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My Aunt showed me some V-Mail from my uncle before he was captured at Salerno. One was dated July 1942 and one June 1943. After comparing dates to his enlistment dates, I concluded the June 1942 was in error and it should have been June 1943.

 

Question: When did the US began to use V-Mail?

Also, I would like to know any details of how this process worked. I know it was photographed but why was this more cost effective?

 

If his email was dated June 1943, the 36th Division was probably in N. Africa by then. I'll have to do more research on this. If so, then I guess V-Mail was used in N. Africa. Correct?

 

Also, please use this thread to post some examples of V-Mail.

 

Steve


:direct:Steve...There is a picture of a V-Mail letter to my Mother posted somewhere under my Posts. It greatly reduced the "bulk" of mail to be shipped & mostly was transported by Air. AL Kincer

Thank you Steve for a great question and thank you Al as always, for responding on our forum. :pdt34::pdt34:

 

V, or Victory mail, was a valuable tool for the military during World War II. The process, which originated in England, was the microfilming of specially designed letter sheets. Instead of using valuable cargo space to ship whole letters overseas, microfilmed copies were sent in their stead and then "blown up" at an overseas destination before being delivered to military personnel.

 

V-mail ensured that thousands of tons of shipping space could be reserved for war materials. The 37 mail bags required to carry 150,000 one-page letters could be replaced by a single mail sack. The weight of that same amount of mail was reduced dramatically from 2,575 pounds to a mere 45. The blue-striped cardboard containers held V-mail letter forms.

 

The system of microfilming letters was based on the use of special V-mail letter-sheets, which were a combination of letter and envelope. The letter-sheets were constructed and gummed so as to fold into a uniform and distinctively marked envelope. The user wrote the message in the limited space provided, added the name and address of the recipient, folded the form, affixed postage, if necessary, and mailed the letter. V-mail correspondence was then reduced to thumb-nail size on microfilm. The rolls of film were sent to prescribed destinations for developing at a receiving station near the addressee. Finally, individual facsimiles of the letter-sheets were reproduced about one-quarter the original size and the miniature mail was then delivered to the addressee.

 

The first large Army operated V-mail station overseas was opened on April 15, 1943 at Casablanca, North Africa. Hastily set up in a field following the Allied invasion of North Africa, this makeshift station continued to operate until September 15, 1943. Between June 15, 1942 and April 1, 1945, 556,513,795 pieces of V-mail were sent from the U.S. to military post offices and over 510 million pieces were received from military personnel abroad. In spite of the patriotic draw of V-mail, most people still sent regular first class mail. In 1944, for instance, Navy personnel received 38 million pieces of V-mail, but over 272 million pieces of regular first class mail.


An example from Al Kincer

post-7-1153149099_thumb.jpg


Marion: I dont believe either myself or my family used V mail for writing. First, one could only fit about 15 or so lines in a small letter. I really cant recall just where we

got the paper and envelopes to write with but at least one could send a decent letter when possible. All mail I recieved overseas was in 1st class mail from home also..

All we had to use as a postage stamp was to write FREE. As far as ships or planes going homeward, most should have been pretty empty except casualties. Far as ships

going overseas, just maybe a few less STAFF CARS and special goodies for the ranking

officers and the likes would allow more mail for us. Mail was the MOST morale factor in

the war believe it or not. (at least for front line troop). Believe it or not, more important than USO shows of which I saw none. Sorry for this tirade.


Gee Joe, you never had to APOLOGIZE. First off it wasn't a tirade! :D:lol:

 

Yes, I can imagine how important of a morale booster it was. I know many of the guys carried the letters with them everywhere and would read them and re-read them a thousand times. A touch of home and heart. :wub: