World War I postcard with “nurse’s mail” frank

This postcard is part of a wider trend of sending picture postcards during World War I. The image on the front shows a local French train station, though it was also common for cards to have a sentimental or propaganda theme. Sent by a nurse serving in France it brings a fond message to a friend back in the United States. It mentions that they have been thinking of them, wills them to write soon and wishes them a happy holiday season.

Nurses serving abroad were included in the free postage initiative that was used throughout World War I for members of the armed forces. Effective as of October 4, 1917 waiving postage for first-class mail from soldiers, sailors and marines serving overseas was intended to make it easier for service members to conduct business and communicate with loved ones without having to hunt for stamps. Thus, it also reduced the need to supply stamps in field post offices.

During the Civil War and Spanish-American War, the words “soldier’s letter” written on an envelope allowed troops to send messages with no pre-payment; postage was to be collected upon delivery. Measures were taken a step further during World War I when Congress granted American forces serving abroad the right to send personal correspondence free of charge. In subsequent conflicts congressional acts allowed for the free mail frank for deployed military service personnel. Since 1986 the Secretary of Defense has the authority to determine free mail areas.

References

Sanford, Hennen M. The Mail of the A.E.F. American Expeditionary Forces. The American Philatelic Society, Maryland, 1940.