Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

The Nation salutes this Great son of India. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a patriot and true nationalist par excellence. Today we celebrate this Great Man’s 134^th Birth Anniversary.

Pakistan - II

Wahid I hope you like what you see here?

Pakistan - I

Some old covers of Pakistan that might interest collectors from South Asia.

Malaysia's First Submarine

KD Tunku Abdul Rahman is Malaysia's First Submarine. This Scorpene class Sub will add a real deadly punch to the Malaysian Navy. The Indian Navy too is interested in this Class of Submarines. The pamphlet alongside gives brief details.

The Death of Lord Nelson, 1805

Today is the Death Anniversary of one of England’s great admirals.

It was one of the greatest sea battles in British history and gave birth to a legend. Off the coast of Spain's Cape Trafalgar Peninsula, the British Fleet, led by Lord Horatio Nelson, took on a combined French and Spanish force to determine who would be the master of the waves. England's very existence was at stake for France's Napoleon Bonaparte was poised to send his powerful army across the English Channel to conquer the island. The only obstacle standing in his way was the British fleet.

The battle commenced on October 21, 1805 with Nelson's famous words signalled to his fleet: "England expects that every man will do his duty." Nelson had devised an unorthodox battle plan that called for his ships to attack the enemy broadside in two parallel lines, break into the enemy's formation and blast his opponents at close quarters.

As Nelson watched from the deck of the HMS Victory the battle soon turned into a confused melee of combat between individual ships. The fighting was at such close quarters that the Victory became entangled with the French ship Redoubtable. Locked together in a deadly ballet, each ship blasted its enemy at point-blank range. From his perch in the upper rigging of the Redoubtable, a French sharpshooter took aim at a prized target on the deck of the Victory, fired and sent a musket ball into Nelson's left shoulder. Continuing its journey, the bullet tore a path through the Admiral's upper body before smashing into his lower back. It was a mortal wound.

Nelson was carried below decks while the battle raged on. He lived long enough to hear the news of the Redoubtable's surrender and of his fleet's victory after four and a half hours of combat.

Dr. William Beatty was a physician aboard the Victory and attended to Nelson as he lay dying. “Ah, Doctor! - It is all over; it is all over”.

(The stamp on the miniature sheet says it all. Click to enlarge it)

Modern Energy Efficient and the Traditional

These two covers from Malaysia are a contrast in terms. The one on the left is the Government’s effort at encouraging energy efficient and aesthetic construction in modern buildings. At the right are the tourist’s delights – traditional and ethnic houses.

Singapore - III

Singapore - II

Singapore - I

Consequent to my posting a few covers of Malaysia of the "Good Ole days", a few friends from Singapore wanted me to display some covers from their City State if I had any. Well I have a few, not too many. Over the next couple of posts I'll put them up for your viewing. I hope you like them.

UPU Centenary Covers

The other day the Postal and Philatelic Fraternity around the World celebrated UPU Day very crudely being called Postal Day. This is how Hungary and Singapore commemorated UPU Centenary in 1974.

The Gems of Oz

These Australian First Day Covers have a small historical background as far as I am concerned. A Dutch lad sent most of them to me. Son of Dr. Went who migrated to Australia in the ‘50s. He was a colleague of my Father in a Dutch Company, Philips Electrical Limited. In India. When he went to Australia and settled down in Flinders Park, South Australia, he got his son and myself to establish a fruitful pen-friendship. We exchanged stamps and FDCs for a few years and then vagaries of time and exigencies of boarding schools put a stop to further correspondence between us.

I would like to make use of this blog to thank that lad, who like me must be an elderly gentleman now, for these gems that he sent me then. I would also like to request him to contact me if he reads this post. In case one of his friends or associates happens to glance through these pages please point it out to Mr. Went. Thank you kind folks.

First Flight - III

First Flight - II

First Flight - I

Collectors interested in First Flight covers may like to see these BOAC and Quantas Airways covers of the earlier years.

Malaysia Revisited - II

Malaysia Revisited - I

My precious Malaysian First Day Cover's of years gone by.

Rio Games

This is to Congratulate All My Brazillian Friends, on Rio being granted the 2016 Olympic Games. If the February Festival is any evidence ,-)) I am sure the Rio Games will be a fantabulous success. Well done Brazil.

Day of Non - Violence

Incidently , on scanning the UNPA site I found that the UN stamp sales outlet is available in a few countries , including Pakistan but NOT INDIA . Would some of you influential and well known Philatelists like to take up the matter with the Deptt. of Posts?

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