Canada Post has brought out two military-themed issues just in time for Nov. 11.
One is a stamp issue marking the 150th anniversary of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, based in Belleville, Ont.
Formed by the amalgamation of the Hastings Rifles and the Prince Edward Regiment in 1920, both regiments with an unofficial tradition going back to the Loyalist militia of the early 1800s, it was further amalgamated in 1954 with the 9th Anti-Tank Regiment (Argyll Light Infantry), a unit with a history stretching back to 1863.
Over its long history the regiment, nicknamed “The Hasty Ps,” has gathered 31 battle honours, more than any other Canadian infantry regiment. While the regiment sent members to participate in the North-West Rebellion, the Boer War, and the First World War, it was mobilized for service in the Second World War. The Hasty Ps landed in Sicily in 1943 and, after fighting up the Italian peninsula, ended the war in Holland.
Dave Sacha of Sputnik Design created the stamp. He based it on the work of Canadian war artist Ted Zuber, and added poppies as symbols of courage and sacrifice. The painting used is Assault on Assoro, a daring attack made during the Second World War after the troops climbed a cliff to gain surprise. The design is a striking departure from earlier regimental stamps issues, which have depicted a variety of uniforms covering the past 150 years of history. The stamps are produced in booklets of 10. The cover design of the booklet is similar to other regimental stamps issued this year, showing the regimental crest and images of former serving members. A similar design is used on the official first-day cover. The back of the cover shows a lone soldier saluting his fallen comrades.
Lowe-Martin produced 1.5 million of the permanent-rate domestic stamps using six-colour lithography. As with other booklet stamps they are self-adhesive with simulated perforations and general four-side tagging. The OFDC has a Oct. 18 cancel from Belleville.
The other issue is a commemorative envelope released to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal 22e Regiment, the famous Vandoos.
The regiment is Canada’s only francophone infantry regiment in the regular army. It was formed as the 22 battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, on Oct. 14, 1914 for service in the First World War. It was the result of encouragement from Quebec entrepreneur Arthur Mingault, who urged the government to form a French-language unit in the Canadian military. It was the only francophone unit to fight for the Canadian Army in the war. After the conflict it was given the French language designation 22e, and in 1921 was granted royal designation by King George V.
During the Second World War, the Vandoos served in Sicily, the Netherlands, and northern Germany. As a permanent unit, it has served in the Korean War and in Afghanistan, as well as numerous NATO and UN peacekeeping deployments. Today the regiment is based in the Quebec Citadel. The cover shows seven photos of various members of the regiment over the years. The stamp is a picture postage stamp, showing a group of Vandoos on parade at the Citadel, in their scarlet tunics and bearskin hats. The Quebec City cancel is dated Oct. 14 and shows a fleur-de-lis.