Green Envelope ( Mail on Active Service)
Current Location
Private Collection
Luton
Letters from soldiers on active service were subjected to censorship by their junior officers to ensure that details such as location and military objectives were not disclosed. However, as a privilege, soldiers were given one green envelope per month in which they could send uncensored personal and private letters to loved ones.
The soldier had to sign to verify that they had only included private and family matters. The letters were not opened or read by regimental censors but as a deterrent a random sample were opened at HQ and if a soldier had betrayed the trust placed in him he would be court-martialled and punished.
Author: HillC
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