War separates loved ones and leaves those at home desperate for information. The introduction of a small postcard with limited text sought to alleviate this worry.

The Field Service Postcard was produced for soldiers to use during the First World War. The cards and postage were free as a way of encouraging soldiers to write home and boost morale. 

If captured, letters with information about the allied forces could damage the war effort. To prevent this, letters were censored to check their contents. This was a time-consuming process, however the Field Service Postcard with its restrictive text could pass without censorship. This made communication safer whilst keeping those at home connected to their loved ones.  

Figure 1 Postcard illustration of a Soldier ‘KEEP SMILING!’. 4 April 1918 (PH119/01a)

The Card 

The Field Service Postcard had two sides with preprinted information. One side was for the address and much like the rules that applied to Post Office postcards, nothing else could be written on this side.  

On the back, preprinted text could be selected to answer those most common questions such as “How are you?”. The soldier would cross through the statements that didn’t apply to them. The card could then be signed, dated and posted to a loved one. At the top of the card in bold and underlined were the rules: 

‘If anything else is added the post card will be destroyed.’ 

First British Post Office Postcard, 1840 (PC01/02)
Unused Field Service Postcard, Back (PH32/20)

History  

The Army Post Office moved the mail during the First World War and were responsible for the creation and distribution of the Field Service Postcard. Soldiers were allocated two cards a week to send home. Soldiers were encouraged to use the cards instead of posting letters. During times of heavy fighting the Army Post Office even prioritised their postage, so they would arrive at their destination more quickly. One week in 1916 saw the arrival in Britain of 677,450 postcards from soldiers stationed abroad.  

Early on the design of the cards changed. Initially they had a reprinted stamp to acknowledge payment. This was removed by October 1914 and the cards passed through the post without a stamp.

 

Field Service Postcard with stamp already printed. Text in black and stamp in red. (PH173/10)

Christmas 

Strict rules meant nothing could be written on Field Service Postcards, except dates and a signature. However, an exception was made at Christmas when it was permitted to add ‘A Merry Christmas’ and ‘A Happy New Year’. Beyond this concession, any card with added text would be passed to the censors. If the soldiers didn’t follow these rules, their postcards could even be destroyed. 

Field Service Postcard with a Christmas message. 21 December 1916 (PH32/30)

The Postal Museum collection 

In our collection we have examples of cards sent to locations across the country, from Plymouth to Glasgow. This card from James Hendry manages to say ‘I am quite well and am going on well and hope to be for a long time’ by selecting certain phrases. 

We also have a card sent from a person named Godfrey with a censor mark. It is unclear why this card had to go through the censor process, as the only additional text appears to be more contemporary. We believe this because it’s written in pencil rather than the pen Godfrey used and appears to not be in his hand.  

Field Service Postcard to Glasgow, 16 October 1915 (PH64H/12)
Field Service Postcard to London with Censor, 26 November 1917 (PH64H/02)
Field Service Postcard to London with Censor, 26 November 1917 (PH64H/02)

Field Service Postcards were sent in their millions and you may find them in your family’s history. They represent a moment in time, when conflict divided families but a simple card helped to alleviate worry and bring people together.  

Figure 13 Photography of an Army Post Office, c.1915 (POST 118/5427)


At The Postal Museum we are extremely lucky to have such an extensive collection of First World War correspondence, including examples of the crucial Field Service Postcard. These cards speak of endurance, courage and love. If you are interested in learning more about the post during times of conflict, please visit the museum’s permanent gallery. 

You can also read more on our website or do your own research in our Archive.


Sources 

  • POST 47/11 Army Postal Service British Expeditionary Force. 
  • POST 29/1175B Field Service postcards. Supply to troops on active service. 
  • POST 47/133 Free Postage and Censorship.