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| Front of Postcard one between George and Ada |
Recently I ended up with a large collection of my grandfather’s postcards when he passed away. Many were of his travels around the world with several from other people. They would be like people collecting spoons or magnets from various locations. There happened to be several postcards from his mother that she had received from one of her brothers who went to war on the Western Front. A description of a wartime postcard I found from a website describes them as a visual bridge between the military front and the home front as they were sent from both sides.[1] Both people in the postcards lived in the North Island of New Zealand. I probably should point that out as that is as far from the UK and Europe as someone could get in distance especially when the troopships had to stop off in Australia along the way.
Looking online about World War One postcards is interesting as there are many search results that include coming from War memorial websites, but also from people selling the postcards on websites like Ebay. I know from a friend that postcards are worth a little bit of money and I do see a website of an Auckland blogger / historian who seems to find postcards as well for sale.
One of the cards was from the troopship on its way to Europe with a stop in Western Australia, and the other from what I could guess was from somewhere along the Western Front. They were written by the same person, but very different. As a family history person, to me it looks as though there was some trauma in the second postcard through serving in the war. I could be wrong and it is something else entirely. The writing styles between the two are interesting as they seem to be from the same brother but has changed. I have written about George Delaney’s service during World War One in a previous blog that I will link.
I do consider myself to be very lucky to have something valuable like these postcards in my possession, and they both are in excellent condition considering their age and the fact my grandfather did quite a bit of travel so they would have been stored somewhere very safe. There are several others before the war period, but they are talking about different topics.
I have written out the contents of the postcards as they are hard to read. The method I used to transcribe the postcards was to scan them into my computer and zoom in while trying to read them line by line. Not easy and there were words I could not make out.
Postcard 1
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| Postcard written by George to sister Ada |
Postcard to Ada Delaney from George Delaney
Troopship?
29 11/16
Dear Ada
I am just writing a few lines to let you know that I am still alive and well. We have had a lovely trip so far, hasn’t been a bit rough yet it will do me if it is like this all the way over. We don’t get so very much work to do and we get very good food. So we are not having such a bad time at all. We called at the (unknown) port last Friday and we were able to stretch our legs a bit. We had nearly the whole day off and you can guess what the crowd would be like when they were let go. The town Patrols? Had a great job rounding the drunks up. I can tell you I don’t think we left any behind, but there were a few got on the wrong boat.
We have one stranger (unknown) boy. I expect he will be held here till we get to the next port. Well we have not had much excitement yet we see nothing but water day after day. It gets a bit monotonous you know, but we see a school porpoises now and then diving along side us they perform? In mind of a lot of rabbits running along.
How is old Wellington getting on. I suppose the 20 reps soon be learning now I wonder what sort of a (unknown) they had over the Rumutakas, I hope they had fine weather anyhow it is a legger marching in the rain.
Well Ada I am getting damn lazy here don’t know how I would take to civilian life again (unknown) hope well how are getting on with it now. Remember me to miss (unknown Unknown) and the miss Goodhued if you are still together. I am (unknown stamp) I caught sight of one of them in the crowd the day we left port.
(unknown) not recognise me well they would have to (unknown)
I wish you a merry xmas and a happy new year. I will close with
Best love from George
Postcard 2
Note: I did a search on the details on the postcard and came up with a PDF file online about New Zealand postcards, but not much information. Photo might have been from Frank Duncan, a Postcard publisher in New Zealand, photos taken by Frederick George Radcliffe. A link to Frederick and his postcards are below.
Monday
My Dear Ada
Just a line to let you know I am still alive and (unknown) in the same area way you will be thinking I have forgotten you, but no I seem to be slipping (unknown) in my writing (unknown) going forward, I have been wondering how you have been getting on (since, once?) I left (unknown) absolutely deadly up here I left Jan last for (unknown) my sister has been feeling better since I came up (unknown) may be a chance of me feeling (unknown) again. I had a letter from Ada the other day, she said she might squeeze? Her way up. Did you hear that Charlie P is home or on his way home. I believe his girl come up to meet him. Hope more write soon
Love from George
Links and sources
Two Delaney Brothers, one war
https://tangaroa81.blogspot.com/2018/10/two-delaney-brothers-one-war-new.html
World War 1 Postcards
https://historiana.eu/historical-content/source-collections/world-war-i-postcards
Australian War Memorial, Australian Postcard Collection
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C969939
Postcards by Frederick George Radcliffe
https://www.postcard.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/FGR-June-2013-Published-List.pdf
About Frederick George Radcliffe
https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3r1/radcliffe-frederick-george
[1] World War 1 Postcards, Historiana, https://historiana.eu/historical-content/source-collections/world-war-i-postcards, accessed 12/01/2025.
