In 2012 the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) celebrated 75 years since it was formed in 1937. NZ Post used its annual military issue to mark this important milestone with a set of 15 stamps. They were issued as a miniature sheet with each stamp have a postal value of 60c, giving the whole sheet a face value of $9.00.
Below the sheet, I give further details about the subjects depicted on each stamp.
The Miniature Sheet.
The Stamps.
In The Beginning. Air Training Corps.
The RNZAF (Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, or 'New Zealand Warrior of the Sky') was formed on 1 April 1937 as a separate arm of New Zealand's military forces just as World War II was beginning. Its purpose was to provide better air cover for New Zealand and support for the Army and Navy overseas.
World War II - Europe. Women's Auxiliary Air Force.
In the war in Europe, many RNZAF trained aircrew saw service with the RAF and New Zealand airmen played an important role in the Battle of Britain when the fighters and bombers and the crews who flew them were all that stopped Germany from invading the British homeland. Many commonwealth airmen were trained in New Zealand under the RNZAF.
Women were quickly introduced into the Air Force and were soon performing a wide variety of auxiliary roles.
World War II - Pacific. Aerial Topdressing Trials.
When Japan entered the war things were looking bad for Australia and New Zealand as the important base of Singapore quickly fell to a Japanese attack through Malaya. The Air Force played a key role in the Pacific, providing combat squadrons in support of the United States' operations to defeat the Japanese in the Solomon Islands. The Air Force also undertook missions and patrols in other parts of the Pacific as well.
After the war, the Air Force was involved in pioneering aerial topdressing in New Zealand. Today much of the farmland of the country is fertilised this way although the Air Force is no longer involved.
Territorial Air Force. RNZAF in South East Asia.
From 1949 Compulsory Military Training led to the formation of four Territorial squadrons, as the 30 Mustangs were re-activated from storage, along with a few Tiger Moths and Harvards for each squadron. From 1952-57 No.6 Flying Boat Squadron operated as a Territorial unit at Hobsonville Airbase, flying Catalinas and later Sunderlands.
The RNZAF also used De Havilland Venoms (photo above right) and English Electric Canberras, both of which saw action in the Malayan Emergency and subsequent confrontation with Indonesia.
ANZAC Joint Training. Naval Support.
ANZAC originally stood for Australian & New Zealand Army Corps which was the force which landed at Anzac Cove (Turkish: Anzak Koyu), a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey, during World War I. It has since been used to describe the cooperation between the defence forces of the two countries.
The RNZAF provides support through its Naval Support Section to Navy SH-2G Seasprite and the highly capable RNZAF NH90 helicopters. Although these are Navy aircraft and operated by Navy pilots, all Navy crew are trained by the RNZAF's 3 Squadron, and the aircraft are maintained by RNZAF personnel. Regularly operated from the navy frigates and multi-role vessels, these aircraft provide air operations for the navy.
Antarctica Transport. International Peacekeeping.
The Modern RNZAF has taken on new roles it was never intended to be involved in. The stamp on the left shows a C-130 Hercules on the ice in Antarctica after a flight to provide supplies and personal transport to New Zealand's Scott Base.
As New Zealand has become involved in peacekeeping in many places worldwide the Air Force has taken on the role of providing support for these operations.
Search and Rescue. Remembrance.
Of course, one modern function of the Air Force has been search and rescue. This has evolved from search and rescue operations looking for downed aircrew during World War II.
On ANZAC Day and at other important national events, the Air Force honours the memory of those who have died in service with flypasts using the 'missing man' formation.
The Future for the RNZAF.
What does the future hold for the RNZAF? The service is always dependent on political decisions such as in 2001 when the Labour Government removed the RNZAF air combat capability by cancelling the purchase of 28 Block 15 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters and disbanding the No 2 and No 75 Skyhawk squadrons.
It appears that the Air force will continue to move into more peacetime operations such as peacekeeping, Antarctic support, disaster relief and Search and Rescue.
For example, responding to the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake the RNZAF deployed three C-130 Hercules, two Boeing 757s, a P-3 Orion, three Beechcraft B200 aircraft and three Bell UH-1H helicopters to assist the people of Christchurch.
In Mar/April 2014 a P-3 Orion, with updated search and rescue equipment, is stationed in Perth, W. Australia helping to locate the missing Malaysian Airline Boeing 777.
First Day Covers for this issue.
Technical information.
| Date of issue: | 15 March 2012 |
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| The number of stamps: | 15 gummed stamps |
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Stamps, first-day covers and miniature sheet
booklet designed by: | Strategy Design and Advertising, Wellington, New Zealand |
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| Denominations: | 60c x 15 |
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| Printer and process: | Southern Colour Print Ltd by offset lithography |
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| The number of colours: | Four process colours plus silver |
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| Stamp size and format: | 52mm x 37.5mm (horizontal) |
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| Paper type: | Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper |
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| The number of stamps per sheet: | 15 |
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| Perforation gauge: | 14.4 x 14.6 |
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| Period of sale: | These stamps remained on sale until 14 March 2013. |
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Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
This must be the best military set New Zealand has issued.
ReplyDeleteIt has great photos and really tells a story. I also enjoyed your captions too Allan.
Wayne
My grandfather served in the air force and was gifted all of these.
ReplyDelete