1937
 

 

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This page : Royal Events - Philatelic Events

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Headlines - Hitler holds a secret meeting to declare his plan for acquiring "living space".... Spanish Civil War: Guernica bombed by German Luftwaffe.... Irish Free State becomes Éire... Japan attacks China, over 250,000 civilians and prisoners killed over three months in Rape of Nanking.

Royal Events

The abdication left many of the public in Britain and the Empire feeling undermined and disillusioned with royalty. King Edward VIII, the 'Prince of the People', had abdicated the throne to marry a woman who had been twice divorced, rather than settle the problem and serve his people. King George VI recognised this problem and was determined to become a force for stability and to re-establish the public's faith in the monarchy. 

During the first months of his reign George was immersed in the preparatory arrangements for his coronation. This was to occur much sooner after his accession than usual as it was decided to retain the coronation date planned for his brother. It was also recognised that the associated 'pomp and circumstance', and the celebrations across the Empire, would have a major uplifting effect.  

Wednesday 12 May - Coronation of King George VI.

Film of Coronation - this is a large file (44mb) right click on picture and select  'Save target as...' to download. Some players will not work - I used DivX Player - available free from www.DivX.com

July - King George and Queen Elizabeth visit Scotland and Northern Ireland.

26 October - Opening of Parliament with a new Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain leading a coalition government.

Philatelic Events

Definitives : Commemoratives : Booklets : Coil stamps : Airmail : Postage Dues : Other : Postmarks

Definitives -

1 January - meeting of The Council for Art and Industry's Stamp Committee to discuss designs for the new definitives. They initially invited four artists to submit designs within ten days, Edmund Dulac already had. Several other designers also submitted work and their designs were considered later.

2 February - the Postmaster General considered six designs - he shortlisted four of these, (by Edmund Dulac, two by Eric Gill, and by Harrison and Sons). 

13 February - the Postmaster General decided that a new drawing of the King's head submitted by Edmund Dulac should be used.

18 February - Four designs went to the Royal Fine Arts Commission for scrutiny.

26 February - four designs for the new definitives were submitted to King George for final selection.

Dulac's 'Victorian' design

For the new low value definitives, Edmund Dulac designed the profile of the King by adapting in a form more suitable for stamps, the photographs taken by Bertram Park. Dulac also designed the framework for the 7d to 1s values. Eric Gill designed the frames for the lower values.

10 May - Definitive issue of ½d; 1d; and 2½d

29 July - Edward VIII stamps are withdrawn

30 July - Definitive issue of 1½d

30 December - approval of final essay for 3d definitive, (issued 31/1/1938).

[For a detailed account of the processes involved in the design and printing of the low value definitives - see 'Great Britain King George VI Low Value Definitive Stamps' by Peter Worsfold and the Philatelic Bulletin, August to October, 1973].

Commemoratives -

13 May - Coronation stamp issued.

 Booklets -

19 March - 5/- (series 5) Edward VIII booklets issued

26 August - 3/- (series 3) George VI booklets issued

August - 2/- (series 4); 5/- (series 5) booklets issued

December 1937 - Edward VIII booklets withdrawn

Coil stamps -

Month? 1937 - ½d, 1d, 1½d, and 2½d coil stamps with upright watermark issued.

 Airmail -

2 January - Twice weekly service to India and Australia carried by Imperial Airways from Britain to Paris then by rail to Marseilles from where it is flown by flying boat to India. The first flying boat was the Castor. Previous to this mail had been transported by rail from Paris to Brindisi before being air mailed.

7 January - Letters and postcards for Estonia start to be carried at the ordinary postage rates without additional air fee - no airmail labels needed.

27 January - Due to stormy weather, Highland Airways carried out an emergency flights for mail between Kirkwall and Stronsay.

28 January -  Due to stormy weather, Highland Airways carried out an emergency flights for mail between various Orkney Islands.

29 January - Due to stormy weather, Aberdeen Airways carried out and emergency flight for mail to/from Shetland and Orkney. 'Mails were flown from Aberdeen to Shetland, and from Shetland to Orkney on Friday. Two pilots and 'planes took part in this work, Flying Officer J. Gordon Hay, of Aberdeen Airways, Ltd., conveying the assignment from Aberdeen to Thurso in the De Havilland "Dragon" liner, G-HDFI, whilst Pilot Henry Vallance, in the "Dragon," G-ACAN, belonging to the same company, carried out the Thurso-Shetland, and Shetland-Orkney parts of the contract.' Extract from 'Orcadian' 4 February 1937.

6 March - mail for South Africa carried by flying boat from Southampton to Alexandria, (previously by rail from Paris to Brindisi).

12 March - Northern and Scottish Airways charted by the Post Office for emergency mail flights between Renfrew, Islay and Campbeltown and return as the mail boat, Pioneer, had lost the use of her starboard paddle wheel during heavy seas just off Islay. The crew on Pioneer managed to carry out running repairs and resumed the mail route the next day.

< Paddle steamer mail boat Pioneer built 1905 for the MacBraynes fleet and used for the Islay mail service from West Loch Tarbet. Replaced in 1939 by MV Lochiel.

24 March - Flying boat Capricornus crashes near Lyons. All mail managed to be forwarded to India, Malaya and Australia.

3 April - First official acceptance of mails for Liberia and Dahomey via Air France and Aero Maritime. Letter rate 1/3 per half ounce, postcards 7d.

 

3 April - increase in air fees to French Guinea, Ivory Coast and Senegal. Letters up from 10d to 1/3 per half ounce, postcards up from 5d to 7d. 

6 May - Zeppelin 'Hindenburg' disaster. According to 'The Aero Field' (July 1937) "arrangements had just been concluded by the British Post Office for the acceptance of mail on each of the Hindenburg's schedule voyages to U.S.A., commencing with the second flight [i.e. the 2nd in 1937] on May 13th.... Letters and postcards were to have been accepted not only for U.S.A., but also for Canada, West Indies, Central America and the northern cou