Page 81 - 148 Years of the Royal Philatelic Society London

In 1946: U.N. General Assembly opens; first Cannes Film Festival, Evelyn Waugh' s Brideshead

Revisited published; H.G. Wells dies; Freddie Mercury, Dolly Parton and Donald Trump born.

At the RPSL: Membership numbers rise rapidly past 600 mark; new record attendance of 95

at a meeting; Major S. N. Custance engaged as first paid Secretary.

RPSL Presidents were J Hall Baron & E.W. Mann. Patron H.M. King George VI. Members 632.

SWISS 'PRO AERO' SEMI-POSTAL

From the collection of Robert Wightman FRPSL, CPH.

Member since 1994. Lives in Switzerland.

~~ '

EIRl"1

(

ORD

WAF

sou

~v--JJ,~ E. L. A~~~ .

~. w ~

~~ Jto~ e~

t< OMA. It-~

this envelope again • Op~n by tearing label

,

Switzerland issued semi-postal "Pro Aero" stamps which bore supplements to support aviation. This

registered letter to the British Red Cross in Rome bears the 1946 "Pro Aero" stamp. It was sent from

Promontogno, a village on the way from Italy to St. Moritz, on lst May 1946 and has a Milan transit

back-stamp of 3rd May. May 1 was the day this stamp came on sale, but it was only valid for mail on

special flights on May 22/23, 1946. I guess this little post-office didn't read the small print!