November 11th

Searching through postcard images on my computer for today 11th November I found plenty: Pictures of soldiers, pictures of ruins, pictures of cannons, pictures of battlefields, pictures of graves… Here are just a few:

Soldiers dream
 I dreamed kind Jesus fouled the big-gun gears;
And caused a permanent stoppage in all bolts;
And buckled with a smile all Mausers and Colts;
And rusted every bayonet with His tears.

Wilfred Owen

Two sides of war

 British troops setting off for the continent.

Prisonners of war.  I imagine that many families would have been pleased to receive this card.  On the back the details of their soldier and the address of the camp he was being held in.

Les Compagnons

These are soldiers from the First World War who were carpenters by trade. They belonged to the Compagnons. The Compagnons still exist today. Taking on apprentices and passing on the skills which are now disappearing. If a monument is being restored you can usually find members of the compagnons working there somewhere.

I think that we forget that men were needed not only to fight, but to cook, mend, build, translate, heal and provide spiritual guidance….. Each had his own role.

November 11th

This blog especially lends itself to a special post of remembrance. Over the last few years I’ve read a lot of postcards written at the front. Boys writing home – some of them could barely write. Men writing to their wives and children. Some in a hurry some with time on their hands….

Some postcards of World War One

British soldiers resting

Les Chausseurs Alpins, French soldiers with special knowledge of the Alps. Thousands were killed in avalanches as well as battle.

Wounded English soldiers

Masses were held at the front too

And to finish; a few lines from Wilfred Owen. Killed a few days before the Armistice, he was 25 years old. A verse from ‘The dread of falling into nought’

My power of life, though youthful, also sinks;
Before my time I bear a hoary head;
And chill airs strike my brow, that blow, methinks,
Straight from the icy cavern of the dead.
Night darkens round; my day shall know no afternoon.

Other posts on World War One.

Armistice

"United against the Barbers" and "Sainted Alliance". These two cards were sent during the first world war. I’m guessing, but I think that the soldiers are supposed to represent the US, Belgium and the UK. The young lady, ‘Marianne’ represents the French republic.

Recently I read on the backs of two postcards sent during the first World War…

March 1915
Cher Papa,
….. Everything is starting to grow here which reminds me, you mustn’t try to do everything yourself. Try to wait for my return. All of this will be finishing soon and I’ll be home to help…


…Cousin X came to visit me in my trench, it was good to see him. Between us we managed to account for all of the cousins, everyone is alive and well…

On all of the postcards sent by soldiers the first thing written was 'I'm in good health'. With all of their problems and discomfort their first concern was always to reassure their families.

I’ve also written about the Menin Gate on another blog.

Armistice

Here are three postcards from the first world war.

The first group are the King and Queen of England visiting the barracks for the colonial soldiers who had come to France to fight for the ‘Motherland’

Next is a postcard of the ruins in a town called Thann.

Last but not least, a group of French soldiers, can you spot Henri? Olivier told me yesterday that most of the French soldiers were drunk a lot of the time, they were given alcohol to help them cope with the horrors of what was happening around them.