1941
 

 

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Headlines - British attack Italian-held Eritrea.... Tobruk captured.... Bulgaria joins Axis.... Lend-Lease US war supplies to Allies on loan.... Germany invades Yugoslavia, Greece, Crete.... Allies invade Syria, Lebanon.... Germany attacks Soviet Union.... Under Hitler's instructions, Göring orders SS general Heydrich to plan "the desired final solution of the Jewish question".... Japan attacks Pearl Harbor.... US declares war on Japan.... Germany declares war on US.... Japanese victory at Hong Kong.

Philatelic Events

Definitives : Airmail : Other : Postmarks

Definitives -

As a wartime economy measure, the 6 lowest denominations were printed with a shallower engraving of the background - this resulted in a lighter shade and saved money on ink. This was achieved by making a new drawing of the frames around the portrait. Weakening of inks was also trialled, but not found to be successful. - see - views.

21 July - Definitive issue of 2˝d 'light colour'

11 August - Definitive issue of 1d 'light colour'

1 September - Definitive issue of ˝d 'light colour'

6 October - Definitive issue of 2d 'light colour'

3 November - Definitive issue of 3d 'light colour'

Airmail -

April - Start of airmail rate of 3d for postcards to / from the armed services in Middle East, East Africa, Malta and the Royal Navy - lasting until late 1942.

21 April - Start of the airgraph service. At first from Cairo where Middle East Forces could send airgraphs to Britain, this service was extended to public use in 1942.

21 May - Extension to the mail service across the 'northern' trans-Atlantic route then across the US and on to Australasia/Asia (see 3 July 1940). Destinations now include Burma, Ceylon, Dutch East Indies, India, Malaya and Siam.


Captain Donald Bennett

 18 June - first flight for official and private R.A.F. mail carried by Scottish Airways Ltd. Arranged due to the isolated position of some R.A.F. bases in Scotland. Letters had to be under 8 ounces. Addresses were Name, 'Royal Air Force', and a GPO number in Glasgow. Flights from Renfrew Airport (Glasgow) to Port Ellen (Isle of Islay - GPO Box 200), and from Renfrew Airport to Stornoway (GPO Box 204), via Tiree (GPO Box 203) and Benbecula (GPO Box 202). Dominie aircraft used.  

4 May - North Atlantic Return Ferry starts in order to fly air crew back to Canada, (crews previously returned by boat taking up to 14 days) and speed up the process of shipping new aircraft to the UK. An adapted Consolidated Liberator B24 is flown from RAF base at Squires Gate (later to be Blackpool airport) via Gander where it is delayed by bad weather, then to St.Hubert airport, Montreal (9 May). The pilot was Captain Alan Bruce Hamilton Youell who saw service in the early days of the RAF at the end of the first world war, went on to fly with Imperial Airways and then joined RAF Transport Command in 1942. The flight from St.Hubert was piloted by Captain Donald Bennett, who served with the RAF then flew as the Captain of Mercury, part of the Mercury-Maia composite flying boat in 1938.

The Atlantic Ferry Organisation, and then BOAC, take over the 'Atlantic Bridge' air ferry route. The UK base is moved from Squires Gate to Prestwick. 98,000 lbs of mail flown by this route during 1941. 7 Liberators came to be used on this service.

 21 July - Prisoner of War air letter issued with a 2˝d imprinted stamp.

1 September - Railway Air Services started England - Northern Ireland service carrying airmail in both directions. Mail carried by rail to Liverpool for censorship, then flown to Belfast. An air fee of 3d per 8 ounces for packets and 3d for postcards had to be paid in addition to the ordinary inland postage. Letters posted on 30 / 31 August arrived at 9.30 a.m. on 2 September in Northern Ireland.

24 December - Postmaster General announced that a special airmail postcard service for mail to the armed services in Malaya had been established with the Post Office Special Services Departments and British Overseas Airway Corporation. Postage rate of 3d.

Other -

Postwomen allowed to wear trousers - their hat is replaced by a peaked cap.

Postmarks -

All entries, except *, are taken from Special Event Postmarks of the United Kingdom by George R. Pearson. Published by the British Postmark Society, 1991 who give kind permission for reproduction.

* January - 'Help To Win On The Kitchen Front'. Block.
   

* January and February, occasional after - 'Save Waste paper Metals Bones Rags'. Block

*1 March - rubber stamp 'DELAYED THROUGH ENEMY ACTION' issued (1). Subsequent instruction on 21 May stated that the stamp should only be used after 48 hours and only as a consequence of damage caused by bombing, and not through delays such as those on rail or road. 17 July, new rubber stamps issued (2 and 3) and furt