Page 88 - Celebrating Swiss Independence

1944 Historic Events

Designers: In Aid of the Swiss Red Cross Printed on chalky
O. Ruegg, W. Koch, paper with blue and
A. Juon, P. Artaria. red fibres. Perf 11¾.

Heiden, Aargau St. Jakob an der Birs

Castle of Mesocco City of Basel

• Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, lived at Heiden, a mountain village in Canton Aargau. • On the 26th August 1444 St.
Jakob an der Birs was the scene of a great battle, where 1,800 Sw iss resisted 30,000 Armagnacs. All the Swiss were killed, but not
before they had inflicted great damage on the French forces. • The Castle at Mesocco, destroyed in 1526, stands above the San

Bernardino Pass in Canton Grisons. • The City of Basel, featured on the 30c value, is the second largest city in Switzerland, and
was first recorded in the year 374 as Basiliea, founded by the Roman armies when they fell back on the Rhine.

20 July 1944: addressed to Berne and franked with a 5c National Festival adhesive, making the
correct rate for 50g printed matter. Posted at the health resort of Villars-sur-Ollon, Canton Vaud,

The publicity cancel (Type K13a) was used in Villars from 24 December 1942 until 23 September 1969