This site explores aspects of health, medicine, history of medicine, and advances from my collection of postal stamps
Red cross develops a system to communicate with prisoners of war (PoWs)
Prisoner of War management during world wars
A less talked about consequence of wars are prisoners of war. These are soldiers of one warring side, that is captured by the other. During the first world war, there were a total of five million such PoWs on the Axis (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman) and the Allied (Britain, France, Russia, America) sides.
During WWI, the care of prisoners of war lay outside the scope of the Geneva Convention, but the ICRC established an office in Geneva to assist them nevertheless. One important task was to gather information about the prisoners and send it to their next of kin. The office sent direct inquiries to camp commanders and heads of field hospitals. By the spring of 1917, thousands of Red Cross volunteers had sent communiqués to families in the warring countries.
International committee of Red Cross (ICRC) obtained a list of all such PoWs from each side, and maintained a data-base of all PoWs. This was a manual card based data-base, so as to help communicate well being to countries as well as their families.
Letters from War camps
ICRC also facilitated exchange of letters from PoWs to their families. One such letter follows.
A prisoner of War (PoW) postcard (1917). This is from Vienna, Austria, and has a red cross symbol on the top. Such correspondence from PoWs was coordinated by ICRC. Text of this postcard is below: An Italian soldier Antonio Parisi shares greetings with his family. Part of the text says “As per your previous letter, you have got only four of my postcards…I am feeling well….I for hope fruits of our loved ones…”
Often the letters were not sent directly, but to ICRC Prisoner of war committee in Geneva. from here the letters would travel to respective countries. Since Switzerland was a neutral country in these conflicts, often PoW letters would be posted to and from Geneva.
A letter from ICRC Geneva (postmarked 26th September 1916) to British delegation for Prisoners of war in Berne Switzerland. It was exempted from postage (as is indicated on the envelope). Prisoner of War letters were often sent through ICRC in Geneva.Another letter from ICRC Geneva, Central Agenc y of Prisoners of war (postmarked 3rd April 1916) to an address in England. It was exempted from postage (as is indicated on the envelope)
Supply acknowledgements: Clothing
In addition to communicating with PoWs, ICRC also coordinated supplies such as clothing, cigarettes etc to PoWs. Supply would go with an acknowledgement, that had to be returned. This acknowledgement was a proof that the PoW was well.
A prisoner of war postcard, from France to a PoW in Germany (1915). As per the reverse of the card, this is an acknowledgement card, sent along with supply of clothing. This card has a message under the title “Prisoner of war clothing”. It asks the receiver to acknowledge the package, and to either use the contents himself or share with other colleagues as needed. (1915)
The card is titled in German as “Prisoner of War Program”. This service was coordinated by the Red Cross during the First world war (1917). This is the acknowledgement card along with a parcel, meant for the British Prisoner of War, (Likely in German custody) and sent from England. Backside of the acknowledgement card is below.Back-side of the card shown above from 1917. It has a receipt of the parcel by PTE Geo Reed, who is identified as a prisoner on 28 March 1917. Such receipt cards were collected by the Central prisoner’s war committee and sent back to the sender as an acknowledgement
Supply acknowledgements: Cigarettes
Cigarettes got popular during the First World War. These were an , item of trade, a solace, and a morale booster for soldiers. They were even considered as important to troop morale as bullets. While pre-war pipe smoking was more popular, the static nature of trench warfare, with long periods of boredom and stress, led to a surge in cigarette smoking. Prisoners of war also received cigarettes from their home countries.
An Acknowledgement card for a Cigarette parcel, that was sent by The English club to a British Prisoner of War. (August 1917). The card is posted from Minden (Germany) on 6th August 1917 and has reached London on 25th August. Card has a red cross symbol. The back side of the card is belowBack side of the card has an acknowledgement from a British Prisoner of War, who has received a package of cigarettes.
Tracing displaced families
War also had an impact on the soldier’s families. As the war progressed, of then the families would get displaced. ICRC developed a system of keeping track of such displacements. A displaced family information card could be sent to ICRC, who anyways maintained a database of all captive soldiers.
During the second world war, many families got displaced. This card is to inform International committee of Red Cross at Geneva about a new address for the family. ICRC would then connect any information about a Prisoner of War from that family at the new address. This card was exempted from postage, and is pre addressed to Agency for Prisoners of War at Geneva, SwitzerlandBackside of the card to be mailed to Agency for Prisoners of War at Geneva, Switzerland. The information to be filled is about the present address of the family, and the PoW the family wants to connect with.
