POSTCARD MESSAGES FROM THE GREAT WAR by Andrew Brooks
IN THIS wonderfully evocative book, historian Andrew Brooks shares some of the Great War postcards in his remarkable collection.
Such communications flowed both ways across the Channel during WW1, ranging from the downright sentimental to the seriously regimental.
Incongruously, given the horror of the conflict, many of the greetings cards were lighthearted, even jolly.
One reproduced by Mr Brooks has the following enjoyable exchange - Sentry: ‘Halt! Who goes there?’ Voice: ‘Army Chaplain.’ Sentry: ‘Pass Charlie Chaplin - All’s well!‘ What could be imparted on the postcards was inevitably restricted in case they fell into enemy hands and some of them made a virtue of this by mischievously poking fun at the censor.
One thing is clear – there could be no suppression of corresondents’ heartfelt sentiments and expressions of love.
The book is available from Andrew Brooks on 015242-72526 at £20 plus £2.80 p&p.
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