British Army Regimental Christmas Cards of WWI

[leigh kitchen]

This card is of the 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regiment - or as they preferred to style themselves the 48th Foot, ignoring the amalgamations & renamings of the Cardwell Reforms of 1881.

It is for the year 1918, when they were still part of the British Expeditionary Force.

Ornamented with a little strip of "regimental ribbon" & portraying the Colours, it's an attractive card.

[leigh kitchen]

The inside

[Owen]

As part of a long promised/long overdue Spring clean, I have been sorting through some of my 'stuff'...stuff that has long been consigned to boxes in the attic etc. Anyway, I have unearthed items that I had almost forgotten about...and it has been quite a trip down memory lane as some were given to me/acquired when a boy back in the late 60's/early 70's. I will share some of the items (I have posted an Arbeitsbuch in the German Signatures area already).

This post is about two WW1 Christmas Cards. They were both given to me as a boy by my piano teacher and neighbour back in about 1967/8 - Mrs Edith Solano was the elderly widow of an Officer who had served in the Indian army. I was like a Magpie (even then) and the cards went into 'my tin of special things'. There they sat, being moved from attic to attic as I grew up and we moved around. They came to light about 3 years ago when my mother moved house and had a clear out of her attic!

Only then did I try to find out a little about old Mrs Solano's officer husband - 2nd Lt...Lt...Capt...Maj...Lt Col Bernard Austin Solano of the 46th Punjabis (late of the Worcestershire Regt). First, his Christmas card to Edith:

At the time of writing this card he would have been a Brigade Major with the 18th Infantry - part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force - with General Allenby being the Commander in Chief. This is a period of history I know very little about, but (having served myself in and around Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine) I am aware that Allenby, the Arab Revolt and Lawrence of Arabia were significantly inter-connected (excuse my ignorence for those who know something of this period)....I note that the card depicts Jerusalem & Jordan in the background. In 1919, Capt Solano (he had been an Acting Major) was mentioned in Allenby's despatches:

I feel that there is a lot that the card is telling me, including the handwritten message, but it remains a bit cryptic to me (the Split A thing)...maybe it makes good sense to some of you?

Bernard Solano was Commissioned out of Sanhurst, as a 2nd Lt, in 1906 (into the Worcestershire Regiment). He was promoted to full Lt in 1909 and transferred to the Indian Army (46th Punjabis). He remained with the Indian Army and retired, as a Lt Colonel, in 1933. He died in 1940. His WW1 medal card is here:

I feel that there is a lot to learn about this officer and I wish I could go back and talk to his widow (little did I know, aged 8, what it meant to her to give me the cards).

This brings me to the 2nd Christmas Card. This is not from Bernard (signed from'Uncle Bill') and sadly, I don't know anything about 'Uncle Bill':

[Mervyn Mitton]

Monkey - I think it's time we had a first name for you - you are more then just part of the 'family'.

Collecting Christmas cards has been a big field - particularly for the early Victorian period. Regimental

are also highly sought after - particularly when there is a story behind them. Mervyn

[Owen]

Monkey - I think it's time we had a first name for you Mervyn

Thanks Mervyn...I have been thinking the same for a while. I did put my name on the 'About Me' part of my profile, but I don't know how to change from Monkey to 'Owen'!?

With regard to the Christmas cards, I had not thought of them in terms of having a particular monetary value. Something to consider, but I would find it hard to sell the 'Split A' card (sentimental value is too high). Thanks for your comments though - especially the 'familiy' one....I have to say that I enjoy spending time with you all. The TVR Car Club forum is wondering where I have disappeared to!

[Mervyn Mitton]

Owen - at the top of the page - press on the right panel that has your name. This will open a panel and go to

settings. This will show you how and where to change your avatar. Brian and I have tried for years to get people

to use names - makes it so much more friendly. Mervyn

[Owen]

Owen - at the top of the page - press on the right panel that has your name. This will open a panel and go to

settings. This will show you how and where to change your avatar. . Mervyn

Mervyn,thanks yes I have already tried to do that...maybe I am being particularly daft, but I can't seem to do it. There is an option to change just about everything (photo, signature, e-mail, password, what's on my mind...), but nowhere, that I can find, to change my name...