Norvic Philatelics - GB New Stamps and Special Postmarks

Dad's Army (television series) - stamp issue 26 June 2018

Stamp Set - in horizontal se-tenant pairs 2nd class - Sergeant Wilson - Do you think that’s wise, sir?; Private Pike - I’ll tell Mum! 1st Class – Captain Mainwaring - You Stupid Boy!;  Lance Corporal Jones - Don’t Panic, Don’t Panic! £1.45 - Private Walker - It won’t cost you much!; Private Frazer - We’re doomed….Doomed! £1.55 - Private Godfrey - Do you think I might be excused?;  Chief Warden Hodges - Put that light out!

Dad’s Army is one of a handful of TV comedies that fully deserves its classic status. The show focuses on a Home Guard platoon commanded by pompous bank manager Captain Mainwaring and assisted by his mild-mannered chief clerk, Sergeant Wilson. This motley band of men provide Walmington-on-Sea’s last line of defence against the seemingly imminent Nazi invasion. Drawn from their own wartime memories, writers Jimmy Perry and David Croft never denigrated the patriotism or bravery of the characters but managed to make us laugh at the results of their often haphazard antics. The series was based partly on Perry’s experiences in the Local Defence Volunteers at the age of 17 during the Second World War. His mother didn’t like him being out at night, which inspired the character of Pike. In its 1970s heyday the show attracted more than 18 million viewers, becoming one of the most watched television programmes. The actors shown are: John Le Mesurier (Sgt Wilson), Ian Lavender (Private Pike), Arthur Lowe (Capt Mainwairing), Clive Dunn (L/C Jones), James Beck (Private Walker), John Laurie (Private Frazer), Arnold Ridley (Private Ridley), and Bill Pertwee (Chief ARP Warden Hodges).  (Links are to Internet Movie Database).

The self-adhesive Retail Stamp Book contains both 1st class stamps and 4 x 1st class Machin definitives; the Machins should have codes M18L MCIL

A Generic Sheet has also been produced, containing 5 of each of the 1st class stamps, with se-tenant labels depicting scenes from the shows.  The sheet is self-adhesive and costs £7.50.

Technical details:

The gummed stamps are designed by Up Design, and printed by International Security Printers in lithography.  The stamps are 41 x 30 mm, and printed in 4 sheets of se-tenant pairs, 60 per sheet.  The Retail Booklet and Generic Sheet are also printed by International Security Printers (Walsall) but self-adhesive. The booklet is gravure, the sheet (probably) litho.

DAD’S ARMY and the DAD’S ARMY arrows are trade marks of the British Broadcasting Corporation and are used under licence © BBC 1968; DAD’S ARMY television stills, © BBC, used with permission from BBC Motion Gallery/Getty Images; all other quotations, character names, images, text and trade marks from the television series DAD'S ARMY © James Perry Productions Limited and Worldwide Theatrix Limited.

Product range - we will not be stocking these products except for the Retail Stamp Book stamps.

Set of 8 stamps         Presentation Pack     First Day Cover     Set of 8 Stamp Cards    Retail Book   Generic Sheet

Special Postmarks