Love Letters During The First World War

With valentine's day just gone I thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on what love was like during the first world war. Although I have been lucky enough so far to not have gone through a wartime, I have heard people over the years say that in war your feelings are stronger. People learn to live for the moment, for who knows what is around the corner. 

During the first world war, letters played an huge and important part in communication. Phone lines were expected to be used to help the war effort only and not for personal conversations. With many of Britain's men fighting in the trenches of a foreign land, it was the letters written that kept people together. 

Women would often write to there sweethearts, telling them all the news from home, in return, soldiers would thank them for the gifts they had received and would ask for news of certain family members or friends. For the women, it felt like their responsibility to inform their loved ones that they were thought of at home and not forgotten. 

When many of us think of love letters today, we think of the of the top type usually shown in movies. However, the love letters of the first world war were more than that. They contained dreams and hopes for the future, of something to look forward to when the war was over. They created a bridge between peace and war, they made the horrors of war soldiers were witnessing more just. 

Yet these letters were not only read between two sweethearts. They would also be read by somebody else who would censor each and every letter to ensure no news or plans would reach the enemy.  often meant that letters were even more shortened than they originally were and some sentences were often broken and hard to understand. 

Over the last couple of years, many of the love letters written during the first world war have been made public, either in books, tv programmes and online. By reading these letters you can get a real sense of what life was like to be in love during wartime. From the happy times to the sad times, these letters can make you feel like you are living alongside them. 

If there is one thing you do this month, I would recommend researching some wartime love letters (they aren't hard to find) and read them. They really put things into perspective and show us that all the money spent and tackiness of valentine's day is not needed. All that matters in that the one you love is safe and well.