In 1905, Mr Harry Turner made local Guernsey postal history by arranging to be conveyed as a postal item from Guernsey to Sark. At that time, the General Post Office permitted, under special circumstances, the conveyance of individuals by Royal Mail, provided they were accompanied by a Post Office telegraph messenger. With official approval granted, Mr Turner embarked on the Sark boat alongside his postal escort. Upon arrival in Sark, the pair enjoyed a carriage drive and luncheon at the Dixcart Hotel before returning to Guernsey later the same day. This unusual journey, completed at a cost of 5 shillings and 10 pence [equivalent in today’s money to about 47£ or 55€], remains a remarkable and little-known episode in the history of postal services in the Channel Islands.

Thirty five years later, in February 1940, several months prior to the German occupation of the Channel Islands, civilian travel between Guernsey and Alderney had become severely restricted, with most transport requisitioned for military use. Major Palmer found himself stranded in Guernsey for two weeks, unable to secure passage on the Courier ferry service to Alderney. Determined to return to his family, Major Palmer consulted the Post Office Guide and concluded that there was no explicit prohibition against being sent by post. Acting on this interpretation, he presented himself at Guernsey Post Office and formally requested to travel as a parcel. Although reluctantly accepted, arrangements were made for him to be escorted by a postal worker to the harbour. Initially, the ferry captain objected on the grounds that Major Palmer was neither cargo nor mail. However, when only two of the twelve booked passengers presented themselves, the captain permitted him to travel, though he was consigned to the hold. Upon arrival in Alderney, Major Palmer was duly taken to the postal sorting office before being formally “delivered” to his home by a local postman [Texts taken from the Guernsey Post Office web site].

To honor the ‘flexibility’ of the Post, Guernsey issued two separate joint issues on the same day of September 1, 2026, one involving Alderney and the other involving Sark, illustrated with comics, and entitled “Man posted to …”. Stamps were issued in miniature sheets of 5 se-tenant pairs and mixed FDCs became also available.

However, even if these stamps are identical and issued on the same day, Sark and Alderney are territories strongly postally linked to Guernsey, with production of stamps controled by Guernsey. These stamps must be considered as a Territorial Twin issue [TD] and will be filed under references [D20260901a] and [D20260901b] respectively, similarly to the Alderney – Guernsey Christmas stamps issued on October 30, 2019 [D20191030]. This is also the first joint issue in which Sark is involved. Sark is a very small island with 500 inhabitants, part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency, with its own set of laws based on Norman law, and its own parliament. It was a royal fiefdom until 2008, when the Constitution of Sark went into effect.