Channel Islands
Covers and Cards
1941
The German forces invaded and occupied the Channel Islands between June 30 and July 3, 1940 following an air raid by German bombers and remained there until May 1945. Although local inter-island mail services continued, all overseas mail was stopped, except for some mail handled by the Red Cross. Up until this point the Channel Islands had used postage stamps issued by the General Post Office in Britain. At the time of the occupation the stamps in use were King George VI defintitive stamps (1937-1939) as well as the Postage Stamp Centenary set of 1940.
"Card from Jersey to Linz"
This card was sent from Jersey to Linz on 12th Nov 1941 and has a Michel 2 stamp.
This Cover is from My Collection
Jersey
First Day Cover
This postcard is a First Day Cover featuring two 1941 issue Michel 1 stamps.
This Cover is from My Collection
"Guernsey Cover"
This card was sent to and from Guernsey on 24th Jun 1941 and has a Michel 2 stamp. The interesting features of this cover are that firstly there is a flat edge to the left side of the cancellation indicating that the handstamp had been damaged at some time previously. In addition the '1' of '1941' is deformed. Ordinarily in peace time the handstamp would have been repaired or replaced, however during the war time spare parts are hard to find and some degree of flexibility is required. The post office laboured on with the damaged handstamp but the deformed '1' appears to have been a '0' modified to look like a '1'. Perhaps only spare '0's were available at the time.
Damaged handstamp and modified '1'