1 week Ago By [email protected] (Lauren Abbott)
A Battle of Britain hero pilot from Gravesend has been given his own stamp in a new Royal Mail collection being released to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Mahinder Singh Pujji, who passed away in 2010 aged 92, joins Dame Vera Lynn and nine other brave men and women in the commemorative set honouring the courage of individuals who helped shape Britain’s war effort. Mr Pujji moved to Britain and joined the RAF as a 22-year-old after spotting an advert in an Indian newspaper appealing for pilots.
He went on to fly 25 different types of aircraft, including Spitfires, Hurricanes and Tomahawks and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for saving 300 American soldiers from Japanese troops in the Burmese jungle. The father-of-three’s military achievements during the Second World War also led him to meet Winston Churchill, Gandhi, King Farouk of Egypt, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II while a statue of him - as part of a tribute to all who served from overseas - was unveiled in 2014 in Gravesend where he settled in later life. Each of the 10 stamps in the main set includes a photograph of the person being honoured alongside details of their wartime role.
A further four stamps - presented in a miniature sheet - pay tribute to the late Dame Vera Lynn, her tireless efforts to support the troops and her work in later years for military veterans. The stamps capture Dame Vera, who died in 2020, at different points in her wartime career, including her Entertainments National Service Association performances, BBC wartime radio programmes and morale-boosting visits to British troops and civilians during the conflict. Royal Mail worked with historian, and president of the Royal Historical Society, Professor Lucy Noakes on the stamp issue, which can be pre-ordered from today and goes on general sale from May 1 - just days before commemorations marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War begin.
Royal Mail will also be applying a special VE80 postmark on all stamped mail in the week of the actual anniversary that takes place on Thursday, May 8. Emma Gilthorpe, Royal Mail CEO said: “Behind every victory of a nation, there are countless unsung heroes whose courage and sacrifice shaped the future of the world. “On VE Day, we remember not only the leaders and generals, but the silent warriors whose contributions echo through history.
For the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Royal Mail is proud to issue these stamps honouring the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of those who fought for freedom and peace.".
