WW1 US 88 Inf Div 349th Regt Teamster Colt 1917 Pistol Sweetheart Photo Postcard For Sale

• Type: Real Photo Postcard (RPPC)
• Conflict: World War I (1914-18)
• Year: 1919 (Post-Armistice Demobilization)
• Country/Region of Manufacture: France
• Branch of Service: U.S. Army / American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)
• Unit: 349th Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division (Cloverleaf / Blue Devils)
• Role: Regimental Supply Teamster / Wagon Driver / Animal Handler
• Subject: Identified Soldier in Specialized Winter Field Gear with Sidearm
• Key Theme: Complete Romance/Wartime Sweetheart & Future Wife Connection
• Features: Handwritten message on reverse, No postal cancellations (Hand-carried/Soldier's Mail)

Item Description

RARE RECOVERED HISTORY & WARTIME ROMANCE: WWI 1919 Identified 349th Infantry, 88th Division

Teamster/Supply Driver Real Photo Postcard (RPPC)

Up for sale is an incredibly rare, historically significant, and crystal-clear Real Photo Postcard (RPPC) featuring an identified American Doughboy serving in a specialized supply capacity during the brutal post-Armistice winter in France. This item features a complete, heartwarming historical arc—connecting the soldier in France directly to his wartime sweetheart who would become his lifelong wife upon his return.

THE HEARTWARMING PROVENANCE & LOVE STORY:

• Sender: Private James (Jas.) E. Hart
• Recipient: Miss Mary Hand (His wartime sweetheart, whom he returned home to safely marry in Illinois shortly after his discharge)
• Date Written: February 17, 1919
• Location: Neuilly-l'Évêque (near the fortress city of Langres), Haute-Marne, France
• Unit Placement: 349th Infantry Regiment, 88th "Cloverleaf" Infantry Division (serving alongside US Army Veterinary Hospital No. 1).

SELDOM-SEEN UNIFORM, POSITION & GEAR COMPLEMENT:

The photograph captures Pvt. Hart perfectly outfitted for his specialized role as a Regimental Supply Teamster, Wagon Driver, or Animal Handler. Because managing horse reins, truck steering wheels, and heavy cargo crates prevented the use of a standard long rifle, he is carrying the textbook gear of a hands-free specialist:

• Sidearm: A standard-issue COLT U.S. ARMY MODEL 1917 .45 Caliber Revolver. It is carried in a reverse-mounted, front-right cross-draw leather holster on his web belt for quick extraction.
• M1917 Leather Combat Jerkin: Blanket-lined tactical vest showing authentic field stains, grease, and work wear.
• Under-Layer Knit Turtleneck Sweater: Heavy sweater worn over his standard M1917 wool uniform tunic to cut the biting French wind.
• M1918 Winter Trench Cap: Rare winter-issue wool cap featuring fold-up earflaps.
• High-Top Rubber Hip Boots: Creatively rolled down past his calves to prevent chafing during heavy labor while maintaining total water and mud protection.
  
• Heavy Duty Wool Fitted Gloves: Hand protection while posing with the snow against a rustic French stone stable/billet door.

REVERSE SIDE MESSAGE DETAILS:

The reverse features handwritten text by Pvt. Hart to Mary, showcasing the exact mental state of troops waiting to return home to their loved ones. He writes a dark-humored joke noting that the village name "sounds like a disease, but it is not," requests she write back soon, and explicitly marks "(Do Not use this address)" because it is "The place I want to leave," signaling that his unit was packing up to board a transport ship back to her.

POSTAL CONDITION NOTE (THE REASON FOR PRESERVATION):

The postcard features no postal cancellations, ink stamps, or military censor marks. Because Pvt. Hart kept this card clean, he safely hand-carried it back to the United States in his personal duffel bag to bypass the messy wartime postal system. He preserved the image of the frozen French village to show Mary in person when he safely placed it into her hands upon his return.

SHIPPING & HANDLING:

Will be shipped securely in a clear, archival-safe rigid top-loader and tracked cardboard mailer to ensure it arrives safely to your collection.

(please see pictures)

This is not a reproduction or a copy

Please see my 100% positive response and buy with confidence.