Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill became the living symbol of British resistance during World War 2. At various times in his life he was a soldier, a statesman, a journalist, a Nobel-winning author and, of course, Britain’s wartime Prime Minister. 

Churchill was an often controversial and even unpopular figure before the war, and famously lost the election to lead Britain into peace in 1945. However, none of this could detract from his enduring reputation for his leadership during the war. His reknown was global, and the first call for his face to appear on a stamp came from Mr W Sharpe of Toronto in 1952. According to research by A G Rigo de Righi, the GPO received some 40 letters on the subject between 1952 and Churchill’s death in 1965.

Only Churchill’s death cleared the path to the production of a commemorative stamp: in 1965 the idea of showing any eminent person on a stamp, even former monarchs, was unprecedented. It was felt that the importance of the occasion, and the inevitable stamp issues from other countries, meant that a stamp should be commissioned.

The final design chosen was by David Gentleman and Rosalind Dease, from a photograph by Karsh. The stamp was issued in values of 4d and 1s 3d.