The Daily Postcard No. 19

Entente Cordiale indeed.  Four French cards coming up, different manufacturers, same sentiment.

Here Tommy holds a Frenchman and a flag.  Any flag’ll do.

Behind you!

Sadly, it all ends in tears.

Only one of the reverse sides of these cards is worth showing you, that of the third card, which is dated 26th April 1915, has an early 1915 triangular censor stamp (depending on how things go, I could show you all the different British censor stamps, which periodically changed shape, that were used between 1915 & 1918), and was sent by one Arthur Drabble (presumably), who was serving with the Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) in France at the time.  A cursory check shows no record of an Arthur Drabble being killed during the war, so, hopefully, he survived.

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14 Responses to The Daily Postcard No. 19

  1. Sid from Down Under says:

    I love these postcards – these have shades of Postcard #8 with the carefully posed distraught sister – these above also patriotic – keep ’em coming

  2. Daisy in Indonesia says:

    Hello all,

    Love the language:

    Allies dans les combats, sur ce drapeau d’honneur jurons ou de mourir, ou de revenir vainquers.

    Allies in combat, on this flag of honor swear words to die, or to return victorious.

    My online French language lessons making sense now… hope I’m right.

    British all clean shaven, unusual for this period I guess. I’m impressed with the French soldier’s moustache in Number 4… beautiful thing!

    Daisy.

    • Magicfingers says:

      Thought I’d leave it to you lot to translate – gives you something to do! Oh, I’m sure we can find a few more moustaches for you in due course……

  3. Daisy in Indonesia says:

    The flag in Number 2 MagicFingers?
    A red Ensign?
    British Merchant Navy?

    Daisy.

    • Magicfingers says:

      Well it is a Red Ensign, which as you say is the Merchant Navy flag. Which is as appropriate to the image as the Skull ‘n’ Crossbones, really. A Tommy holding a civil, let’s not forget, not military, flag? I have my theories, which will appear in later posts (nothing dramatic, far from it).

  4. Margaret Draycott says:

    Not so sure about the delicate holding of hands in the 2nd postcard. Do love these postcards. Grateful for any translation my French is non existent, ham sandwich and tea with milk is my limit.oh and Croque monsieur.

    • Magicfingers says:

      It’s delightfully delicate. And very modern, surely?! And all ‘for the happiness of everyone’, which is what line 2 card 2 says. These cards all have ‘Allies until victory’ type wording. I’m sorry M, but I don’t have the time to do all the translations, but Daisy has done a few……..

  5. Margaret Draycott says:

    Very modern yes but these are a hundred years old different times. Perhaps I’m making to much of it.
    Appreciate you don’t have the time to translate I get the general inference. It’s your job Daisy if that’s ok.

    • Daisy in Indonesia says:

      Sure, why not… pourquoi pas!

      Will hopefully help with my online French language lessons.

      Postcard 1; Entente Cordiale; Cordial agreement.
      Allies dans les combats, sur ce drapeau d’honneur jurons ou de mourir, ou de revenir vainquers; Allies in combat, on this flag of honor swear words to die, or to return victorious.
      Postcard 2; Notre Entente est Féconde. Pour le bonheur de tout le Monde; Our Agreement is Fertile. For the happiness of all the World.
      Postcard 3; La Victoire protège les Vaillants allies; Victory protects the Valiant allies.
      Postcard 4; Vers la Victoire; Towards Victory.
      La délivrance des villages par les Alliés; The deliverance of the villages by the Allies.

      Sadly, it all ends in tears; Malheureusement, tout se termine en larmes…

      Daisy.

      • Magicfingers says:

        Très bon.

        • Sid from Down Under says:

          Je suis impressionnée Daisy – mais j’ai triché pour cela en utilisant un traducteur français en ligne

          Je suis impressionné Daisy

          • Daisy in Indonesia says:

            Thank you Sid,

            I try to work out the sentences first and use the online translator when I’m stuck… but I learn new words anyway. French is not an easy language to get your head around…

            Who would have thought a daily postcard would capture all our imaginations?

            Daisy

  6. Margaret Draycott says:

    Thankyou Daisy for the interpretations quite stirring words.

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