Nazi Stamp

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30971, 29 January 1966, Page 5

Nazi Stamp

(Specially written for "The Press” by KENNETH ANTHONY.) "VOT for a long time has a British stamp caused so many protests as this one, which formed part of a set marking the 20th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, turning-point of World War 11. As soon as the design was first made public, ex-service-men’s organisations, as well as individuals, wrote to the press and Post Office complaining about the appearance of the swastika, the hated Nazi emblem, on a British stamp. In vain was it pointed out that the design symbolised a German aircraft brought down in the sea by victorious fighters flying overhead. Questions were even asked in the House of Commons, where the Postmaster-General turned down a suggestion that the proposed stamp should be withdrawn.

Perhaps it was the appearance of the actual stamp, in its issue colours, that largely settled the controversy. For the broad blue band across the foot of the design certainly shows the intention of the designer far more clearly than the black and white illustration did. Nevertheless Post Office clerks were instructed to fall

in with the wishes of the public, and offer other stamps to those who objected to using either the type with the swastika or another design showing an aircraft with a German cross. Odd stamps left over as a result were to be treated in the same way as stamps accidentally damaged, and returned to the G.P.O.

In fact the public had an unusually wide choice on this occasion because no fewer than six 4d stamps were produced in the Battle of Britain series, all of them printed alternately in the same sheet It was the first time that such a method had ever been adopted for British stamps. In the outcome, commonsense quickly prevailed. Altogether 23} million of each stamp were printed, and of this substantial total just 660 single stamps were sent back afterwards —337 of them in the design with the swastika.