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Stamps

Trinidad Red Cross

vignettes (1914)

Alain Israël of CTCR (the Red Cross Theme Club)

Following on from the articles in the February 1964 issue of Swiss Red Cross
Philately, from the Red Cross Theme Club newsletters No. 5 of April 1982, No.
68 of January 1998, No. 70 of July 1998 and No. 94 of Britannica, by Max-Marc
Thomas, Franz Pagnieau, Pierre Monot and Michel Bilhaut of the «Académie
de Philatélie».

A few historical pointers nidad Island lies 15 km north-east of Punta
Trinidad is an island in the south-east of the Sabaneta in Venezuela. It covers an area of
West Indies, close to Venezuela. Together 4,748 km2. It was claimed for Spain upon its
with the neighbouring island of Tobago, it discovery during the third voyage of
forms the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Christopher Columbus until 1797 (it was
The country’s largest island, it also contains a province in its own right), when it was in-
the national capital, Port of Spain. Although vaded by a British squadron led by Henry Har-
part of the Caribbean Sea, its eastern coast- vey, who made it a British colony. The loss of
line runs directly into the Atlantic Ocean. Tri- the island was recognised via the Treaty of
Amiens in 1802. In 1962, Trinidad and Toba-
go became an independent state.
The early 1970s marked a period of serious
economic and social crisis for the island.
The 1973 oil crisis led to a rapid rise in the
country’s oil revenues.
In 1976, the country became a republic within
the Commonwealth.

The Trinidad vignette of 1914
At a public meeting held in Port of Spain on
4 September 1914, a committee was formed
to raise funds for the London Red Cross, fol-
lowing the declaration of war the previous
month. The funds were to be raised by the
women of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross
Association. Two women were appointed
Secretaries responsible for this collection,
M.E. Burslem and J.I. Blackwood Wright,
while E.M. Phillips was appointed Treasurer.

30 Delcampe Magazine