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Remembered Today:

Original WW1 Christmas ephemera & photos


headgardener

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And here's the inside of the card (had to copy it in 2 pieces as the file wouldn't upload). You'll see that the family glued a cutting from an original IWGC register onto the top of the card (see image at the foot of the page).

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And here is a photo of the man himself....

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On to Christmas 1918. The shooting has stopped - well, it's stopped in the west - and a more reflective and relieved mood prevails. Here's an example from 7th Div, in Italy:

obverse (note the small vignettes on the right side of a man driving a donkey up a mountain road, and a man hauling a shell uphill on his shoulder)
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reverse:

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Again, from 1918. A rare one, I'm told - from Lines of Communication:

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Here's the inside - it's a small cartoon of a German shell blasting a pile of rock into smithereens while a weary Tommy looks on; "Stop that, Jerry! That's MY job"

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Here's another from 1918, and another contender for the 'boring' accolade - it's a well executed sketch of some hospital buildings at 55 General Hospital BEF, all coated with snow. Hmmmm.... well, I think you really had to be there. I don't know how the artist managed to slip this design past the CO.

Oh, hang on..... The artist (Lt. Col. Henry Buckley Roderick) was the CO. That explains a lot...

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This is a very unusual one from IX Corps. Unusual in that it's drawn and coloured by hand, and appears to have been sent by the artist to a Belgian family in Poperinghe. Anyone seen this image before? And what was so special about the Wytschaete-Messines area on 7 June 1917 that warranted its use on a 1917 Christmas card?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Messines_%281917%29

Back to the ephemera.

Here's a programme (maybe the only surviving one - it's on a single folded piece of very flimsy paper) of the Christmas Concert at the Employment Base Depot at Caserne Trupel. Now, I know 'Caserne' means 'Barracks', but I have no idea where Trupel is, or what the EBD was - something to do with the Labour Corps? Maybe someone here will enlighten me. Maybe someone here will recognize some names, too.

.

Caserne Trupel, route de Lyons, Rouen

French army barracks, It housed German prisoners of war apparently.

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I love the really personal cards. Here's a good example. It's just a photo stuck onto an Indian Field Service postcard, and hand-annotated. It's the Sergeant's Mess of 65th Base General Hospital in Mespot. Does anyone know where this was? Can anyone identify any of the people in the photo? And why are two of the men wearing forage caps...?

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Xmas editions of 'Blighty'


Another edition

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Back to Salonika....

I think Sepoy may have already posted this one earlier?

My copy was sent by Lt. Col. J or F N Stevenson of the POW Depot, Karaissi, Salonika

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Another less-than-interesting card of the type that I very much like, this time from 'H' IBD. Does anyone know where this was?

On the reverse someone called Jack has written "Sample of Depot Xmas card"

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Back to Mespot for this one. It was issued by the BRCS/OStJJ

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reverse:

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Funnily enough, about 3 years ago I used to live a few doors away from the address that the card was sent to. Can't find him in the MIC's though....


Back to France. A nice card from IWT RE...

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Xmas card by 12th Sherwood Foresters(Pioneers) one of whose officers, Capt F J Robinson MC started of the 'Wipers Times'. Sergeant George Turner was the printer referred to by Captain F J Robinson MC but who is not named in any official sources.

Mark

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The only RAF card so far, this one being from 47th Wing. Anyone know anything about them?

It's a very formal card with a rather dark and uninteresting image on the inside.

cover:

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picture inside:

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12th Bn Sherwood Foresters Staff Sergeants Xmas dinner menu card

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Here's one from 24th Londons - not sure which year it's from. I like the fact that it's very clearly hand-drawn by someone who isn't really an artist.

the cover:

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inside p1:

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Many thanks for sharing this wonderful collection of WW1 Christmas Cards, and for taking the time to post each one. It is the best selection of WW1 Christmas Cards I have seen.

Regards,

LF

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What an absolutely wonderful collection to wake up to on Christmas Eve. My morning "cuppa" was greatly enhanced.

Thanks to all of you.

Hazel C

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