Overseas Forces

An Illustrated History of the Embroidered Silk Postcards is the standard reference book on embroidered silk postcards. It contains references to over 2600 different cards with over 270 illustrations. The Listings on this website list cards discovered since the book was published, plus an additional section on Greetings Cards. The new additions are shown in RED.


Embroidered silk postcards exist for military units from across the British Empire and Dominions, especially Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. A single card is known for the Egyptian forces and a couple for the British West Indies Regiment.

The French had the largest army in the world during the First World War and in the period before, and into, the Second World War. They had over 500 regiments and embroidered silk postcards exist for many of them. In addition, there are cards for their Air Force, Navy and Colonial Forces. There is a separate page to cover the large number of cards for the French Forces.

Cards also exist for the armed forces of Switzerland and the United States and these are listed as Other Foreign Forces.

Images of a representative selection of cards are shown beneath the listings.


Information and images on this site are © Ian Collins 2021.

No part may be reproduced, stored, transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the author.