Trench Art (3)

This time the design is "Not Absent in Thoughts" and the inscription on the back "Wishing you many happy returns of the day from Rose, Mark. Will write later."

Update. See posting of 24 May 2009 "An obituary - Rose Finestone". From this, I deduce that the card was sent to Bill Warden's sister Rose from her husband (or maybe then her intended) Mark Finestone.

Further update 14 May 2020. Reading the text again, it is clear that it is not to Rose from Mark, but from Mark and Rose to someone else. The most likely recipient in this case would be Rose's sister Bill, since it was found among his effects. I am now happy to report that I have made contact with one of Mark and Rose's great-grandsons and have passed the card on to him so it will stay in the family.

Trench Art (2)

The design reads "To My Dear Sister" and the inscription on the back is "To Connie with love from Gerald." This must be Constance Warden (nee Dickens). She was the first wife of Bill Warden, who in turn became the second husband of Ada Mackie.

Trench Art (1)

The design reads "Greetings from the Trenches". This embroidered postcard is an example of trench art, a term applied to a wide variety of objects made during or after WWI, either commercially or by soldiers themselves to pass the time. There are a number of websites that will tell you more about this subject, but http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench_art has this to say about cards such as this one. "Civilians in France, in the zones occupied by troops, were quick to exploit this new market. Embroidered postcards were produced in what quickly became a cottage industry, with civilians buying the surrounds and embroidering the panel of gauze. These postcards often had regimental crests or patriotic flags and national symbols in abundance, and millions were produced over the course of the war."

This particular card carries no inscription on the back, but see the next two examples.