Stamps Commemorate Anzac Day 2013

Stamps Commemorate Anzac Day 2013

New Zealand Post is paying tribute to all New Zealanders who have served abroad as part of this year’s Anzac Day commemorations.

The activities of New Zealand’s Defence Force (NZDF) are celebrated in a special set of stamps marking the 98th anniversary of Anzac Day.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the armistice which ended the Korean War. New Zealanders have been serving continually in operations around the world since that time – in most instances as part of wider activity by the United Nations.

“All of us in the Defence Force are delighted by New Zealand Post’s Anzac stamp issue as it showcases to the public the diverse range of operations we have undertaken in recent times,” said Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General Richard Rhys Jones.

“Stamps can capture the core issues around their topic and we think that these images will resonate with the public, whether that be of our people coping with the ice of Antarctica, the tropical terrain of Timor, or the arid and mountainous regions of Afghanistan.

“Anzac Day is of course not only a day in which we remember those who have served in conflicts long past. We hope it is a day when the public also thinks about those men and women who are serving their country today. This stamp issue will help in that cause, not just on Anzac Day itself, but for the time these stamps are used and remain publicly available,” said Lieutenant General Richard Rhys Jones.

The stamps in the 2013 Anzac collection are:

70c - Afghanistan 
The New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team has operated in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan since 2003 - tasked with maintaining security. This 70c stamp shows Kiwi Team One on patrol in north-east Bamyan in 2011. 

70c - Timor-Leste       
The NZDF supported a variety of security and stabilisation operations in Timor-Leste between 1999 and 2012.  In all, 4,000 NZDF personnel were deployed, making it New Zealand’s largest deployment since the Korean War.  This 70c stamp shows a Royal New Zealand Air Force Iroquois carrying Australian troops in Dili, Timor-Leste in 2008. 

$1.40 - Solomon Islands 
New Zealand has been contributing to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands since 2003.  The $1.40 stamp shows members of TG Rata 8 performing a haka to welcome TG Rata 9 in Honiara, Solomon Islands in 2009. 

$1.90 - Bosnia-Herzegovina 
New Zealand's 15-year-long commitment to Bosnia began in 1992, when the Government agreed to contribute military observers to the UN peacekeeping effort.  The $1.90 stamp shows an M113A1 of Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles on checkpoint duty in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2007.

$2.40 - Antarctica 
Antarctica is one of the NZDF’s specialist areas of operation, utilising the right skills and equipment to cope with this challenging environment. The NZDF has been involved in Antarctica for more than 50 years, and the $2.40 stamp shows New Zealand Anzac class frigate Te Kaha patrolling Antarctic waters in 1999. 

$2.90 - Korea 
The UN Command Military Armistice Commission was created to supervise the Armistice, signed at the end of the Korean War in 1953.  The $2.90 stamp shows the post-armistice Korean headquarters of the 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery, on what became known as 'Kiwi Hill' in 1953. 

The Anzac 2013: New Zealanders serving abroad stamp issue is also available as a miniature sheet booklet - containing a miniature sheet for each stamp, as well as a miniature sheet with all six stamps.   The booklet also offers further insights into New Zealanders serving abroad, written by Dr Stephen Clarke, Chief Executive of the Royal New Zealand Returned Service Association.

The Anzac 2013 stamps are available at all PostShops, REAL Aotearoa stores in Auckland and Wellington, online at www.nzpost.co.nz/stamps, or 0800 STAMPS (782 677). 
 
ENDS

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