Quick links: Aden, Aden - Seiyun, Aden - Shihr, Antigua, Ascension, Australia, Australia - Nauru, Australia - New Guinea, Australia - Papua, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Bermuda, British Guiana, British Honduras, Occupation of Italian Colonies, British Solomon Is, Britsh Virgin Is, Burma, Canada / Newfoundland, Cayman Is, Ceylon, Cook Is, Cyprus, Dominica, Egypt, Falkland Is, Fiji, Gambia, Gibraltar, Gilbert & Ellice, Gold Coast, Grenada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, Kuwait, Leeward Is, Straits Settlement, Malaya PU, Malaya - BMA, Malayan States, Malaya - Japanese Occupation, Malaya - Thai Occupation, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Morocco Agencies, Muscat, New Hebrides, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Borneo, Nyasaland, Pakistan, Pitcairn, Rhodesia(North), Rhodesia - South, St. Helena, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somaliland Protectorate, South Africa, South West Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tonga, Transjordan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Zanzibar.
The SECOND WORLD WAR
BRITISH EMPIRE
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It originated with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries. At its height, it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, 23% of the world population at the time, and by 1920, it covered 35,500,000 km2 (13,700,000 sq mi), 24% of the Earth's total land area.
As a result, its political, legal, linguistic, and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, the phrase "the empire on which the sun never sets" was often used to describe the British Empire, because its expanse around the globe meant that the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories.
The Second World War lasted from Sep 1939 to May 1945 in Europe and Aug 1945 in Asia. Due to the fact that many British Empire stamps were issued just before the war and there was a significant Victory Omnibus issue just after the war I have included stamp issues from 1935 to 1946 rather than limiting it to the 1939 to 1945 time frame.
ADEN
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The port's convenient position on the sea route between India and Europe has made Aden desirable to rulers who sought to possess it at various times throughout history. In 1838 Aden was ceded to the British who continued to control it until it became a free state and British troops withdrew in 1967. The first post office in Aden was opened in Jan 1839 and from then until 1937 stamps issued in India were used. These can only be differentiated from stamps used in India by the postmarks. In 1937 Aden issued its first set of stamps and continued to issue stamps until 1964.
ADEN - PROTECTORATE
KATHIRI STATE of SEIYUN
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In 1852, the City of Seiyun became the capital of the State of Kathiri (Aden-Kathiri) which was within the British Aden Protectorate (1869 - 1963). Its fortified fortress, the Sultan's Palace, was the seat of Sultan al-Kathiri. Stamps inscribed "KATHIRI STATE OF SEIYUN" were issued from 22nd May 1937 until independence from Britain in 1964.
ADEN - PROTECTORATE
KATHIRI STATE of SHIHR and MUKALLA
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The Nazim of Hyderabad State entered into a treaty with the British in 1888, creating a unified sultanate in 1902 that became part of the Aden Protectorate. The state remained under British rule until a communist uprising in Sep 1967 which forced the state to join Communist South Yemen.ANTIGUA
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In 1632, a group of English colonists left St. Kitts to settle on Antigua, an island in the West Indies. Sir Christopher Codrington, an Englishman, established the first permanent British settlement on the island and the British retained a controlling influence over the island until independence in 1968.
ASCENSION ISLAND
(Dependecy of St. Helena)
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The Ascension Islands did not issue any new stamps between 1939 and 1945 but they did issue three stamps to commemorate the Coronation of King George VI on 19th May 1937. There was also a large pictorial issue in 1938, all of these stamps are widely seen on covers sent during the war period. In addition the Victory series of 1946 saw the release of two stamps which commemorate the end of the war in 1946.AUSTRALIA
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Australia issued several small series during the war period and the stamps designed by F. D. Manley are among my favorites. Unlike most of the countries and colonies of the British Empire, there was no issue commemorating the Coronation of King George VI on 19th May 1937. Australian dependencies Nauru, New Guinea and Papua however did issue their own coronation stamps. Australia did produce a set of 3 attractive stamps to commemorate the end of the war in 1946.
