02. 7th Oct. 2015 – Latest Aquisitions

Our second meeting of the new season was a favourite one, because nobody has a clue to what they are going to see, as members are asked to bring along their Latest Acquisitions and the club members in attendance certainly did not let themselves down.

Postcards from USA & Canada.
Swastika, Ontario was named in the first decade of the 20th century, when the swastika symbol meant little to Canadians outside of "good luck." Prospectors named the Swastika Gold Mine in 1907, and another nearby mine was named the Lucky Cross Mine. The town was incorporated in 1908. Then the rise of Hitler caused the word "swastika" to fall out of favor quickly, as it was used as a symbol of his Third Reich. In 1935, the government of Ontario decided the name of Swastika should be changed, just as Berlin, Ontario had changed it sname to Kitchener during World War I. The residents of Swastika took offense to the name change, and resisted the new name of Winston. The town removed the Winston sign and replaced it with the original name Swastika, but they added a new sign as well: one that said "To hell with Hitler, we came up with our name first"!
Postcards from Kirkcaldy
New South Wales, Australia rare postmarks on covers.
The best reference book used by our member Don is "Numeral Cancellations of New South Wales" by Hugh Freeman, only 250 issues printed, it is also available on CD Rom at a much cheaper price.
Guernsey from the Channel Islands.
The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of a number of main islands as well a few smaller islets. It is situated in the English Channel and although Guernsey is geographically much closer to France than the UK, it is loyal to the British crown.
Europa stamps and covers.
EUROPA stamps are special stamps issued by European postal administrations/enterprises and bears the official EUROPA logo, a PostEurop registered trademark under the aegis of PostEurop in which Europe is the central theme. EUROPA stamps underlines cooperation in the posts domain, taking into account promotion of philately. They also build awareness of the common roots, culture and history of Europe and its common goals.
Great Britain 2d Blue plate numbers.
The Two Penny Blue or The Two Pence Blue was the world’s second official postage stamp, produced in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and issued after the Penny Black.
Forgeries and Censored Mail, Great Britain 1d red stamps, and more.
The reverse of covers sent to Denmark from New York is stamped Geoffnet (opened) by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Military High Command).
Railway First Day Covers including the New Borders Railway opened a few weeks ago by HM the Queen from Edinburgh to the Borders.
The Queen's speech at the Borders Railway in Scotland First Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Duke of Edinburgh and I are delighted to be back in the Borders today and, especially, to have arrived … by train! It has been wonderful to witness the excitement which the return of the railway has brought here. The Borders Railway brings so much promise for sharing and invigorating this most beautiful countryside as a place to work, live and enjoy. Prince Philip and I are very grateful for the warmth of your welcome on this occasion. Many including you, First Minister, have also kindly noted another significance attaching to today, although it is not one to which I have ever aspired. Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones; my own is no exception. But I thank you all, and the many others at home and overseas, for your touching messages of great kindness. So now to the business in hand. It is my very happy duty to declare the Borders Railway open.
The Pedestal Expedition to Malta, 88 stamps were issued for this set.!
Operation Pedestal (referenced in Italian sources as the Battaglia di Mezzo Agosto was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies in North Africa. In 1941–42, Malta was effectively under siege, blockaded by Axis air and naval forces. To sustain Malta, the United Kingdom had to get convoys through at all costs. Despite serious losses, just enough supplies were delivered for Malta to survive, although it ceased to be an effective offensive base for much of 1942. The most crucial supply was fuel delivered by the SS Ohio, an American-built tanker with a British crew. The operation officially started on 3 August 1942, though the convoy did not sail through the Strait of Gibraltar until 9 August. Malta - 2012 Pedestal set (11 sheets of 8 stamps each) Issued for a good reason, celebrating the survival and bravery of the Maltese after this terrible siege, a great occasion worthy of some philatelic release. 88 plain stamps showing watercolours of warships each surrounded by a generic coloured band. Plus to add to collectability a photo on each sheet and a label.
Duke & Duchess of Gloucester set in blocks of 4 from Australia on registered covers to the UK on Last Day of OFFICIAL use of Australian stamps on Norfolk Island 6th June 1947.