Ephemera of the Great War. Soldier forms, demob account, fund raising

[Max Poilu]

Looking back through the forum there has not been much discussion of ephemera so I thought it might be interesting to share a few items. I have not bought any of this stuff for ages but it used to be easily and cheaply available and always tells a fascinating story. What follows is a random selection of items including many official forms of the type you might find with a soldiers records at the National Archives as well as a whole bunch of miscellaneous paperwork.

A lot of pictures to come (hosted externally) so if you are on dial-up be patient...

Firstly a fund raising leaflet for the Star and Garter from 1916:

[Max Poilu]

This is a card promoted by the Temperance League:

[Max Poilu]

And here a card showing a donation to the Plum Pudding Fund:

[Max Poilu]

This next item appears to be a poster warning about the dangers of German airships:

When it is really an advertisment for newspaper insurance:

[Coldstreamer]

re the temperance card

made me smile that the owner didnt use the card!

[Max Poilu]

Moving on to some official army forms and certificates. Here from the Ordnance College Woolwich:

[Max Poilu]

And now a series of forms showing part of the record of just one soldier, Frederick James Tyler:

Firstly his registration card from 1915 followed by a letter from his employer supporting his aplication to the regiment:

[Max Poilu]

And now his attestation form:

Reverse:

[Max Poilu]

This shows the card that Tyler would have carried to show he had joined up, note the armlet number for his Derby Scheme armband:

[Max Poilu]

Here is his paybook. The photograph was also with Tyler's papers - I cannot be sure if it was him or perhaps his friend Christopher Eastman, fine loooking chap...

[Max Poilu]

This is a close-up of the plate on the cross:

And this a picture I took some years back of Eastman's grave at Hooge:

[Max Poilu]

A poem was tucked in with the paperwork too:

[Max Poilu]

And this Special Order from General Horne:

[Max Poilu]

Lastly for Tyler some of his demob paperwork:

Reverse:

[Max Poilu]

And to round off Tyler's army career, the 'welfare' book:

[Max Poilu]

The next series is a sad collection of letters and other items to various men. Firstly from the wife of Rifleman Mason:

[Max Poilu]

The following letter:

[Max Poilu]

And the terrible official notice:

[Max Poilu]

Lastly for Mason, a form from the Imperial War Graves Commission detailing his register entry:

[Max Poilu]

The next gentleman is another sadly missing in action, this time from the MGC:

Here a photo postcard found with the above form, presumably Private King:

[Max Poilu]

Drummer Tomlinson served with the 1st Borders. The musketry notes referred to are in a small notebook which accompanied the items shown:

[Max Poilu]

This letter from the army chaplin to Tomlinson's family appears to show his name filled in on a pre-written letter:

Of related interest this cutting also appeared with his notes, a remarkable set of veterans, the one on the lower right was a Border man.

[Kath]

Fascinating, Max.

Thank you for sharing.

I found the poem "Wooden Crosses", post 12, very thought-provoking.

The author is E.W.HornUng (not HornIng) best known for the fictional character Raffles, the "Gentleman Thief".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_William_Hornung

http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/ccm/conten...81477B50AF1E48A

Kath.

[Max Poilu]

Many thanks Kath, lots more to come. This is another sad one I am afraid - a memorial card and photograph to Edwin Longstaff, wounded at Montauban:

Inside:

[Max Poilu]

Back to soldier forms, this is the form (for men) filled in by British citizens under the registration act (resulting in the registration card seen with Tyler's papers earlier):