page_title: Postage stamps and postal history of Singapore
section_title: British Military Administration
hierarchical_section_title: Postage stamps and postal history of Singapore / British Military Administration
caption_attribution_description: Stamp of the British Military Administration (B.M.A.) in British Malaya; 1945; definitive stamp as overprinted stamp of the issue for the Straits Settlements "George VI of the United Kingdom in oval with palm trees"; stamp printed with plate type II (Main characteristic: The palmtree dosn't hit the oval.); stamp with black, two-lines overprint "B.M.A. / MALAYA"; stamp postmarked Stamp: Michel: No. 6 (= Straits Settlements No. 216 from 1937 with overprint); Scott: No. 257 (= Starits Settlements No. 242 from 1937 with overprint) Color: scarlet to purple red Watermark: Straits Settlements No. 5 (St.Edward's Crown over convoluted characters "CA") Nominal value: 8 C (Cents) Postage validity: from August 1945 until April 1946 Stamp picture size (printed area): 19.0 x 22.5 mm
context_page_description: This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Singapore.
  Singapore is an island city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 km north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. Singapore is the smallest nation in Southeast Asia.
  The island rose in importance during the 14th century and became an important port until it was destroyed by Portuguese raiders in 1613. In 1819 the Englishman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles established a British trading post on the island. Under British colonial rule, Singapore grew in importance rapidly becoming a major port city. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. After the war, Singapore reverted to British control, with increasing levels of self-government being granted, culminating in Singapore's merger with the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963. Singapore became an independent republic on 9 August 1965.
context_section_description: After the surrender of the Japanese Occupation forces at the end of World War II, Singapore and Malaya were administrated by the British Military Administration (BMA). Free postage was implemented for a short period from 17 Sept 1945 till 18 Oct 1945. On 19 Oct 1945, Straits Settlements stamps overprinted B.M.A. MALAYA were issued for postal use. These stamps were used till 1948, when the first Singapore stamps were issued.
caption: Stamp overprinted by the British Military Administration.
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