Herm Island’s final issue

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32500, 9 January 1971, Page 9

Herm Island’s final issue

The decision of Guernsey and Jersey, in the Channel Islands to run their own postal irvices and issue their own stamps, instead of being part of the British postal system, has brought about the withdrawal of the interesting local stamps of Herm.

Herm is a small island about three miles east of Guernsey. The permanent population is small, but is greatly augmented during the summer months by holidaymakers. At one time Compton Mackenzie, the famous novelist, lived there and made it the setting' for his book, “Fairy Gold.” In pre-war days a suboffice of the British Post

Office functioned on Herm, but after the war the British authorities declined to restore postal facilities. The tenant of Herm therefore decided to start his own service, running a daily mailboat to and from Guernsey. To cover the cost he issued his own local stamps, though for onward transmission from Guernsey ordinary British stamps had to be affixed as well. At one time, before the installation of a radio-telephone, urgent mesVT

sages were conveyed by pigeon post, and for this too a special stamp was used to prepay the fee.

The first Herm stamps came out in . 1949—the early issues having a map design with a novel “treasure island” air about it—and for 20 years they have been much in demand. Though many were bought by visitors as souvenirs, and by collectors, there is no denying that they served a genuine postal purpose, for anyone wishing to post a letter or postcard on Herm could not do so without using one of the local stamps.

Guernsey took over Henn’s postal service on October 1, 1969. From that day the new Guernsey stamps were valid, and the Herm issues became obsolete.

But, just a fortnight beforehand, Herm enjoye<L,the final fling of its postal "independence” by releasing an attractive set showing various ships. As the last of Herm’s * local stamps they bring an interesting chapter of Channel Islands philately to a close.