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ORIGINAL 1941 WWII BRITISH WAR RELIEF SOCIETY OF AMERICA CHRISTMAS CARD
A particularly attractive and historically significant World War II Christmas card featuring the flags of the United States and Great Britain together with words from King George VI\'s Christmas Day broadcast of December 25, 1941.
The front depicts the American Stars and Stripes and British Union Jack intertwined together — a powerful image of Anglo-American unity during one of the most consequential months of World War II.
Beside the flags is a passage beginning:
“There are stars to guide us on our way. Never did heroism shine more brightly than it does now...”
and concluding with the King\'s message of faith and hope that light would ultimately overcome darkness.
The card identifies the passage:
FROMTHE KING\'S CHRISTMAS BROADCAST
THE HISTORICAL DATE IS IMPORTANT
This passage has been documented as coming from King George VI\'s Christmas message broadcast on December 25, 1941.
That places the words in an extraordinary historical moment.
Pearl Harbor had been attacked on December 7, 1941, and the United States had entered World War II only days before Christmas.
The imagery of the American and British flags together therefore has particular significance in connection with the King\'s December 1941 message.
BRITISH WAR RELIEF SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The reverse is printed:
“All profits from the sale of this card go to:THE BRITISH WAR RELIEF SOCIETY OF AMERICA”
The British War Relief Society of America was an important American wartime relief organization that collected funds and supplies to assist Britain during WWII.
Its relief work included providing clothing and other essential civilian aid to people in Britain affected by wartime bombing and hardship.
This was therefore more than an ordinary Christmas greeting card. Its original purchase raised money for British wartime relief.
INSIDE GREETING:
“Christmas Greetingsand a wish foryour happinessall through theNew Year”
The reverse also carries a period handwritten inscription:
“From Mr & Mrs R. Gordon”
COLLECTOR INTEREST
This card combines several highly collectible areas of WWII history:
• King George VI• December 1941 WWII history• British War Relief Society of America• United States and Great Britain alliance• American and British flag imagery• WWII Home Front• Wartime fundraising• Royal Christmas Broadcast• WWII Christmas memorabilia• Original patriotic paper ephemera
I have searched for this specific design and have not located another exact example currently indexed in the collector marketplace.
That does not establish that the card is “rare,” but this particular British War Relief Society design appears to be SCARCE in today\'s searchable market.
A beautiful original artifact representing American support for Britain and the newly strengthened Anglo-American alliance during the dramatic Christmas season of 1941.
Carefully researched and offered by Echoes of WWII, specializing in original military, wartime and historical material.
