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Pen-pals during World War Two
- Thread starter Taz-man
- Start date
AmateisGal
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 6,126
- Location
- Nebraska
I haven't heard of a program like that during WW2, but now I'm interested to find out!
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LizzieMaine
Bartender
- Messages
- 34,249
- Location
- Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
There was a promotion run by the sponsor of the Jack Armstrong radio program called the "Write-A-Fighter Corps," which required its members to write to a fighting serviceman at least once a month, and furnished special stationery and other materials to encourage them to keep up with this obligation. This program also found its way into many school systems as an official class project.
AmateisGal
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 6,126
- Location
- Nebraska
This isn't in America, but I found this link about a "pen pal" program started by the International Red Cross:
"The International Red Cross in Holland began a kind of ‘pen pal’ program during World War II whereby Dutch citizens were invited to select the name of a prisoner-of-war in Germany with the hope that they might be able to supply their correspondent with an occasional food parcel and a letter of encouragement. In 1941 my father, Edward Crommelin, applied for a ‘pen pal’ and was given two names. He chose Captain Douglas Blackett. Capt. Blackett was a British officer who was captured by the Germans shortly after hostilities had begun, and for the duration of the war he was prisoner #211 in officer’s prison Oflag VII-B in Stuttgart, Germany."
http://www.theblacketts.com/articles/109-douglas-blackett-by-miff-crommelin
"The International Red Cross in Holland began a kind of ‘pen pal’ program during World War II whereby Dutch citizens were invited to select the name of a prisoner-of-war in Germany with the hope that they might be able to supply their correspondent with an occasional food parcel and a letter of encouragement. In 1941 my father, Edward Crommelin, applied for a ‘pen pal’ and was given two names. He chose Captain Douglas Blackett. Capt. Blackett was a British officer who was captured by the Germans shortly after hostilities had begun, and for the duration of the war he was prisoner #211 in officer’s prison Oflag VII-B in Stuttgart, Germany."
http://www.theblacketts.com/articles/109-douglas-blackett-by-miff-crommelin
AmateisGal
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 6,126
- Location
- Nebraska
Fiction or non-fiction?
dhermann1
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 9,152
- Location
- Da Bronx, NY, USA
The parents of my best friend in high school met that way. His mom just passed away at the age of 95 on Aug 6th. I wish I could have asked her more about it. Maybe my friend will have some info.
thecardigankid
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 234
- Location
- Beaufort, SC
In the book "Dispatches" it talks about a Marine Mortar team at Khe Sahn that had discovered a message from 1943 written on the cardboard tube for a mortar round that was from a young woman wanting service men to write her. So I'm sure almost any method that could be used to try and strike up correspondence was used.
