ICF Korea 1953

After the Korean War (North Korea & China Vs. South Korea and USA - 1950/53), a Neutral Nations’ Repatriation Commission was assigned the custody of the prisoners of war, taken by both the sides, their interrogation and final repatriation. India’s General K. S. Thimayya presided over the Commission. The Indian Army Post Office (A.P.O.) accompanied the country’s contingent of the Custodian Force in 1953 to serve the personnel of that contingent as well as the other units of Repatriation Commission.

Ordinary Indian Stamps were used initially at the three Indian Field Post Offices (F.P.O. No.739 , 740 & 741). At this juncture, it was decided by the Government of India to supply the Indian Field Post Ofiices serving the Custodian Force (India) in Korea with Indian Postage Stamps (Archaeological Series) bearing the overprint in Hindi (Devnagri Script), which reads “Bhartiya / Sanraksha Katak / Korea” in three lines. The denominations overprinted were 3 pies, 6 pies, 9 pies, 1 anna, 2 annas, 2½ annas , 3 annas, 4 annas, 6 annas, 8 annas, 12 annas and Re.1/-. These stamps were released on 17th October 1953 (Dussehra Day) in Korea and the Philatelic Bureaus in India simultaneously.