THE history of the British Army uniform was commemorated by a special set of stamps, launched at the Tank Museum.

For many old soldiers it could become a case of "tanks for the memories" after a giant stamp was unveiled amid the heavyweight fighting machines in the Bovington museum.

The super-sized first class postage shows a tank commander from the 5th Royal Tank Regiment.

Museum spokesman Nik Wyness said: "The artist used the museum to help accurately portray a Second World War tank crewman, and we were happy to verify the accuracy of both image and text for the accompanying literature.

"The Tank Museum, as the museum of the Royal Armoured Corps, is delighted to see that a Royal Armoured Corps regiment is represented in this interesting new series."

Almost 350 years of Army attire became the focus for Royal Mail artists as they worked on the set of six stamps, the first in a set of three examining the history of British forces dress.

The stamps start with the 1999 uniform of an NCO in the Royal Military Police, and end with a 1661 trooper from the Earl of Oxford's Horse Guards.

Royal Mail spokesman Richard Hall said: "I know many collectors have been looking forward to this new thematic series."

A set commemorating RAF uniforms will follow next year, before the Royal Navy comes under the spotlight in 2009.