AUSTRALIA
NAURU
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Nauru (Marshall Islands) was originally occupied by Australian forces on the 6th Nov 1914 when the German occupiers were forced out at the start of the First World War. Australian Stamps overprinted "NAURU" were issued in 1916 and the island saw it's own stamps issued from 1924 to 1937. The Japanese captured Nauru on 26th Aug 1942 and removed all the inhabitants to Truk in the Caroline Islands. Following the defeat of the Japanese, the Australians returned on 13th Sep 1945 and the locals began to return in 1946.
AUSTRALIA
NEW GUINEA
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During World War I, Australian forces seized German New Guinea, which in 1920 became the Territory of New Guinea, to be administered by Australia under a League of Nations mandate. The territories under Australian administration became collectively known as The Territories of Papua and New Guinea (until the Japanese invasion in February 1942). The Australian territories were put under military administration and were known simply as New Guinea. The highlands, northern and eastern parts of the island became key battlefields in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. Papuans often gave vital assistance to the Allies, fighting alongside Australian troops. AUSTRALIA
PAPUA
(BRITISH NEW GUINEA)
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During World War I, Australian forces seized German New Guinea, which in 1920 became the Territory of New Guinea, to be administered by Australia under a League of Nations mandate. The territories under Australian administration became collectively known as The Territories of Papua and New Guinea (until the Japanese invasion in February 1942). The Australian territories were put under military administration and were known simply as New Guinea. The highlands, northern and eastern parts of the island became key battlefields in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. Papuans often gave vital assistance to the Allies, fighting alongside Australian troops.BAHAMAS
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The Bahamas became a British crown colony in 1718, when the British clamped down on piracy. After the American Revolutionary War, the Crown resettled thousands of American Loyalists to The Bahamas; they took their slaves with them and established plantations on land grants. African slaves and their descendants constituted the majority of the population from this period on. The Bahamas gained governmental independence in 1973.BAHRAIN
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In the late 1800s, following successive treaties with the British, Bahrain became a British protectorate and remained so until independence in 1971. Bahrain came under the Indian postal administration from 1884 until 1948 when stamps inscribed 'BAHRAIN' replaced Indian stamps overprinted 'BAHRAIN'.BARBADOS
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On 14 May 1625 an English ship, the Olive Blossom, arrived in Barbados and took possession of it in the name of King James I. In 1627, the first permanent settlers arrived from England, and it became an English and later British colony. The British retained control over the island until it gained full independence on 30th Nov 1966.BASUTOLAND
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Basutoland was a British Crown colony established in 1884 due to the Cape Colony's inability to control the territory. The colony was brought under direct authority of Queen Victoria, via the High Commissioner, and run by an Executive Council presided over by a series of British Resident Commissioners. Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon its independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966.BECHUANALAND
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The Bechuanaland Protectorate was established on 31st Mar 1885, by Great Britain in Southern Africa. On 30th Sep 1966, upon independence, it became the Republic of Botswana.BERMUDA
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The 181 islands of Bermuda are a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Beginning in World War II, US military installations were located in Bermuda, including a naval air station and submarine base along with US Army air, anti-aircraft, and coast artillery forces. The Army forces were under the Bermuda Base Command during the war and their presence lasted until 1995.BRITISH GUIANA
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BRITISH HONDURAS
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BRITISH OCCUPATION
ITALIAN COLONIES
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Hostilities between the British and Italians in the horn of Africa started on 13th Jun 1940, with an Italian air raid on the British airbase at Wajir in the East Africa Protectorate (Kenya). By Aug 1940, the protectorate of British Somaliland was occupied by Italian forces and absorbed into Italian East Africa. However after only 6 months the Italian forces had been largely pushed back from Kenya and the Sudan. On 6 Apr 1941, Addis Ababa was occupied by the 11th (African) Division and the remaining Italian forces surrendered after the Battle of Gondar in Nov 1941. Small groups of Italian troops fought a guerrilla war in Ethiopia until the Italian surrender to the Allies on 3rd Sep 1943.
BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS
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The British Solomon Islands Protectorate (located to the North-East of Australia in the Pacific Ocean) was first declared over the southern Solomons in 1893, when Captain Gibson R.N., of HMS Curacoa, declared the southern islands a British protectorate. Other islands were subsequently declared to form part of the Protectorate over a period ending in the 1970s. The Japanese invaded the islands in Jan 1942 and three years of bitter fighting ensued including the battle for Guadalcanal until their eventual liberation in 1945.BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
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BURMA
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CANADA
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CANADA
(NEWFOUNDLAND)
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CAYMAN ISLANDS
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CEYLON
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COOK ISLANDS
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The Cook Islands became a British protectorate in 1888, largely because of fears that France might occupy the islands as it already had Tahiti. On 8 and 9 Oct 1900, seven instruments of cession of Rarotonga and other islands were signed and a British Proclamation was issued, stating that the cessions were accepted and the islands declared parts of Her Britannic Majesty's dominions. They remained so until 11 Jun 1901 when they gained a formal relationship with New Zealand. When the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948 came into effect on 1 Jan 1949, Cook Islanders who were British subjects automatically gained New Zealand citizenship.
CYPRUS
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DOMINICA
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EGYPT
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FALKLAND ISLANDS
(Including Dependencies)
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The Falkland Islands is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. As a British overseas territory, the Falklands have internal self-governance, and the United Kingdom takes responsibility for their defence and foreign affairs. The Falkland Islands' capital is Stanley on East Falkland.FIJI
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GAMBIA
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GIBRALTAR
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GILBERT & ELLICE
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The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1st Jan 1976, when the islands were divided into two colonies which became independent nations shortly after. A referendum was held in Dec 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As a consequence of the referendum, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony ceased to exist on 1 January 1976 and the separate countries of Kiribati and Tuvalu came into existence.GOLD COAST *
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The Gold Coast is located on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. In 1850 Britain bought all of Denmarks Gold Coast possessions for £10,000 (around £1.20 million in 2007), in an effort to stop the illegal slave trade. The Gold Coast remained a British colony until its independence as the nation of Ghana in 1957.GRENADA
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Grenada is located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. It consists of the island of Grenada itself plus six smaller islands which lie to the north of the main island. Grenada was ceded to the British under the Treaty of Paris and this continued until 1974 (except for a period of French rule between 1779 and 1783).HONG KONG
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INDIA
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IRELAND
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JAMAICA
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KENYA, UGANDA & TANGANYIKA
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KUWAIT
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LEEWARD ISLANDS
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MALAYA
(STRAITS SETTLEMENTS)
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MALAYA
POSTAL UNION
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MALAYA
(British Military Administration)
(Includes Singapore and the Malayan States)
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MALAYAN STATES
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JAPANESE OCCUPATION
MALAYA
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THAI OCCUPATION
MALAYA
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MALTA
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MAURITIUS
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MONTSERRAT
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MOROCCO AGENCIES
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MUSCAT
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NEW HEBRIDES
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NEW ZEALAND
(Including NIUE)
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NIGERIA
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NORTH BORNEO
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NYASALAND
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PAKISTAN
BAHAWALPUR
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PITCAIRN
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RHODESIA
(NORTH)
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RHODESIA
(SOUTH)
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ST HELENA
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SAINT KITTS and NEVIS
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SAINT LUCIA
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SAINT VINCENT *
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The Caribbean island of Saint Vincent is the largest island in the chain of islands known as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It was ceded to the British in 1763 and again in 1783 after several wars between the British and the indigenous Black Caribs. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gained independence from the British on October 27, 1979 and became part of the British Commonwealth of Nations thereafter.SAMOA
(Including Western Samoa)
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SEYCHELLES
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SIERRA LEONE
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SOMALILAND
(Protectorate)
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SOUTH AFRICA
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SOUTH-WEST AFRICA
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SUDAN
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SWAZILAND
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TONGA
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TRANSJORDAN
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TRINIDAN & TOBAGO
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TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS
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ZANZIBAR
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