New stamps to be issued by Royal Mail for World War II

The Royal Mail has revealed a new set of 14 stamps that pay tribute to women’s vital contribution during World War II.

Entitled Unsung Heroes: Women of World War II, the main set of 10 stamps illustrate the huge range of work women undertook during the war years.

Included is a rare photograph showing female codebreakers working at Bletchley, where they translated Axis material and operated the complex cryptographic machinery.

A further four stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, showcase the brave work of the Ferry Pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary – known as the ‘Spitfire Women’ – an incredibly brave and ground-breaking group of female pilots.

David Gold, Director External Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail, said: “These stamps are a tribute to the millions of women who contributed to the war effort and the Allied victory. Their bravery and sacrifice is often overlooked, but their work helped to drive some of the post-war social changes that eventually saw equal opportunities and equal pay legislation. We must also remember the women who supported the war effort at home, managing households despite the unceasing demands of total war.”

Until 1941, women’s work was voluntary, but the increased demands of a global war meant that female conscription was increasingly seen as necessary by the government. By the middle of 1943, the majority of women in wartime employment, both full and part-time, were working in industry, agriculture and the women’s services. The women’s auxiliary services were established at the outset of the war: the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in 1938, and the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) in 1939.

To begin with, roles in the ATS were limited to cooks, cleaners, orderlies, storewomen, and drivers, but as the war went on these were expanded to include other duties, notably work on the anti-aircraft sites.

The stamps are available at www.royalmail.com/ unsungheroes and by phone on 03457 641 641. The Presentation Pack containing all the stamps is £16.00.