Figure 1.--This was one of the many postcards printed during World war I with patriotic and emotionl messages. It says, "A toi mes pensées". I think that means, "I am thinking of you." This one was postally unused.
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Figure 1.--This was one of the many postcards printed during World war I with patriotic and emotionl messages. It says, "A toi mes pensées". I think that means, "I am thinking of you." This one was postally unused. |
We have a number of cards mailed by World War I soldiers from the trenches to their loved ones at home. The cards HBC has archived so far or cards sent from France and Belgium by British Tommies. We also have some German cards. We hope to eventually acquire cards from French, German, and other countries that participated in World War I. Hopefully HBC readers from those countries will provide us some information on their soldiers. We hope to eventually add cards from soldiers of other combattant countries. The interesting aspect of these cards is the similarity of the cards chosen and the emotionns expresed in the cards. Higly emotional cards were popular, including many with children. We are not sure this reflects the emotions of the soldiers or what government officials wanted to see published.
The post cards sent home by British soldiers in thetrenches of the Westrn Front were mostly cards made in France which French images on the front. The English do not seem to have sent cards from England for the troops to send home.
The French troops, as the Wstern Front was in France and Belgium, appear to have sent home mostly French made cards. We have noted quite a few French made cards, often with Frenchg children wearong French military uniforms. Some of these cards were bought by English soldiers and sent home. Presumably most were bought by French solddies to send home, but some were sent by friends and family to soldiers at the front. We have acquired several cards, but none yet that were postally used by French soldietrs and civilians.
The Germans post cards sent home from the Western Front appear to have been German-made cards. We do not note cards made in Belium, but we have only a small number of cards in our archive.
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