3 December 2011

CISS MEETING, ROYAL PHILATELIC SOCIETY, SATURDAY 3RD DECEMBER 2011

The meeting was attended by twenty-one members and all were entertained by members’ displays of either new material or dates ending in 5. Before the displays commenced our erstwhile auctioneer, Mr Gavin Wood, undertook a mini room auction of some 50 plus lots. Bidding was often exceeding estimate resulting in only a few lots remaining unsold including a Red Cross message form into Sark.

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The displays commenced with Robert Porter showing Ron Osborne’s sixteen sheet display of material starting with the date 1865 and ending at 1945. Other displays included Ron Brown’s fifty-two sheet eclectic display of material included a recently purchased entire into the Channel Islands bearing a superb example of the SWANZEE/SHIP LETTER handstamp.

Ron also showed material relating to Thomas Cook and how mail was forwarded to the Thomas Cook office in Spain in an attempt to get mail forwarded to its destination. Examples included mail that did not get through and an example of mail that did. To conclude his display, Ron showed examples of forwarding agents including an example of John Thomas, London bearing a 1d black adhesive. Other forwarding agents mail relating to the Channel Islands was from Guernsey, Jersey, St. Malo, Gibraltar and Mauritius.

The morning’s displays were concluded by Richard Flemming showing early Channel Islands related mail with the date ending in a 5. Items included a 1775 entire from Guernsey – London bearing a SOUTHAMPTON/SHIP LETTER handstamp. Richard also showed several examples of mail dating to 1815 including an interesting letter from Guernsey to Sark dated June 22, 1815, some four days after the Battle of Waterloo that describes some of Napoleon’s campaign and subsequent defeat at Waterloo. Richard also showed two recently acquired items relating to artwork produced by two internees at Biberach, the first item being a coloured pencil drawing titled “BIBERACH SPUD PEELER IN FULL DRESS UNIFORM” by A.S.H Dickinson, Biberach 20/11/43. This as Arscott Sabina H Dickinson as per Islanders Deported part 1. The second item is a pencil drawing dated 27/9/44 titled “View of Room 66 Barrack 10 showing Pitch at Lords (initials) 27/9/44.

Jon Aitchison gave an interesting forty-three sheet display of Cinderella items all connected with ending in 5. To start his display Jon showed a 1745 Land purchase document. This was followed by several items of embossed revenue and sales tax stamps from 1945 as was the 1/5d Guernsey insurance stamp. There were examples of a 1905 Parish Tax and a 1943-45 rent book. Jersey was represented too, including a 1945 driving licence. Jon also presented several covers including a 1915 Chausey POW mail. Aviation was represented with an example of the 1935 airmail letter and 1945 resumption of air mail following the occupation. There was also an item of Commodore mail signed by Dame Sybil Hathaway. This was followed by examples of telegrams sent in 1945 post occupation and a 1955 receipt with perfin stamp from A de Grundy department store.

Richard Arthurs display included material relating to Biberach and Laufen internee camps and to reflect the “ending in 5” theme. Richard also showed some very interesting duplicate copies of documents headed “TOP SECRET” from Brig, Snow to the German High Command in the Channel Islands regarding their surrender and reoccupation of the Islands by British troops.

David Gurney showed some five sheets of recently acquired material which included an 1816 Guernsey – London entire with a Guernsey scroll handstamp and an example of a local 1921 Guernsey envelope bearing a 1d/324 postage due handstamp with a 1d postage due stamp cancelled by a ST PETER IN THE WOOD datestamp. There was a St Martins type-A registered mail label attached to envelope and a registered/express item of mail bearing the Geo Vl light colours cancelled 6.10.47 and a JERSEY 3/9101 registered label.

David Laurillard started his 26 sheet display with examples of 1985 philatelic covers each individually celebrating VE Day, VJ Day, Liberation of the Channel Islands and Schneider Trophy. Other covers included the Queen Mary high value on cover, Candie Gardens cachet on cover and a cover celebrating the 60th anniversary of the return of islanders to Alderney. There were similar examples of covers for Sark, Herm and Jethou and other smaller Channel Islands.

Mark Bailey really took the “ending in a 5” theme to heart and produced items for each of the years ending in 5 from 1835 – 2005. Early examples included 1d reds on 1845 mail. 1855 was represented with an interesting item from the Royal Yacht Club, Guernsey – France. Other dates of interest was the 1945 “Official” post card sent post liberation, a 1975 philatelic registered letter and for 2005 a cover celebrating the 60th anniversary of the CISS.

Gavin wood’s display was wholly represented by the year 1945 including a philatelic item with the set of Jersey views stamps, a Jersey Red Cross message form, a rare Guernsey illustrated Red Cross envelope. Gavin also showed what he felt was the smallest item of mail ever!!! A tiny envelope complete with stamp dated April 26, 1945 that contained an invite to a wedding. There was also an example of a 1945 Red Cross message form where there is some debate as to if it was posted and sent during the “Fortress” period. Finally, Gavin concluded his display with the first item sent by Cpl Povey to his wife following the reoccupation of the Islands.

Our chairman, Dave Edwards, gave a fine display of postcards all reflecting the “ending in 5” theme. Firstly there was the 1895 post card dated July 15, 1895, the earliest known example of a Jersey post card. 1905 was represented by the Guernsey Flower Show and Guernsey Cattle Show. 1915 post cards showed troop from Guernsey going to England to join in the fighting in France during the 1914-18 war. 1925 was represented by comic cards of Sark and Guernsey. 1935 showed the Prince of Wales visit. Dave’s display concluded with examples of 1945 Liberation comic cards, 1945 Christmas cards and a 1945 Souvenir of Liberation post card.

To round off the afternoon Gerald Marriner showed a 32 sheet display based on the theme of “ending in a 5”. Gerald display commenced with a 1885 item with Contrary to/Regulations/409 and a 1d postage due handstamps. 1925 was represented with a item of mail from the Canal Zone to Guernsey. 1905 showed a item of mail from Jersey to France that attracted a 4d postage surcharge and bearing 2x15c French postage due stamps. The year 1945 produced several interesting items including an item of “Fortress mail” from a Jersey Feldpost No. 1714C to Austria dated February 17, 1945. There was an item of mail from Belgium to Jersey dated March 1945. Although Belgium had been liberated by this time, the Channel Islands had not so the item of mail was returned to sender. Other items of return to sender included a letter from Germany to a soldier in Guernsey but because mail could not get through it was handstamped with “ZURUCK/AN DEN/ABSENDER”. Finally, to end on a sad note, Gerald showed a fine example of a letter dated May 9, 1945 from Jersey to Calvados, France bearing a Jersey 3d view stamp. The letter was returned bearing a “RETOUR A L ENVOYEUR” cachet. Apparently the two addressees had been killed.