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Airmail Postcard Rates to H.M.Forces from 1947

The arrangement whereby mail was sent all-up at basic surface rates ceased as of 15th September 1947, but all-up at Commonwealth surface rates was restored for forces in Europe on various dates between 1949 and 1952 (see the surface postcard rates for details). Otherwise, standard rates were quoted for airmail postcards to Forces wherever in the world they might be.

Date Rate Date Rate Date Rate Date Rate
1947
(15 Sep)		 Eur: 2½d
RoW: 3d		 1952
(6 Feb)		 3d 1965
(17 May)		 4d 1968
(16 Sep)		 5d
1971
(15 Feb)		 2p 1971
(1 Jul)		 3p 1973
(10 Sep)		 3½p 1974
(24 Jun)		 4½p
1975
(17 Mar)		 7p 1975
(29 Sep)		 8½p 1977
(13 Jun)		 9p 1979
(20 Aug)		 10p
1980
(4 Feb)		 11½p 1981
(26 Jan)		 13½p 1982
(1 Feb)		 15½p 1983
(5 Apr)		 16p
1984
(3 Sep)		 17p 1986
(20 Oct)		 18p 1988
(5 Sep)		 19p 1989
(2 Oct)		 20p
1990
(17 Sep)		 22p 1991
(16 Sep)		 24p 1993
(1 Nov)		 25p 1996
(8 Jul)		 26p
2000
(27 Apr)		 27p 2003
(8 May)		 28p 2005
(7 Apr)		 30p 2006
(3 Apr)		 32p
2007
(2 Apr)		 34p 2008
(7 Apr)		 36p 2009
(6 Apr)		 39p 2010
(6 Apr)		 41p
2011
(4 Apr)		 46p 2012
(30 Apr)		 60p

Notes

  1. POST 53/42, Post Office Circular 3rd September 1947 ('the wartime arrangement under which letters up to 1 ounce in weight prepaid 1½d. and postcards prepaid 1d. addressed to members of the forces overseas have in general been forwarded by air will cease with effect from the 15th of September')
  2. POST 53/42: all-up at Commonwealth surface rates restored for all forces in Europe. (Restored 1 Jun 1949 for British Army on the Rhine (BAOR) and RAF in Germany, 1 Jan 1950 for HM Ships and naval establishments in Germany. But from 14 Dec 1949 until 5 Feb 1952 civil foreign rates for Army and RAF in France)
  3. PO HM Forces Overseas rates leaflet, British Commonwealth and Foreign Post Amendment (No. 5) Warrant 1965, POST 53/42
  4. Belfast Gazette 27th September 1968. Same as surface rate
  5. Post Office Guide February 1971, Post Office (British Commonwealth and Foreign Post) Amendment (No.2) Scheme 1971. Same as surface rate
  6. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Scheme 1971. Same as surface rate
  7. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.5) Scheme 1973. Same as surface rate
  8. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet gave a rate of 4½p. The Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.7) Scheme 1974 of 23rd May had the same rate, but that Scheme had errors and was revoked and replaced by the Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.7A) Scheme 1974 of 27th June (coming into operation 8th July). Unfortunately this quoted the postcard rate as 4p! The higher rate appears to be correct. Same as surface rate
  9. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.8) Scheme 1975
  10. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, (second) Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.9) Scheme 1975 (the number of this Scheme was duplicated in error)
  11. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.13) Scheme 1977
  12. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.2) Scheme 1979
  13. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.4) Scheme 1980
  14. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.6) Scheme 1981
  15. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Scheme 1982
  16. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.2) Scheme 1983
  17. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.3) Scheme 1984
  18. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.6) Scheme 1986
  19. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.8) Scheme 1988
  20. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.9) Scheme 1989
  21. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, and technically Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.11) Scheme 1991.
    (The Schemes published in the London Gazette in 1990 jumped from No.10 to No.12, with the missing No.11 apparently being the one which would have contained the rates in the leaflet. Replacement No.11 and No.12 schemes were published in March 1991 to correct what appears to have been a blunder.)
  22. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.13) Scheme 1991
  23. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.15) Scheme 1993
  24. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.16) Scheme 1996
  25. PO HM Forces Overseas Postal Rates leaflet, Post Office Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.20) Scheme 2000
  26. Royal Mail Group plc Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.7) Scheme 2003
  27. Royal Mail Group plc Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.10) Scheme 2005
  28. Royal Mail Group plc Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.11) Scheme 2006
  29. Royal Mail Group plc Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.14) Scheme 2007
  30. Royal Mail Group Ltd Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.15) Scheme 2008
  31. Royal Mail Group Ltd Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.16) Scheme 2009
  32. Royal Mail Group Ltd Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.17) Scheme 2010
  33. Royal Mail Group Ltd Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.19) Scheme 2011
  34. Royal Mail Group Ltd Overseas Letter Post Amendment (No.21) Scheme 2012. The PO Schemes from this point do not contain detailed rate information (but do note that rates are set by BFPO and track inland rates), and PO leaflets are not to hand