Channel Islands Stamps
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.
In 1941 The Channel Islands issued their first locally designed stamps that had to be approved by the German's before being approved. Apparently unknown to the German's was the fact that the Channel Islands Coat of Arms depicts three lions which is almost identical to the British King's own Coat of Arms which also features 3 lions. Had the authorities realised the similarity it is unlikely they would have approved the designs.
Guernsey
Michel 1 to 3
"Coat of Arms"
Issued: 7th April 1941 (½d), 18th Feb 1941 (1d) and 12th Apr 1944 (2½d). Coat of Arms Guernsey. These were the first locally issued postage stamps in the Channel Islands. The Jersey design was issued first followed by the Guernsey issue. Guernsey’s stamps were designed by E.W. Vaudin, an artist employed by the Guernsey Press Co. Ltd, the same company that printed them. These stamps are rouletted 14x7 but due to their rough production they are difficult to measure.
In 1942 'chain-linked fence' watermarked versions of the ½d and 1d were produced on blue French banknote paper but these are less common than the earlier versions.
Also apparently un-noticed by the German's were the tiny 'v's that Vaudin added to each corner of his stamps. At the time the 'V' was the allied symbol for victory.
Jersey
Michel 1 and 2
"Coat of Arms"
Issued: 1st April 1941. Coat of Arms Guernsey. These were the first locally issued postage stamps in the Channel Islands. The Jersey design was issued first followed by the Guernsey issue. Jersey’s stamps were designed by a retired British army officer, Col. Norman Victor Lacey Rybot, and were printed by the Jersey Evening Post. These stamps are on unwatermarked paper and are perf 11.
Like Vaudin and his Guernsey designs the Colonel decided to do his bit for the resistance by adding subversive images to his stamps. Looking again at the corners of the stamps there are four minute ‘A’s on the 1d which were Latin and intended to stand for “Ad Avernum, Adolphe Atrox” or roughly translated “To Hell with you, Atrocious Adolf”. When the ½d was issued in 1942 the 4 'A's had been chnaged to two 'A's and two 'B's meaning "Atrocious Adolf' and 'Bloody Benito' references to Adolf Hilter and Benito Mussolini.
