GBLA Stamps by Captain Bryan Hill



 GBLA Stamps by Captain Bryan Hill

Peter Valdner (2023)

Captain Bryan Hill is known to GBLA collectors principally as the author of the book Postage Stamps of the Great Bitter Lake Association from 1975.

He was the Master of the Agapenor and Melampus (Agalampus) in 1968. Did he produce any GBLA stamps? He did not on the Agalampus, as he had officers to do it, but he produced FDCs and sent many letters with GBLA stamps. 




As you can see in the GBLA Encyclopaedia and Stamp Catalogue, he produced stamps on the Neleus in 1969 and sent them to the GBLA to be used there.


The question is, if stamps, produced by GBLA members, are GBLA stamps even in cases when not produced on the 14 GBLA ships. The answer is positive if produced in 1967-75, i.e. when the ships were still trapped and GBLA actively existed. This is the case of stamps by Captain Hill, which he produced as photocopies of GBLA stamps, and definitive ones produced on the Talhybius in 1968 and Neleus 1970.  Especially complete sheets are extremely rare and thus valuable.  

 


He used photocopies as late as during his command of the Athol Forest in 1978 and the Conon Forest in 1979.

 

Note that items, addressed to the GBL, are automatically GBLA items, regardless who sent them.  This one was sent to Captain Benda.

Stamps, produced by GBLA members after 1975, are GBLA ephemera. Naturally, still collectibles and can be seen in the Catalogue. Samples are the 40th Anniversary GBLA covers by Captain Kudrna from 2007,


and/or stamps by Captain Hill, issued in 1978. 

 

Soures: Internet and files of the author

Contact to the author: valdpete@yahoo.com

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