Nimrod Caper : Canadian Military Exercises in Jamaica

In March 1969, Canadian troops were airlifted from Canada to Jamaica to carry out training exercise "Nimrod Caper". The more than 800 personnel consisted of the 1st Royal Canadian Regiment of London, Ontario, accompanied by 429 Buffalo Squadron and 403 Helicopter Training Squadron from No. 10 Tactical Air Group. During the Centennial period, Exercise Nimrod Caper was repeated annually with a different battalion group.

CFPO 5003 was assigned to handle mail for all the Nimrod Caper exercises.

Nimrod Caper I : 1969


CFPO 5003 to St. Catharines, March 15, 1969
6 cent Forces Air Letter rate

The writer describes the warm weather and the lovely beaches.


CFPO 5003
Type C hammer (Bailey and Toop)
No year



Nimrod Caper II : 1970


CFPO 5003 to Drummondville, February 14, 1970




CFPO 5003
Type C hammer
Year in canceller



Nimrod Caper IV : 1972


March 25, 1972


CFPO 5003
Type D hammer

1968 Mail from Weagamow Lake, Ontario



The card shown above was mailed from Weagamow Lake, Ontario, on October 22, 1968, and addressed to Minneapolis. The 4 cent regular stationery post card was uprated to pay the 10 cent air mail rate to the United States and was cancelled with the Weagamow Lake Money Order Office Number handstamp. Although it doesn't appear to be remarkable on its face, it is a postal history gem.

The Weagamow Lake post office (opened in 1961 as Round Lake and changed to Weagamow Lake in 1968) serves the North Caribou Lake First Nation (also known as Weagamow or Round Lake) which is located on the north shore of Weagamow Lake. It is 320 km north of Sioux Lookout, Ontario, and access to the community is by air or winter road. A gravel airstrip provides air service year round, and a winter road provides seasonal access for about two months of the year. In 1968, however, there wasn't an airstrip, so air service was provided by bush planes equipped with skis to land on the frozen lake or with floats for water landing.

All of the above makes this an interesting item but what elevates it to gem status is the correspondence which artfully describes how the writer is adapting to life in an isolated northern Ontario community. Of special significance are the references to the change in the post office name as well as the difficulty with mail delivery in the late fall:



Thursday , October 24 '68 Weagamow Lake, Ont.via Central Patricia
[They're changing over to the Indian name for Round Lake]

Dear Mother, It's 20 above and clear this morning, which means there may be a mail plane in. We've had a lot of rain, in the30's and 40s so far. But the calendar says that anytime in the next 1-3 weeks the "freeze-up" will start, and that means up to 6 weeks with no mail in or out, until the planes can land on the ice. So this is to say that I am very OK, and settling into my snug little cabin. The heating is by oil stove, of a size more than adequate for this space. And I have an indoor toilet, (which has to be emptied), as well as an outhouse...a two bathroom residence! I cook on a regular gas stove, brand new using bottled gas, so I may roast a Thanksgiving dinner, and bake some pumpkin pie. I have a telephone installed by Bell, with radio hookup to the World...you just call Kenora long distance & ask for me at Weagamow Lake. Note latest address. love MR

What a delightful message.

Expo 67 : A Philatelic Commemoration

Expo 67 , held in Montreal from April 27 to October 29, 1967, was Canada's main celebration during its centennial year.

A. Participating Nations

Stamps were issued by Expo 67 participating nations, by the United Nations, and by nations that did not participate at Expo. Countries participating at Expo are listed below. Countries that issued Expo stamps are in bold.

1. Africa :Algeria, Cameroun, Chad, Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Upper Volta

2. Asia : Burma, Ceylon, China (Taiwan), Korea, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Thailand and the United Arab Republic.

3. Caribbean :Barbados, Cuba, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana

4. Europe :Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany (1997), Greece, Iceland, Italy, Jugoslavia, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, the USSR

5. North America : Canada, United States , Mexico

6. South America : Venezuela

B. United Nations

The United Nations postal administration issued stamps in Canadian denominations which were valid at the United Nations post office in Montreal.

