The Postoffice was really important during the war 鈥 making sure the post was sent between the people in Britain and those working or fighting abroad.
Over two thousand, five hundred staff handled over two billion letters and a hundred and fourteen million parcels.
Letters and postcards from the time are a great way of finding out what life was like then.
3792 鈥 Private Percy Bale鈥 Ist battalion Hampshire Regiment. 29 years of age.
I鈥檓 a Post Orderly. My job is to collect the mail from the unit post base and carry it up the line to the men. We use transport as far as we can but we usually have to lug the sacks up through these supply trenches ourselves. . It鈥檚 hard work.
FX: Explosion nearby.
Dangerous too. You never know what鈥檚 coming over next.
It鈥檚 an important job though. They say a nice letter from home does more for a man than a week of hot dinners. So my job鈥檚 to get this lot up there nice and safe.
This one鈥檚 had a bit of a journey. Posted in Leeds on Monday. It鈥檚 been on two trains, a ship and two lorries to get here. Today鈥檚 Wednesday so it鈥檚 taken just two days to get from the north of England to the front line here in France. Amazing when you think about it.
Parcel! Everybody loves a parcel.
Wonder what鈥檚 in it?
I reckon鈥 pair of socks, some smokes, couple of bars of chocolate鈥nd a cake. Lucky chap eh?
Anyway鈥 better press on. The boys鈥檒l be waiting for this lot.
FX: Another explosion.
Yes鈥 might have to go the long way round this morning. But I鈥檒l get there. I always get there don鈥檛 I?
Video summary
Photographs, newsreel and commentary examine the role of the Post Office in conveying messages and parcels from home to British Tommies in the trenches.
An estimated two billion letters and parcels were delivered to the front during World War One.
A dramatic monologue introduces Percy Bale, a post orderly in the Hampshire Regiment.
He describes his daily duties at the front and the presents, such as woolly socks, chocolate, cigarettes and cakes, that friends and relatives put in their parcels.
This clip is from the series WW1 A to Z.
Teacher Notes
Pupils could search in books and online for examples of messages sent to soldiers in the trenches.
Institutions such as the Imperial War Museum and theNational Archives publish examples of letters online, which provide rich sources of information.
Children could share their discoveries from these letters and the class could record a soundtrack of quotes from various letters as a lasting memorial of the everyday cares and concerns of individuals caught up in the conflict.
This short film is suitable for teaching history at Key Stage 2 / Second Level or above.
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