A yellow-brown rectangular paper card with a templated form printed on the back, and was one of the first widespread government forms, as this type of document is regarded today, being a templated document with limited spaces for specific information only to be written and pre-determined options to be selected. On the front of the letter is printed at the top: “O. H. M. S. Field Service Post Card”, with O.H.M.S. meaning ‘On His Majesty’s Service’, meaning that this item was paid for and to be treated with higher priority. Below this is a blank space and is written in pencil by RSM L.E. DeHarte the receiving information for his wife, whom this post card was being sent to, and says: “Mrs L.E. DeHarte 114 Bloor St. W. Toronto Canada”. A number of stamps are on the front right side of the post card: a military Field Post Office 3.X stamp from March 20 – 1915, a half covered red stamp that says “PASSED BY” and features a crown in the middle, a Toronto Ontario post office stamp from April 5 – 4:30 PM – 1915, a Canadian National Exhibition Toronto office stamp from August 28 to September 13 – 1915, and a green one cent postage stamp featuring an image of King George V.
On the back of the post card is the pre-printed template as follows, from top to bottom: “Nothing is to be written on this except the date and signature of the sender. Sentences not required may be erased. If anything else is added the post card will be destroyed. ——- I am quite well. I have been admitted into hospital. Sick Wounded } and am going on well and hope to be discharged soon. I am being sent down to the base. I have received your } letter. telegram. parcel. Letter follows at first opportunity. I have received no letter from you. } lately. for a long time. Date. Signature.” In the space between the words “Date” and “Signature” is signed by RSM Lewis E. DeHarte. At the top right is printed in bold: “Army Form A2042.”, and at the bottom is printed “G. S. & Sons, Calcutta.” which was likely the printing company of this post card. Many of the lines of text on the template have been crossed out with pencil, as can be seen in the attached image, and the remaining text forms the message: “I am quite well. I have received your letter. Letter follows at first opportunity.”
To be noted, this form is printed in Calcutta, India, by G.S. & Sons, likely for Indian regiments and was likely acquired by the CEF during the 2nd battle of Ypres-St. Julien, in which an Indian division(Lahore) was positioned on the line directly left of the 1st Canadian division, to which the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders) were a part of. The possible scenario was that the 15th Battalion required additional of such forms and the next closest battalion’s HQ was a field HQ of the Indian Lahore division, with the 15th Battalion HQ on one side of the town of St. Julien and a battalion HQ of the Lahore Division on the other side, and so they acquired these post card forms from them.