Red cross communication envelopes
Countries in Europe exempted postage for Red cross communication letters. Such letters have a red cross logo, postmarks, but no postage stamps. Such exemptions started way back in 1864 in Switzerland, and later in 1870 in France. This exemption was also outlined in the Geneva conventions of 1864.
Envelope of the letter written by a soldier of 109 Mechanized company, to home in February of 1919. While first world war had ended in November 1918, some US forces were still deployed in Germany, Russia and Turkey. This letter with a Red cross Symbol has abbreviations ARC (American Red Cross) and AEF (Allied or American expeditionary force)
This practice of postage exemption in Europe was rooted in the historical connection between the Red Cross and postal services, where exemption from postal charges was granted to National Red Cross Societies. However, outside Europe a postage was required to be affixed.
Letter posted in 1918, from American National Red Cross to Bermuda. The first world war had ended in November 1918A letter from Czechoslovak Red Cross to South African Red Cross society (1923). The metered cancellation on the left is from the Czech Red Cross society
Letters through enemy censor lines
The letters were often censored by the local authorities. This was a way to keep an eye on the flow of information to the enemy lines. Another feature of Red Cross wartime postage are censorship markings. Some of these are described in galleries below.
A letter by French Red cross to ICRC in Geneva (1943). The envelope indicates that it has letters / documents from a prisoner. There are multiple security seals on the envelope. Backside of the envelope below. France was in German occupation at this timeBackside of the envelope has a seal, with a label “Verified by Censors”A letter with a red-cross symbol, posted in Manila, Philippines (1942). The country at this time was under Japanese occupation. Three of the postage stamps on the letter are issues where the words “United States of America” are hidden by the Japanese regime. The letter was opened by the Japanese censor, Japanese Military Police. Philippines was under Japanese occupation from 8th December 1941 till the surrender of Japan in August 1945.A letter from Cairo to British Red Cross Society (1942). Envelope has a seal that it was seen by the censors. At this time Egypt was an independent state, with presence of British troops in the country and in the region of Suez. neighboring Libya, was under Italian occupation. A letter from Venezuelan Red Cross committee to ICRC Geneva (1943). Opened by Censor and sealed again before sending (Resealed envelope)
Propaganda Cards
During World War I and II various countries printed propaganda postcards. These were widely distributed, to influence public opinion and to engage them in war efforts. These postcards aimed to boost morale, encourage patriotism, and also reassure those at home
Kaiser Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor. This postcard, and many others were issued by Germany to invoke patriotism. Please note the date on this postcard, which is 26th August 1914. It is a month after the beginning of the first world war. This postcard is from Germany, postmarked 31st December 1914, from Arnstadt. Part if the handwritten text has a reference to battles in the east, likely with the Russian front. The new year message hopes for peacePicture postcard, with an image of a soldier and his pet. Both have a red cross symbol. This card is from 1937. The second world war began in the year 1939. A postcard, with an image of a soldier and his pet (on the front) posted from Bern, Switzerland in 1937 to an address in London. The sender writes – “On August 1, warm greetings from our beautiful country….It has a plenty of places to eat and to drink…”
War time Red Cross postage
Many wartime Red cross postage stamps were in form of overprints. Many of these overprints can be seen in another blog. See here
Some traveled envelopes with these postage stamp issues are featured below.
A letter from Zurich (on a Red Cross flight) to Saxony in England in the year 1939. The postage stamps used on the letter were issued by Switzerland on 75 years of Geneva convention. Postage stamps on a card, issued by General Government at Warsaw in 1940. Warsaw at that time was in Nazi occupation during World War 2. The Stamps are overprinted with a red-cross, and were charity issues for the German Red Cross.A letter posted from Denmark to Kunzelsau, Wurthenberg in Germany (1921). The envelope has two red cross overprint postage stamps. The overprint amount is for Red Cross charity funds.
In 1917 the the Nobel Peace Prize committee awarded International Committee of the Red Cross. This award was for the efforts to take care of wounded soldiers and prisoners of war and their families. In accordance with the Geneva Convention of 1929, the Red Cross had during the war years established contacts between prisoners of war and their families, sent parcels of clothes, medicine and food, inspected prison camps, and organized prisoner exchanges. This system continued in the second world war. Later in 1945, when the second world war ended, ICRC got another Nobel Peace prize. The main reason for this prize was its work on behalf of prisoners of war.
