This stamp depicts a postman collecting mail from a post box surrounded by bomb damage on London’s Old Kent Road.
85 pence: - The Heinkel HE III was a German bomber described as a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’. The stamp features the bombers under attack from the Royal Air Force Hurricanes during The Battle of Britain.
95 pence: - An iconic picture taken during the Blitz entitled ‘St Paul’s survives’ captures the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral standing untouched among the flames and smoke of surrounding buildings.
£1.02: - The Focke-Wulf FW-190, which was the best World War II German fighter plane, attacks a Royal Air Force Lancaster bomber. Although it did not take part in the Battle of Britain, the Lancaster bomber has become a showpiece in all Battle of Britain memorial flights.
Bridget Yabsley, head of philatelic at Guernsey Post, said: - “ Following the release of our stamps commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, we are delighted to mark the 80th anniversary of this major campaign - the first battle in history waged almost exclusively in the air - with stamps depicting iconic scenes and aircraft.”