On the 25th of April, 1915, New Zealand troops saw action for the first time in World War I. The aim of the campaign was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul). The goal was to eliminated both of Germany's Balkan allies (Turkey and Bulgaria) from the war, and relieved the Russians from the heavy German pressure they were facing. The poorly planned landing went wrong from the start. Instead of landing on the chosen beach the Australian and New Zealanders landed further north on a narrow beach surrounded by steep hills. For six months they held this beach, making little headway inland against fierce resistance from the Turkish soldiers. Finally the decision had to be made to pull the troops back off the beach.
This heroic but disastrous campaign left 2,721 New Zealanders dead and 4,752 wounded which was a big hit for such a small country. Over the years much criticism has been made of the British leaders who planned this attack. It would eventually lead to the New Zealand and Australian military becoming more independent from Britain.
The campaign became a symbol of New Zealand (and Australia's) war losses. The 25th of April is observed in both countries as ANZAC Day - to remember those countries men and women whose lives were lost in war. 'ANZAC' is an acronym made up of the initials of the 'Australian and New Zealand Army Corps'.
1936 ANZAC Issue.
This stamp issue commemorated the twenty first anniversary of the landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps on 25 April 1915.
See our ANZAC Military Collection.
See our ANZAC Military Collection.
1d - ANZAC Red. ½d - ANZAC Green.
The stamp designs depict a New Zealand soldier in the uniform of 1915 against a background scene of Anzac Cove. Note there are two values on each stamp. Following the now popular health stamps series, the value on the left went towards postage while the value on the right went to the NZRSA (Returned Servicemen's Association.)
First Day Covers.
A printed cover was produced in either Red or Green, matching the colours of the stamps themselves. I have included three examples showing both stamps and one of each stamp.
.jpg)
Technical information.
Date of Issue:
| 27 April 1936 |
|---|---|
Designers:
| L C Mitchell, Wellington |
Printers:
| Australian Bank Note and Stamp Printer, Australia |
Stamp Size:
| 25mm x 40mm |
Sheet Size:
| 48 stamps per sheet |
Process:
| Recess printed - Intaglio |
Perforation Gauge:
| 11 |
Paper Type:
| Wiggins Teape unsurfaced, NZ and star watermark |
1965 ANZAC Issue.
In 1958 the New Zealand Returned Services Association suggested that the fiftieth anniversary be recognised by another special issue. The final design was created by one of the more famous designers of New Zealand stamps, R M Conly of Christchurch.
See our ANZAC Military Collection.
See our ANZAC Military Collection.
4d - ANZAC Cove. 5d - ANZAC Cove & Poppy.
This stamp depicted Anzac Cove with the cliffs in the background. The 5d value was issued
with the addition of a red poppy. The poppy was included to commemorate the later service of the Corps in France and Belgium.
This stamp depicted Anzac Cove with the cliffs in the background. The 5d value was issued
with the addition of a red poppy. The poppy was included to commemorate the later service of the Corps in France and Belgium.
ANZAC Covers.
First Day Cover, dated 14th April, 1965.
What is interesting about this cover is that it was designed for two different date.
While the cover above is an actual FDC the one below was issued 11 days later,
on ANZAC Day.
As ANZAC Day, 25th April fell on a Sunday arrangements were at Auckland, Wellington,
Christchurch and Dunedin to have covers bearing the ANZAC stamps cancelled using hand
stamps. It was advertised that these covers had be received by 22nd April.
Errors from this Issue.
Perforation Errors.
Christchurch and Dunedin to have covers bearing the ANZAC stamps cancelled using hand
stamps. It was advertised that these covers had be received by 22nd April.
(From the Campbell Patterson Newsletter - VOLUME 66 NUMBER 9, APRIL 2015 pg7.)
Errors from this Issue.
Perforation Errors.
These two blocks both show perforation problems. Above the corner of this
Plate Block has been folded over creating this strange effect. Below there is a
double perforation between the two bottom stamps.
Red Colour Shift.
The red on the 5d has shifted sideways leaving a white gap to the right and overlapping
the green on the left. It is unusual to find a flaw like this on a First Day Cover. This shift
can be see more clearly on the cropped image below.
Just Something Extra.
The First Day Cover issued by Australia on 14th April, 1965.
The stamps show a drawing from a sculpture of Simpson and his donkey.
Technical information.
Date of Issue:
| 14 April 1965 |
|---|---|
Designers:
| R M Conly, Christchurch |
Printers:
| Harrison and Sons, England |
Stamp Size:
| 40mm x 24mm |
Sheet Size:
| 120 stamps per sheet |
Process:
| Photogravure |
Perforation Gauge:
| 12.5 |
Paper Type:
| Chalk surfaced, multiple NZ and star watermark |
Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
You can visit their web site and On-line Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/
Comments
Post a Comment
We appreciate your engagement with our content. To ensure a respectful and constructive community, please take note of the following:
- No Spam, Please: We do not tolerate spammy or promotional comments. Any such comments will be promptly removed.
- Moderation in Place: All comments are moderated to maintain a positive and inclusive environment. Please be patient, as it may take a little time for your comment to appear.
- Sign In with Google: To comment, please sign in using your Google account. This helps us maintain the integrity of our community and allows for better interaction.