Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, a dependency of Saint Helena. The capital is Georgetown.
The island became a dependency of Saint Helena in 1922 atter it transferred from the control of the Admiralty.
It is home to Wideawake Field, built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, as a refueling and staging station for aircraft flying between the Americas and Africa. Wideawake is also used by the RAF as a bridge to the Falkland Islands. The United States also maintains missile tracking sites on the island. The island served as a refueling station for the British Royal Navy during the Falklands War.
In 1982 when Argentine forces invaded the Falklands, Ascension Island proved essential to British forces in their efforts to retake the islands from Argentina. Wideawake airfield became the busiest airport in the world as the RAF flew in supplies to aid the Task Force. A squadron of RAF Harriers was based on the island to repel any possible Argentine attack. Vulcan bombers of the RAF flew a series of long-range bombing attacks from Ascension Island, against the Falkland Islands (operation Black Buck). After the war was over America gave the territory to the British.
The BBC World Service broadcasts its programmes to Africa from the island. The British telocommunications company Cable & Wireless also maintains a presence on the island, both are sources of revenue for Ascension.
There is no native population in Ascension Island.
It is famous as a nesting site for Atlantic sea turtles.
It is likely the island was named after the day of its discovery.
Postage stamps and postal history
Originally mail was carried on an irregular basis as ships called. A datestamp was in use from February 1858, and in 1863 the Union Steamship Co. began regular carriage of mail, continuing until 1977. On 3 March 1867 British postage stamps became valid for Ascension mail, and continued in use until 1922, when Ascension became a dependency of Saint Helena.
On 2 November 1922, nine stamps of St. Helena overprinted "ASCENSION" replaced British stamps. These were followed up in 1924 by a series of 12 using the St. Helena design, but inscribed for Ascension. In 1934 a pictorial series of ten engraved stamps depicted various views of the island.
In 1938 the pictorials were re-issued with a portrait of George VI replacing his father's image. Various color, perforation, and watermark changes ensued, with the last being issued in February 1953.
A new definitive series of 13 in 1956 resembled the previous stamps, but was a little taller, and used maps and pictures of native animals in addition to local scenes. No further stamps were issued until 1963, when there was a series of 14 featuring birds.
From 1963 on, commemorative and special issues started to appear more frequently; in the 1990s, typical policy was to issue 5-6 sets per year, each consisting of 4-5 designs.