Trail Of The Caribou Issue

January 2, 1919 Trail of the Caribou Issue

In 1919 a special set of stamps were issued to commemorate the services of the Newfoundland Contingent in the World War of 1914-1918. The phrase, "Trail of the Caribou" is said to have originated with Lt. Col. Nangle, Roman Catholic Chaplain of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. The badge of the Regiment consisted of the head of a caribou over a ribbon lettered "Newfoundland". In keeping with their emblem, a design of a caribou had been selected to represent this particular issue.

Of the twelve stamps, four commemorated the work of the Naval Forces, and bore the word "Ubique", meaning everywhere. Newfoundland's sailors could literally be found everywhere on the sea, which would account for the fact that the colony lost more sailors than all other British Dominions and Colonies combined. The remaining eight stamps in this series each commemorate a specific engagement in which the Royal Newfoundland Regiment participated. Sulva Bay was at Gallipoli, while all the others were in France. Together these form a glorious record of the part played in the war by Britain's oldest colony.

#115 1 cent green Sulva Bay	#116 2 cent scarlet Ubique	#117 3 cent brown Gueudecourt	#118 4 cent violet Beaumont Hamel
#119 5 cent ultramarine Ubique	#120 6 cent grey Monchy	#121 8 cent magenta Ubique	#122 10 cent dark green Steenbeck
#123 12 cent orange Ubique	#124 15 dark blue Langemarck	#125 24 cent bistre Cambrai	#126 36 cent olive green Combles

"This day will be remembered down the ages...it will shine forever like a star,
its name and fame an echo and a light to all eternity."

~ The St. John's Evening Telegram - November 11, 1918

Page created by Martha Collier