New Zealand Post has issued an Anzac stamp series honouring the 22 people awarded the Victoria Cross while serving in the country's armed forces.
The stamps represent each recipient, the first of which dates back 140 years to the New Zealand Wars. The series was launched at Parliament on Wednesday night and guests included about 40 descendants of VC recipients.
The only living Victoria Cross recipient, Corporal Willie Apiata, is not depicted personally, but his stamp bears the image of the cross awarded to him in 2004 for his gallantry in Afghanistan.
A book detailing the story behind each award is also being published. It and the stamps are both available from Thursday.
[image:1692:full]Among those commemorated was Keith Elliot, who earned his Victoria Cross in 1942 in Egypt's Western Desert.
His son Doug Elliot says his father led a group of 19 men who took scores of prisoners and were the only members of of their battallion not captured.
Mr EIliot says his father's medals were among those stolen from the Waiouru Army Museum in 2007.
