WW1 Military Field Post Cards

There have been a few threads posted about these, but I don't see a lot of information about them here and I'd like to learn more. It appears that most countries that participated in the First World War provided postcards that soldiers could mail from the field, usually for free. I've come across examples from France (courtesy cancelled), Germany, and Canada. I'd be interested in seeing examples from other countries. And if anyone can read German, perhaps you can translate the back of the German card. I was surprised at how restrictive the Canadian card was; obviously different countries had different standards.

This French card measures 13.5 cm x 9 cm. There is no printing on the reverse side, only correspondence written in pencil. Correspondence is dated 1 January 1915, and postmark is dated 2 January 1915.

Here is an Austro-Hungarian field post card with a Hungarian cancel. Notice that on the left, seven different languages are given for "sender". There is no printing on the back, only the sender's handwritten message.

Serbia 1915 10c Printed Peter 1st KD Feldpost 101 Infantry Division Letter Card

Over the decades there has been a great many high quality books and articles written on the fascinating topic of censored military mail. A good place to develop one's interest in this kind of mail is to join the Military Postal History Society. Their website is at http://www.militaryphs.org/

Field Service Postcard sent to Texas. Anyone know which area was used by Field Post Office 23.K ?

The German card in http://goscf.com/t/69768 reads as follows:

Absender: Gefr/eiter/ Kohlmann
Sender: Private Kohlmann
Land/wehr-/ Inf/anterie-/ Reg/iment/ No. 57
Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 57
Osten
East


An / To Reservist Kohlmann Paul
8. Komp/anie/ Grenadier-Reg/imen/t No. 6
8th Company Grenadier Regiment No. 6
II Bat/a/ll/ion/. V Armeekorps 6


Rus/s/land den 4.VI.16
Russia June 4, 1916
Lieber Bruder!
Dear Brother,
Herzinnige Pfingstgrüsse von
Warm Pentecost greetings from
hier sendet Dein B/ruder/ Heinrich. Bin
your brother Heinrich. Am
noch gesund & munter hoffe von Dir
still alive and well and hope
dasselbe. Dein Kärtchen von 27./V.te
the same with you. Your card of May 27
erhielt ich gestern. Auch Du bist
arrived yesterday. You too are
gesund & munter wie ich lese. Hier
healthy & cheerful as I read. Here
ist immer alles ruhig, als das R/ussland/
everything is always quiet, unless R/ussia/
noch einmal kommen wird aus
comes out once again
zu verharren. Hier ist es mich warmer
asking for a spanking. According to me, the weather
Wetter, nur Regen fehlt, so auch der
here is warm,only rain is missing, so is the
lang ersehnte Friede, es geht immer
long-awaited peace, it always depends
nach der Heimat, ob die Italiener
on the fatherland whether the Italians
Niederlagen die Sache beschleunigen
help defeats to speed things
helfen. Sonst nichts neues. Nochmals
up. Otherwise nothing new. Again,
viele Grüsse. D/ein/ B/rüder/ Heinrich.
lots of greetings from your brother Heinrich.
Auch viele Grüsse an Fritz Bitter.
Also, many greetings to Fritz Bitter.
Gut Sieg!
Happy Victory!

Austro-Hungarian (Bosnia) embossed card to Feldpost 111, from Reserve Hospital 5, I think.

Can anyone help translate the message?

Florian that is so good to see a translation which brings to life the mind of a soldier at war. How very calm he sounds and full of bravado..
I am trying to translate mine with google so far I have translated a few words but its not looking very good. I would love to be able to read it and wonder why people are not keeping things in their families.

If you have time and wish to tackle another please go right ahead! I think mines in german too? so far iv got its in krusevac! which is in central serbia. of course that was the easy bit? I think he is always working ? with his company google translate. mein lb fus? I couldnt work out.

I am led to believe that there was much intirgue in serbia at the time re the Black Hands and treasonous activities regarding the arming of the serbian state?

Let's not be too quick to judge.

Perhaps the last descendant had no near relatives, and the home was cleaned-out by a contractor.

Perhaps the last descendant fell upon hard times, and ended-up out on the street.

Etc, etc, etc.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

My own default would be not to keep things, then pick out those that had particular personal significance for me. I should, in fact, have liked to see my old man's letters from WWII; my mother was resolved to destroy them before she died, and she did.

Too true Ikey pikey

Judging isn't usually my forte. Wonder is though.

Lets hope that some of these letters from another place and time are happy resting with me.

GeoffHa I remember as a fairly young lady (14) pulling an old suitcase out of the pile my parents had put down in the rubbish to be collected. I opened it to find every letter every photo sent by wonderful grandfather to my grandmother etc etc. I told my mother off. There were pictures little strange square sepia ones, some other really old black and white ones. Some in front of the pyramids some of dog fights even one with italian planes with swastikas on them that my grandfather 72 unit special air core had taken control of.

They dated from 1866 well I took it at that as one was my great great grandfather who had died in 1866. I wasnt sure why shed thought to do that.

I got one blown up for my grandfathers birthday later that year. It was him as a 4 yr old and his older brother robert with his Mum and dad sitting on an old truck in 1924.

He was truly a great man. I am very lucky to have had him in my life.

'
I was a bit harsh; it was unfair of me to accuse you (however backhandedly) of posturing.

But, for someone who lived thru WW2, for example, the war might 'evolve', with the Great Victory meaning less & less, and the persons lost meaning more & more.

Ideologically impure, to be sure, but reassuringly human.

And, ration coupons might 'evolve' from a symbol of common sacrifice to a bitter reminder of someone who cheated, and got away with it.

We'd love those artifacts of everyday life, but someone else might be in a rush to be rid of them.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who despises the taste of sweet butter, because it reminds him of that salt-free diet ...)

You are most gracious ikey pikey.

And Im rather glad that you consider yourself ideologically impure! phew cheers to that!

Another member said to me that he sometimes tried to contact relatives. I found that most noble. And it felt like the right thing to do. Id like to do that. I will do that but carefully and considerately one day. Deos anyone else do this? I think its a wonderful idea and would love to be involved in a group like that.

I do not know why I seem to be the only person in the world who thinks that this is gambling with someone else's life.

Let's say that Uncle so-and-so was abusive. He passes, and you pass his stuff to the curb. Thanks to some scavenger, it makes it way to a flea market, and into our hobby, and into your hands ... and, now, you pop-up in the victim's life with:

"Guess what? I've got Evil Uncle so-and-so's letters and photos!"

Or, there was a horrible divorce.

Or, there was any sort of catastrophe that blew the family apart.

I just don't get it.

Let the tossed stuff stay tossed !

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who was the only dissenter at http://goscf.com/t/67770 )