Christmas Card sent in 1918 from R.A.E. serviceman, Don, to his parents
1918Christmas and New Year card sent by an Australian serviceman named Don to his parents.
The front cover of the rectangular card is cream with a gold border and a central gold depiction of a rising sun badge, bearing the words 'Australian Commonwealth Military Forces'.
The inside left cover is very colourful, having a broad top border of wattle leaves and flowers, within which is a central Royal Australian Engineers badge between the words 'On Active Service'. The lettering and badge are printed in yellow on a dark brown background and a white border.
Below this are the printed words 'To wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year from' followed by a handwritten inscription 'Your affectionate Son, Don'.
The whole card has a decorative border which is thicker at the bottom and surrounds the words 'A.I.F. 1918'.
The inside right cover has a central circular depiction of an Australian soldier inside a brick building with steep rafters, sunlight shining in through a window. He is wearing a grey shirt, khaki pants and boots and sitting on a box. He is writing a letter. The notepad is resting on his knee. On the outside of this illustration is a winter scene featuring leafless trees, snow and bell tents. The warm earthy colours of the central are contrast with the grey exterior. The name of the artist appears in the lower right.
The reverse of the card is cream. The name of the printer, Gale & Polden, Ltd. appears in very small letters at the bottom right.
Laurence Hotham Howie (22 August 1876 – 18 October 1963) was a South Australian sculptor, painter, and art teacher. He was Chief assistant at the Adelaide School of Arts when he enlisted joined as a Sapper in the 3rd Field Company Engineers, Reinforcement 14 in August 1915. He served with the 13th Field Corps of Engineers in North Africa and the Western Front. He was appointed official war artist after the end of World War One, and made a series of sketches in France which were later used in designing the dioramas in the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Gale and Polden Limited were renowned for the publication of many of the British Army Training Manuals, Military Histories and Military Forms from 1893, throughout the Great War and Second World War, up to 1981. The company was founded in Brompton, near Chatham, Kent in 1868 and subsequently moved to Aldershot.
Details
Details
On front cover:
"AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH
MILITARY FORCES"
On inside left cover:
"ON ACTIVE SERVICE"
TO WIHS YOU
A VERY MERRY CHIRISTMAS
AND
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR
FROM Your affectionate Son, Don
A.I.F.
1918"
On inside right cover:
"L.H. HOWIE" (artist)
On back cover:
"GALE & POLDEN LTD."
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