Military stationery

[6th Hauraki KIA KAHA]

Hi all

I no this is not a riveting subject, but what does ww1 military stationary look like? , Pencils ,Pencil sharpeners if they had them? and Rubbers?.

Has anyone got any examples of these?

I am doing a display and need to no what they looked like.

Thanks Jonathan

[Rob B]

Hi,

Pencils of this period and up till the 50's were plain wood with black indented writing with HMSO and a crown in the center.

I am still using ones my grandfather looted in the 50's.

Cheers,

Rob

[Muerrisch]

'indelible' pencils were preferred: ie. ones which produced a waterproof line. I cannot remember what they looked like, but they were a bit scratchy to use: no-one would use indelible unless, as in the trenches, they needed to.

Typewriters were increasing introduced nearer and nearer to the front line. Actually what would now be called a typist .... the person, was then a 'typewriter', and a typewriter [the machine] was a 'typing machine'. Funny thing, language.

[healdav]

I have just come acros the term TYPEWRITIST for a typist. Admittedly in an American book.

Indelible pencils were forbidden for use in accounts of any sort. Don't ask me why, I just know that it was a specific injunction to auditors right up to and past their demise in the 1970s.

The khaki coloured paper for notebooks that is beloved of HMSO was also in use in WW1 - and not just in the British army.