Great Britain’s Royal Mail honors heroes of World War II in a May 1 stamp issue

By David Hartwig

Great Britain’s Royal Mail acknowledges the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with a May 1 Valour and Victory stamp issue honoring specific individuals who helped to win the war.

A set of 10 stamps is presented in two horizontal se-tenant (side-by-side) strips of five, and each stamp is denominated at the first-class rate (currently £1.70).

The stamps in one strip show George Arthur Roberts, Mary Morris, Tommy Macpherson, Violette Szabo and John Harrison. The other strip has stamps featuring Bhanbhagta Gurung, Thomas Peirson Frank, Mahinder Singh Pujji, William Tutte and Lilian Bader.

A souvenir sheet contains four additional first-class stamps and pays tribute to Dame Vera Lynn, the singer and entertainer who gave outdoor concerts for the troops during the war as part of the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA).

“Nations wage wars, but it is individuals who fight them,” Royal Mail said in a press release. “The 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War is an opportunity to acknowledge just some of the remarkable men and women who made extraordinary contributions during the war. These incredible people were working for the war effort both at home and behind enemy lines, and volunteering from across the Commonwealth.”

Supple Studio designed the set of 10 stamps, and the souvenir sheet was designed by Together Design London. Both the set of 10 stamps and the souvenir sheet was printed by Cartor Security Printers by lithography. The stamps in the set of 10 were printed in sheets of 50 (also sold in panes of 25 at most postal outlets).

The stamps in the set of 10 measure 37 millimeters by 35mm and are perforated gauge 14 by 14.5. The stamps on the souvenir sheet measure 41mm by 30mm and are perforated gauge 14.5 by 14.

A prestige stamp book “highlights the human impact of war and the diverse roles played by individuals from Britain and the Commonwealth,” according to Royal Mail, and includes all 14 stamps from the set of 10 and souvenir sheet, plus a definitive pane of five King Charles III definitive stamps unique to the issue. One of the King Charles III definitives is denominated 20 pence, two are 50p, and two are £1.

A presentation pack contains all 14 stamps in the Valour and Victory issue along with photographs, facts and the stories of the men and women who contributed to the war effort.

Royal Mail offers a first-day cover franked with the set of 10 stamps, one franked with the souvenir sheet, and one franked with the pane of definitive stamps from the prestige stamp book.

All three FDC versions can be ordered with postmarks from either Tallents House or London SW1, the postcode area and district of the Cenotaph war memorial. A nonpersonalized version of the FDC, what Royal Mail calls a souvenir cover, is also available.

A collector’s sheet with the set of 10 stamps is available. Each stamp is paired with a label relating to the service of the individual commemorated on the stamp.

Additional stamps associated with the May 1 Valour and Victory issue are available on May 7 at the EuroPhilEx stamp exhibition in Birmingham, England. A sheet of 10 self-adhesive first-class Union Flag definitive stamps features images of stamps from the 1946 Peace Issue (Scott 264-265) in the selvage and the Union Flag stamps have se-tenant labels showing designs submitted but not accepted for the 1946 stamps.

Also available at the EuroPhilEx stamp exhibition May 7 is the souvenir sheet from the May 1 Valour and Victory issue with a EuroPhilEx 2025 overprint and numbering box. The souvenir sheet was printed in a quantity of 7,500, and the sheet of 10 Union Flag definitive stamps in a quantity of 5,000.

Related products for the Valour and Victory issue include coin covers and 15 postcards showing enlargements of the stamp designs and an image of the souvenir sheet.

The Valour and Victory stamps and related products can be ordered from Royal Mail’s website. Ordering information also is available from Royal Mail, Tallents House, 21 S. Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9PB, Scotland.

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