11 October 2019
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Guernsey marks the centenary of the first ever Remembrance Sunday, held on the anniversary of the armistice – 11 November 1919.
The participants in that first act of Remembrance could not have imagined that it would become part of the fabric of British culture – and sadly would eventually encompass the remembrance of those who gave their life in the Second World War or in subsequent conflicts.
Guernsey Post’s new £2 miniature sheet has a stunning poppy design presented alongside the words of soldiers writing home from the Front Line. It commemorates the Guernsey men and women who have lost their lives through war, as well as millions of others around the world. Bridget Yabsley, head of philatelic at Guernsey Post, said: ‘When World War I began in 1914, many believed it would be over by Christmas. At that time, there were around 710,000 men in the British Army. By the end of the conflict, more than eight million soldiers had been killed and another 21 million injured.
‘We are proud to release this mini sheet depicting the poppy, which was one of the few flowers to bloom on the battlefields of Flanders where it grew in its thousands. The flower was adopted by the Royal British Legion for their poppy appeal as a symbol of Remembrance Day in 1920.’
Stamp details
Armistice centenary
Issue date: 11 November 2019
Design: The Potting Shed
Printer: Cartor Security Printing
Print process : Offset Lithography
Stamp size: 74.869mm x 74.074mm
Sheet size: 100mm x 140mm
Paper: PVA Gummed
Perforation: Laser die-cut
To order the stamps, visit the Guernsey Post website.
