During World War II, Great Britain was concerned about protecting the British presence in Antarctica, not just from enemy incursion, but to maintain sovereignty against competing claims from Argentina and Chile. This pressure on sovereignty continued into the 1950s with the United States also looking to expand their reach in the region.
The British looked to maintain their sovereignty through the establishment of bases on the Antarctic Peninsular and the surrounding islands, better mapping of the area to demonstrate ownership, and expeditions linked to that mapping and promoting scientific research.
A key part of proving this sovereignty was the establishment of post offices and a postal service. This included stamp issues for the Falkland Islands Dependencies beginning in 1944, and continued with an ever-increasing number of base Post Offices in the 1950s, reaching some 15 through the decade.
The presentation showed the evolution of the postal service in the Falkland Islands Dependencies, from South Georgia in the north of the region down into the Antarctic. It also showed how the expeditions in the 1950s used that postal service to link with family, friends and expedition organisers back at home, thousands of miles away.
This presentation, by Kim Stuckey FRPSL, was live on Zoom to an international audience of 170 people across 18 countries by the Royal Philatelic Society London.