With extreme bans on smoking in public these days, it is easy to forget that not long ago cigarettes were considered a normal part of society. This writer quit smoking many years ago, but still has the occasional urge to light one up. With all the restrictions these days, that temptation is easy to resist.
During World War II citizens were encouraged to send cigarettes to the troops. The tobacco companies encouraged this and organized leagues that sent parcels of tobacco products to the various war theatres. A system of acknowledgement was created, whereby a soldier receiving a package of smokes could send a thank-you to his benefactor by use of a pre-printed post card.
The illustration is an example of this. In this example the sender from New Orleans, LA is being thanked by a soldier recovering in hospital in Plymouth, England. His message reads:
Thanks for your gift. Cigarettes received whilst in Hospital.
The card is imprinted “This parcel is presented through the Over-Seas League Tobacco Fund” in the margin on the reverse side. The front is illustrated with a cartoon sketch by an artist named Grimes, depicting a soldier in rain gear, happily puffing on a cigarette. The caption reads “We’re all lit up – let battle commence.”
Mailed from Plymouth, Devon on April 22, 1942, there is a light red censor mark below the 2˝ d King George VI definitive.
This card brings back my desire to have a smoke! After all, if a soldier recovering in hospital was encouraged to partake, how bad could it be? Of course we know better today, but one never fully recovers from that addiction.
A great piece of postal history! Thanks Ingo!
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