An Post marks Somme Centenary

29 June 2016

 

The international stamp has already started appearing on mail winging its way to the four corners of the globe. The stamp was designed by Dublin design company Red&Grey and features an image of the Royal Irish Rifles from Britain’s Imperial War Museum. The stamp and a very collectable First Day Cover (FDC) are available from main post offices, the Philatelic counters at Dublin’s GPO and online at irishstamps.ie.

The Battle of the Somme was one of the most horrific in the history of warfare, lasting from July 1 to November 18, 1916 and claiming more than one million lives. Among the dead were over 3,500 Irish soldiers. On the opening day of the battle many of the 5,500 casualties were men of the 36th Ulster Division. Just months later the 16th Irish Division suffered 4,330 casualties, 1,200 of them killed.

Indeed so terrible was the battle that a German officer Friedrich Steinbrecher is quoted as saying ‘Somme. The whole history of the world cannot contain a more ghastly word.’ Ironically after huge casualties and months of fighting, there was no significant change in the positions of either side.

The new international stamp and First day Cover will carry Ireland’s commemoration of the First World War, and the battle, all over the world as well as proving a highly collection item for stamp collectors and collectors of WW1 memorabilia. The stamp will also be of particular interest to those whose ancestors may have fought at the Somme.