"100 years ago, the shape of New Zealand began to change forever, as we followed King and Empire to serve in the First World War. What was meant to be a ‘great adventure’, soon affected every New Zealander at home and abroad, with 18,500 New Zealanders never to return. To commemorate this important centenary and honour those who served, New Zealand Post is issuing official stamps and legal tender commemorative coins."
That was the opening statement for this issue from the NZ Post website. This is the beginning of a complex series of issues spread over five years. I am unsure how these five sets will fit together so this post might be changed or replaced at some point as I learn more.
The main feature of this issue is a presentation book containing 10 special pages/sheets. The Melville Mirfin story is honoured in this special commemorative book, featuring never-before-seen imagery of the Great War through Mirfin’s eyes. Melville was a soldier who went to fight in the war. A photo of Melville in uniform can be seen on the 80c stamp to the left.
Since it would be very hard to show this commemorative book here I have decided to display some of the other products on sale through this issue. If you are interested in this story I strongly suggest that you purchase the book.
What was very unusual about this issue is that it contains two configurations of miniature sheets. In the sheet above the whole set of 10 stamps, 3 different values, appears on the one sheet. This sheet would be great for a collection on military history which is why I have used it in my ANZAC/Military collection.
In the two miniature sheets below, the set has been divided into two parts. The six 80c stamps appear on one sheet and the four higher values appear on the second sheet. These two sheets appear enlarged further down this page.
There was also this special book which contained each stamp plus a detailed
commentary on why it was selected for this issue.
The Stamps.
Now we come to the stamps themselves. Since no images of the separate stamps were available I had to cut from the sheets on a computer. There are 10 stamps in this first issue of the series. The first 6 80c values all have the general theme of the coming of war. This section ends with the troop ships leaving for war.
80c - Lord Kitchener. 80c - Called to Prepare.
80c Lord Kitchener.
Lord Kitchener (Kitchener of Khartoum) is the embodiment of the Empire and its influence in New Zealand in the years leading into World War One. He recommended the withdrawal of New Zealand troops from Gallipoli in 1915, before perishing onboard the HMS Hampshire in 1916.
80c New Zealand Called to Prepare.
The Defence Act of 1909 was the first step towards compulsory military training, enacted in 1911 (on advice from Lord Kitchener). By 1911, posters such as this one could be seen throughout New Zealand.
80c - War Announced. 80c - Melville Mirfin.
80c War Announced.
When the war was announced on the 5th of August 1914 (New Zealand time) it was not a declaration as such, but a proclamation that, as part of the British Empire, New Zealand was at war.
80c Serving His Country – Melville Mirfin
Melville Mirfin was a bank clerk from a family of seven from Ikamatua on the West Coast of the South Island, who, alongside many others, signed up for war the same week of the proclamation on August 5th.
80c - Mirfin Family Portrait. 80c - The Troopships Depart.
80c Family Portrait.
War inevitably split families across continents and the Mirfin Family is pictured here prior to the war, showing all the brothers who would serve and survive.
80c Troopships Depart
The Limerick, also known as HMNZT 7, was one of ten troopships in the ‘First Fleet’ that took the NZEF, their horses, and equipment to Egypt in 1914, meeting up with the Australian Imperial Force enroute.
Now we come to the 4 higher values that show scenes from after the fighting has started.
$2.00 - Training Camp. $2.00 - The Home Front.
$2.00 Training Camp.
Training camps such as this one in Canterbury readied troops for the NZEF, destined for Europe (they would instead go to Egypt) before the year’s end.
$2.00 The Home Front.
Karaka Bay, Wellington, in 1914 – Semi-rural, with some modernity, less than half New Zealand’s population prior to World War One was considered urban, a number that would increase to sixty percent by the war’s end.
$2.50 - Letters, Stories from Samoa. $2.50 - Serving Abroad / Egypt.
$2.50 Letters and Stories From Samoa.
New Zealand’s first duty in World War One was capturing Samoa from the Germans. Melville Mirfin, who had signed up for the NZEF in the first days of August, travelled to Samoa with 1,385 men, during which he would write many times to his family.
$2.50 Serving Abroad – Egypt.
By the end of 1914, the first troops of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force had arrived in Egypt for training. For many, it was their first time away from New Zealand shores, and they found themselves in front of the Pyramids of Egypt, ready for what was supposed to be a great adventure.
Now we come to a couple of problems with these stamps. Have a close look at each stamp and it will quickly become obvious that something important is missing; nowhere on the stamps does it say the words 'New Zealand.' Now it is well known that the only country that does not display their name on their stamps is Great Britain. This is because GB was the country where postage stamps were invented in 1840, so all other countries use their name to distinguish their stamps from those of Great Britain. This could be a mistake on the part of NZ Post because I believe there are UPU regulations regarding country names on stamps.
Now, look at the values of the stamps. They say '80; 200; 250' where in fact normal practice would be to say '80c; $2.00; $2.50.' I could understand what was meant here as I believe most New Zealanders would too. But what about people from overseas. Without the country name, could these values be mistaken for 80p; £2.00; £2.50 and therefore be considered to be stamps from Great Britain? An interesting question, isn't it?
Recently (2016) it was pointed out to me that while these stamp certainly does not show the words 'New Zealand' they do all feature the NZ Post identifier – the fern.
So your military collection continues to grow Allan.
ReplyDeleteI now see this set has been added and also some others from a heritage issue as well.
Its an impressive collection. I've decided to collect them all myself. Might make a good exhibition entry at the stamp club.
Wayne.
I came back to this post today an noticed you've made some changes. That is interesting about the lack of country name and the value on these stamps. Personally I agree with you. A New Zealand stamp should have New Zealand on it.
ReplyDeleteNigel
I must confess I missed this at first too. It was only later I read about it in a newsletter sent to me.
DeleteSo it will be interesting to see if this will be the same next year.
Allan