Series No
Date: 6 March 1972. Title: Bicentenary of The Royal Engineers in Gibraltar 1772 -1972. Type: First Day Issue - commemorative cover. Stamps: 3 x Gibraltar commemoratives, "Bicentenary of the RE in Gibraltar", 1ᵖ, 3ᵖ and 5ᵖ, issued 6 March 1972. Cachet: The Freedom of the City of Gibraltar to the Royal Engineers born on the rock in 1772. Special Handstamp: R.E. Bicentenary Gibraltar BFPO 1772, RE Cypher, Sketches of 2 soldiers in uniform. Variant: Signed by Note: The BFPS number 1772 commemorates the year when the R.E.'s were first established on Gibraltar.
Date: 6 May 1972. Title: Centenary of The Football Association Cup 1872-1972. Type: Commemorative Cover. Stamps: 3ᵖ "Servicemen and Nurse of 1921" commemorative, issued 25 August 1971. Cachet: Centenary Cup Final 6 May 1972, Leeds United 1 v Arsenal 0. Special Handstamp: The Corps of RE First Football Association Cup Finalists 1872, BFPS 1872. Note: The BFPS number 1872 celebrates the year when the Sappers won the F.A. cup. See: Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Engineers_A.F.C. Sapper Football: http://www.sapperfootball.co.uk/sappers/?page_id=143
Date: 21 June 1972. Title: Diamond Jubilee of the handover from RE to RFC... the responsibility for Military Flying. Type: First Day Issue - Commemorative. Stamps: 3ᵖ "St. Mary the Virgin, Huish, Somerset", commemorative, issued 21 June 1972. Cachet: Blue balloon shaped, Royal Engineers Cessna Aircraft GASIB. Special Handstamp: The Corps of R.E. 1862-1872 Pioneers of Military Aeronautics, BFPO 1312. See: Web-site - http://sfcody.org.uk/airships.html Information on SF Cody's work with Military airships. Web-site - Farnborough Airships - http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/airfields/far2.html Wiki: British Army Dirigible No 1 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_Dirigible_No_1
Date: 21 June 1972. Title: Diamond Jubilee of the handover from RE to RFC... the responsibility for Military Flying. Type: First Day Issue - Commemorative. Stamps: 3ᵖ "St. Mary the Virgin, Huish, Somerset", commemorative, issued 21 June 1972. Cachet: Red balloon shaped, Royal Engineers Cessna Aircraft GASIB. Special Handstamp: The Corps of R.E. 1862-1872 Pioneers of Military Aeronautics, BFPO 1312. See: Web-site - http://sfcody.org.uk/airships.html Information on SF Cody's work with Military airships. Web-site - Farnborough Airships - http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/airfields/far2.html Wiki: British Army Dirigible No 1 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_Dirigible_No_1
Date: 21 June 1972. Title: Diamond Jubilee of the handover from RE to RFC... the responsibility for Military Flying. Type: First Day Issue - Commemorative. Stamps: 3ᵖ "St. Mary the Virgin, Huish, Somerset", commemorative, issued 21 June 1972. Special Handstamp: The Corps of R.E. 1862-1872 Pioneers of Military Aeronautics, BFPO 1312. No cachet. See: Web-site - http://sfcody.org.uk/airships.html Information on SF Cody's work with Military airships. Web-site - Farnborough Airships - http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/airfields/far2.html Wiki: British Army Dirigible No 1 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_Dirigible_No_1
Date: 13 September 1972. Title: Military Communications - Landline to Satellite Royal Engineers to Royal Signals. Type: First Day Issue - Commemorative cover. Stamps: 2 x commemorative: 3ᵖ "Microphones", 5ᵖ "Oscillator and Spark Transmitter", issued 13 September 1972. Special Handstamp: Corps of R.E. 75th Anniversary of Adoption of Wireless in the British Army BFPO 1326.
Date: 12 October 1972. Title: Diamond Jubilee Royal Engineers Association 1912 - 1917. Type: Commemorative Cover. Stamps: 4ᵖ "Earls Barton, Northhants", commemorative, issued 21 June 1972. Special Handstamp: Corps of R.E. Diamond Jubilee REA BFPS 1327. See: Royal Engineers Association - http://www.reahq.org.uk
Date: 23 October 1972. Title: 30th Anniversary of minefield clearance EL ALAMEIN by Royal Engineers. Type: Commemorative Cover. Stamps: 3ᵖ "Tutenkhamun Discovery" commemorative, issued 26 April 1972. Special Handstamp: Corps of Royal Engineers 30th Anniversary Minefield Clearance EL Alamein BFPS 1328. See Wiki: Second Battle of El Alamein - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_El_Alamein
Date: 20 November 1972. Title: The Sappers and Tanks in the First World War. Type: First Day Issue - Commemorative Cover. Stamps: 3ᵖ "Silver Wedding" commemorative, issued 20 November 1972. Cachet: Carried around the R.A.C. centre driving circuit at Bovington in Centurion Tank, Armoured vehicle R.R. 02 ZR 14 Weight 51.4 Tons. Spr/Driver P.Coats at the Controls. Special Handstamp: Corps of R.E. Inventors and Pioneers of Military Tanks, outline of an early tank, BFPS1338. See: Wiki Tanks in World War - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanks_in_World_War_I
Date: 3 January 1973. Title: The 'Brennan' - The First Torpedo. Type: First Day Issue - Commemorative Cover. Stamps: 3ᵖ "Europe" commemorative, issued 3 January 1973. Special Handstamp: Corps of R.E. Commemorating the invention of the Brennan Torpedo BFPS 1343. Insert 1, The Brennan Torpedo image. Insert 2 The Brennan Torpedo text. See: Wiki - Brennan Torpedo - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brennan_torpedo
Date: 28 January 1973. Title: General Charles Gordon - One of the Great Sappers. Type: Commemorative Cover. Stamps: 3ᵖ "Tutankhamun Discovery" commemorative, issued 26 April 1972. Special Handstamp: Corps of the R.E. 140th Anniversary of the Birth of General Charles Gordon BFPS 1344, Silhouette of the top of the Mahdi's tomb in centre (see note below). See: Wiki - Charles George Gordon - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_George_Gordon . Note: See photo: The real spear & crescent are in gold and mounted on top of a white dome. This was the top of the Mahdi's tomb. After the British and Allied forces under Sir Herbert Kitchener recaptured Khartoum, after the Battle of Omdurman, the authorities decided to demolish the Mahdi's Tomb to prevent it being used as a focus for further insurrection. The top part was "rescued" and given to Queen Victoria. The top of the tomb was presented to the RE Museum and now is part of the actual display on Khartoum in the museum. (photo and information provided by Lawrence Gilbertson.)