C. Non-participating Nations

In addition to the above countries, the following non-participating countries issued commemorative Expo stamps:

• Bhutan
• Burundi
• Central Africa
• Dahomey
• Kathiri State in Hadhramaut
• Maldive Islands
• Mauritania
• Quaiti State in Hadhramaut
• Reunion
• Romania
• Umm al Qiwain

A. Countries Participating at Expo

1. Africa

Cameroun

A set of three stamps was issued.




Gutter pairs








Cameroun Day at Expo (not in author's collection)

Imperforate Stamps








Congo

A perforated souvenir sheet was the stamp issued for Expo.



Imperforate :






Ethiopia

The three Ethiopian stamps captured the spirit of the Ethiopian pavilion.







Correspondence from the Ethiopian Pavilion

Gabon

A single perforated stamp was issued.




France and its colonies also printed imperforates and Deluxe sheets of its issues.

Imperforate block:




Deluxe Sheet:






Gabon Day was celebrated at Expo on August 7. The souvenir below was produced for the occasion:





Usage

Libreville to Toulouse, April 23, 1968

Niger

A single stamp showing an aerial view of the Expo site was issued by Niger.

Rwanda

Rwanda issued several colourful stamps and a souvenir sheet to commemorate its participation at Expo.

Perforate Stamps:



Imperforate Stamps :








Souvenir Sheet perforate:



Souvenir Sheet imperforate :



Souvenir sheet unissued colour:






Senegal

Imperforate












Togo

Togo issued 6 stamps and a souvenir sheet. The stamps were overprinted for Togo Day.

Overprints : Togo Day







Usage:


Lome to Paris, May 14 1968
Registered air mail letter with Acknowledgment of Receipt


Sender : Director-General National Pharmacy Office


Tunisia

Tunisia issued two sets of stamps commemorating its participation at Expo.

Tunisia Day at Expo









2. Asia

Korea

Two stamps and one souvenir sheet were printed by the Republic of Korea.

















Commercial Usage

Chunchon to Washington, May 4, 1967

Iran

Iran issued two Expo stamps:










Teheran to Berlin, July 4, 1967


3. Caribbean

Cuba

The Cuban government issued five stamps to celebrate its pavilion at the fair:






Grenada

Grenada definitive stamps were overprinted to commemorate Expo.


Overprint









Grenada Day at Expo September 5 handstamp added:








Haiti

Haiti was another nation than overprinted definitive stamps.

Jamaica

The Jamaican pavilion was featured on Jamaica's two commemorative stamps.

Commercial Mail


Kingston to New York, May 22, 1967
1s. air mail letter rate to the United States

Guyana

Although Guyana did not issue stamps for Expo 67, the 1967 Christmas stamp pictures "Millie" the bilingual parrot who appeared at Expo.





November 6, 1967






Commercial Usage





January 22, 1968

4. Europe

Czechoslovakia

The Czechoslovakia pavilion was a crowd favourite. Six stamps and a souvenir sheet were issued.










Czechoslovakia Day at Expo:




France

France issued one stamp showing its beautiful pavilion.

Usage






Grenoble to Stockholm, Sweden, September 24, 1967

Elbeuf to Therwil, Switzerland, July 18, 1967


France : Reunion

Reunion is a French island located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departements of France.

Usage on First Flight Cover


St. Denis, Reunion to Paris, August 8, 1967
Air France Boeing 707 first flight from St. Denis to Paris


Germany

Germany did not issue a stamp in 1967 to commemorate its participation at Expo; however, labels were made available:

The pavillion was designed by Frei Otto using a roof of steel mesh suspended from eight slender steel masts of varied height, situated at irregularly intervals and supported by steel cables anchored outside the structure. The roof's steel mesh net, hung from the guy wires, was then covered by a translucent plastic skin.

1997

In 1997, Germany issued a souvenir sheet featuring exceptional German architecture from 1945. Frei Otto's design for the German Pavilion was among the structures selected to showcase post-war German architecture.

Iceland

 

Jugoslavia

Space exploration was the theme for the six stamps issued by Jugoslavia.

Monaco

A single stamp was issued by Monaco.














