3 Nov 26 – Zoom – Smokes for the Troops
by Jean Wang FRCPS
November 3 @ 15:00 – 16:00
Smokes for the Troops:
British and Canadian Tobacco Funds in World War One
In World War I, decades before the health dangers of smoking were recognized, newspapers and organizations such as the Over-Seas Club in London set up charitable funds to send cigarettes and tobacco (“smokes”) to British Empire troops fighting overseas. Smokes bought by donations were sent to the front with the aid of military authorities and allowed to enter duty-free.
For soldiers, smoking relieved stress and boredom and boosted morale. The smokes sent overseas represented a piece of home and were a reminder to the men that they were not forgotten by the people they were fighting for. Providing smokes for the troops was considered patriotic and a way for people at home to contribute to the war effort. Every parcel of smokes sent to the front included a postcard addressed to the donor. The postcards returned via military post gave civilians a tangible connection to the men serving overseas, and the messages of thanks stimulated further donations.
In this presentation, Jean Wang FRPSC will discuss the reach and impact of British and Canadian WWI tobacco funds through study of reply postcards sent back from the front.
Dr. Jean Wang FRPSC is a hematologist and leukemia researcher in Toronto, Canada. She is an active collector, exhibitor, presenter, editor and author with an interest in medical and social philately. Her 5-frame exhibit on blood donation and transfusion was the first thematic exhibit to win a National level Grand Award in Canada. She is the Vice President of the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada, Secretary of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, a Director of the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation, and a Trustee of the American Philatelic Research Library.
Other Related Sites:
Zoom Programme 2026/27
| 1 Sep 26 | 3 pm | Graham Winters | Post Cards |
| 6 Oct 26 | 3 pm | Vernon Morris | The Postal Crisis of 1775 |
| 3 Nov 26 | 3 pm | Jean Wang | First World War Tobacco Fund |
| 1 Dec 26 | 3 pm | Roger Johnson | Sarawak – Tales from the Ulu |
| 5 Jan 27 | 3 pm | Robert Hider | Comparison of the first Postage Stamps issued by the six Australian States |
| 2 Feb 27 | 3 pm | Marcus Orsi | Irish Postal History Transition Period |
| 2 Mar 27 | 3 pm | Sandeep Jaiswal | Some of my favourite items from Jammu and Kashmir – Part 2 |
| 6 Apr 27 | 3 pm | Jan Hofmeyr | Philatelic Invention in the United States |
| 4 May 27 | 3 pm | George Henshilwood | Having fun with numbers |
| 1 Jun 27 | 3 pm | Gordon Hardy | Mail from Great Britain to Romania pre-UPU |
(Last updated 29 Jul 2026)