Guernsey's commemorative program for the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain produced several issues tied to specific aircraft, and the Gloster Gladiator is among the more historically pointed choices. By the summer of 1940, the Gladiator was already obsolete — a biplane facing the Luftwaffe's monoplane fighters — yet RAF squadrons flew them in the opening weeks of the campaign before Hurricanes and Spitfires arrived in sufficient numbers. Three Gladiators famously defended Malta around the same time, reportedly nicknamed Faith, Hope, and Charity by the island's population.
Guernsey's commemorative program for the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain produced several issues tied to specific aircraft, and the Gloster Gladiator is among the more historically pointed choices. By the summer of 1940, the Gladiator was already obsolete — a biplane facing the Luftwaffe's monoplane fighters — yet RAF squadrons flew them in the opening weeks of the campaign before Hurricanes and Spitfires arrived in sufficient numbers. Three Gladiators famously defended Malta around the same time, reportedly nicknamed Faith, Hope, and Charity by the island's population.