World War II - V-Mail

I was recently browsing an on-line edition of Life Magazine from World War II (1943) and came upon this ad:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Lk...Mail&f=false

I never heard of the concept before so I did a bit more research and came up with this info. and 2-minute newsreel on the subject.

http://postalmuseum.si.edu/VictoryM...index.html#1

This must have been a well-known product in it's day but I only learned about it recently and thought it to be a great piece of postal history.

Neat.

I like the Pepsi-Cola ad down a few pages.

Is there any way to save those Life images on HDD?

I have the Life Magazine in question,
but their scans are better.

wt1, thanks for the link. V-mail was such an important morale booster for the servicemen and their loved ones. Many magazine ad from companies were about V-mail.




V-mail letter pack


Outside


Inside


Instructions

WT1,
Thanks for making me feel old!
My dad used to send them when he served in WWII. They are small. Here's what one looks like:

Cover:




The letter was a photostatic copy folded inside:





Dan

While I was copying away, Russ posted a good example of what V-mail looked like before it was photocopied.

Dan

Danstamps, Thanks these were truly bright lights during a dark time. Many universities are now building collections of these because of the significance. I know the Duke and University of Nebraska both have thousands.

Two great examples. Thanks for the scans!

KirkS

I knew that I had one of these kicking about. Thought you might like to see it as the format is totally different and more whimsical than the ones alteady posted.

backroads, thanks never seen that one.

A V Mail Easter Greeting format (Not mine)

The V-mail was sometimes referred to as the airgraph service for messages between servicemen and civilians. The message was written onto a special form that was then given an identification number and photographed onto microfilm. The miniature photographic negative was flown to its destination. Sending 1600 airgraphs on microfilm weighed just 5 ounces compared to 50 pounds for the same number of letters. The original was retained by PO so that if they were shot down the message could be resent. The original was eventually destroyed.

Commonwealth version (not mine)
to New Zealand


to UK

These are so neat. I really like that girl and the bird love note.

If the original was eventually destroyed then how do you folks have some of these? Were some actually sent on intact?

Reviving this older thread on V Mail..



the serviceman probably kept it.
Here are 4 v-mails my mom's brother in England sent their younger brother in 1944
From Lt Donald L Hunter 449th bombardment Sqd to S/Sgt Harold Hunter USMC El Toro and his new wife in Los Angles.

Uncle Don had flown all of his missions by Aug of 44, and decided to stay. His plane exploded on take-off in France March 23 1945. I was born less than two weeks later and have his name. Uncle Harold died 2 years ago, Aunt Laurie is still with us and facebooking at 93 years of age. She sent me these and other letters from Don last summer.

Here's my example of a V-mail cover. No contents, sadly, but does show different style of corner card. Circa 1942, so earlier version than those shown above.