2014 marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II and New Zealand Post is commemorating with this special stamp issue.
New Zealand was involved in all but three of the 2,179 days of World War II. It was a conflict that engulfed the globe, taking the lives of 50 million people, including nearly one in every 150 New Zealanders. World War II was New Zealand’s greatest ever national effort by land, by sea and by air, and it affected the lives of everyday New Zealanders in ways never seen before or since.
The 2014 Anzac stamps depict WWII poster art. Between 1939 and 1945 New Zealand produced hundreds of thousands of posters, window stickers and cards in support of its involvement in World War II. Displaying posters was seen as a way to contribute to the war effort and they helped to create a war-like atmosphere at home.
The six stamps reflect six of the groups that contributed to the war effort overseas and at home: the Air Training Corps, the Women’s Land Service, the Air Force, the Navy, the Army and the Maori Battalion. The purpose of these posters was to raise funds, recruit New Zealanders and give advice and information about the war.
$1.90 – Navy Week
The stamp depict the forepart of a warship, which looks the HMNZS ACHILLES, who can confirm the identification?
New Zealand’s naval force, which from 1 October 1941 became the Royal New Zealand Navy, grew substantially during the course of the war. This poster is an emotionally charged call for New Zealanders to give money to the war effort through loans – “New Zealand expects that everyone this week will invest in the 3rd Liberty Loan”.
Source: New Zealand Post