A special post card for March 1917

I have been featuring some of the postcards sent during the Great War.

They are part of a wonderful collection of letters, medals, post cards and photographs belonging to David Harrop.*

This one caught my interest because it is a hand embroidered card which contained the message on the back.

Now I when I first came across this one I thought it was rather uncommon, but in David’s collection there are quite a few, some like this with a flower design and others depicting the flags of the allies.

And I have now added quite a few birthday greetings dating from before and after the Great War which are of a similar design.

This one was made in France and sent by Bill to Jessie in March of 1917.

Once upon a time I would have gone looking  in the message for references to the war, the hardships and the dangers, but of course there will be none of that in these.

This will I guess have been partly because of the presence of the censor, but more likely because most people do not want to send or receive horrible news and the space on a postcard is limited.

So Bill confined himself to “just a line to let you know I am going on fine, hoping you are doing the same.  

Send out a few tabs if you can.  Love you and the Carsons.”

There is no surname, nor an address which makes it impossible to identify either of them or to know any more of their story.

But in the same collection David has been able to bring together letters, cards and documents which track a family from enlistment to the end of the war.

Some end happily with the return of the fighting men others culminate with the official notification of a death and the war pension.

And some of the collection will be on show at two exhibitions over the summer.***

Picture; from the collection of David Harrop

*David Harrop, http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/David%20Harrop

**The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport from July 28 and Oldham Archives, Union Street, Oldham, from August 4