USSR

The massive USSR pavilion was the most visited pavilion at Expo. Three stamps, one souvenir sheet and one piece of postal stationery were issued.


















5. North America

Canada

The Canadian Post Office Department issued a single 5 cent stamp for Expo.









Overseas Mailers


Overseas Mailers insert
















Expo 67 Post Office


Expo-3 cancellations


Expo-3 registration handstamp


Expo (no numeral in handstamp) to Taiwan, June 23 1967
10 cents air mail post card rate


Souvenir card to Germany, July 10 1967

Scout and Guide International Day

July 20, 1967

Machine Cancellation:


Expo to Hamilton, September 15 1967


Canadian Pavilion Machine cancellation:






Lufthansa Advertizing






Last Day of Expo






United States

The United States issued a 5 cent stamp commemorating Canada's Centennial. The stamp was first placed on sale at the United States pavilion at Expo 67. (See my earlier blog)


B. United Nations

The Pavilion of the United Nations was sponsored by the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) with special support from the United Nations Association of Canada.

With the agreement of the Canadian Government, the United Nations Postal Administration established a United Nations postal station outside United Nations territory.

Five stamps were issued in Canadian denominations:


































Souvenir Folder




5 cents letter rate (sealed)

 Artmaster

Chickering : Cachet Craft

8c

 4c



5c

10c

 15c

Kolor Kover

Advertizing

BOAC:






Royal Trust:






Nesbitt, Thomson and Company. Limited:



Nesbitt, Thomson and Company. Limited




International Paper Company:




Usages


4 cents domestic post card

10 cents international air mail post card rate to Germany



15 cents per 1/2 ounce air mail rate to Great Britain


Roller Cancellation

C. Non-participating Nations

The following non-participating nations issued stamps commemorating Expo 67.

• Bhutan
• Burundi
• Central Africa
• Dahomey
• Kathiri State in Hadhramaut
• Maldive Islands
• Mauritania
• Quaiti State in Hadhramaut
• Reunion
• Romania
• Umm al Qiwain

Bhutan

Bhutan overprinted three of the stamps and the souvenir sheet issued for the 1964 New York World's Fair (perforate and imperforate).

The New York World's fair stamps:




Expo 67 overprints:









The New York World's Fair Souvenir Sheets (perf. and imperf.):



Expo 67 Overprints (perf .and imperf.)








Burundi

Burundi issued six stamps and one souvenir sheet (perforate and imperforate) showing paintings that were exhibited at Expo 67.

Stamps (perforate) :

Stamps (imperforate) :













Souvenir Sheet (perforated)






Souvenir Sheet (imperforate):




Central Africa

The Expo 67 site map stamp issued by Central Africa is the same design as used by Niger.











Dahomey

Three stamps and a miniature sheet of three stamps were issued by Dahomey.

Stamps :


















Deluxe Sheet


Deluxe Sheet


Miniature Sheet







Deluxe Sheet : Thin paper with gum


Kathiri State in Hadhramaut

The Kathiri State in Hadhramaut was a sultanate in the Hadhramaut region of the southern Arabian Peninsula in what is now offically considered part of Yemen.

The Expo issue consisted of one stamp and one souvenir sheet.









Maldive Islands

The Maldive Islands issued six lovely stamps along with a souvenir sheet.






Imperforate stamps :















Souvenir Sheet






Mauritania issued a single stamp to commemorate the Montreal fair.

Quaiti State in Hadhramaut

Quaiti State in Hadhramaut was a sultanate in the Hadhramaut region of the southern Arabian Peninsula in what is now offically considered part of Yemen. The sulanate was abolished in September, 1967.

The Expo issue consisted of one stamp and one souvenir sheet.









Romania

New Issue Brochure
























Umm al Qiwain

Umm al Qiwain is one of the emirates in the United Arab Emirates.

On October 1, 1967 the Post Office issued seven stamps and one souvenir sheet (perforate and imperforate) reproducing paintings exhibited by Great Britain, France, Austria and the Netherlands.

Perforated:












Souvenir Sheet



Imperforate






Post Office Announcement

The announcement below was mailed on October 3, 1967 from the Government of Umm al Qiwain Post Office :