It’s around this time of year that we set aside an evening to snuggle up on the sofa, switch on the Christmas tunes and write Christmas Cards for dear friends and family. Rebecca Skelton investigates The Tank Museum Archive for our finest examples.
With this most joyous of festive tasks in mind, my latest Adventure in Archives saw me embark on a mission to bring you just a handful of the many beautiful, touching and downright hilarious Christmas Cards from members of The Royal Tank Regiments and her predecessors in our Collection.
Above is a snap of my favourites. From a charming watercolour of reindeer pulling Santa’s… tank to a hopeful glance at a peaceful 1919 gleaming in the horizon. Of particular note is the small black and white cartoon drawing of a tank crashing through the German lines, with this year marking 100 years since Reg sent his “Best Wishes” to his loved ones.
It’s often that during the Festive Season thoughts turn to family: squeezing round the dinner table with the ‘emergency chairs’ and the occasional, friendly disagreement over the TV come to my mind! I realised how hard it must be to spend Christmas, hundreds of miles away from your nearest and dearest, in a warzone.
In a short, but beautiful message found inside a 1943 Christmas card from a soldier fighting in the His Majesty’s Middle East Forces I was reminded just how lucky I really am.
“May this be our last apart Darling all my fondest greetings and the best of health and happiness to you both, love Daddy”.
