How The World is At War

A personalized ‘thank you’ for supporting the British during WWI, issued for the first official Empire Day.

This fantastic piece of wartime ephemera was issued for the first ever ‘official’ Empire Day, celebrated on May 24th, 1916. Technically, the celebration of identity and role within the British Empire had taken place in various places since as early as 1902, the year after Queen Victoria’s death, but it wasn’t until the outbreak of WWI that the Crown and Parliament sanctioned official support.

The central image presents a map of the world at war, with the British Empire and her allies brightly highlighted in bold and lighter red, respectively. They’re facing off against the black territory occupied by the enemies and their allies, and the neutral countries depicted in white (note the United States had not yet entered the war). On either side are national ensigns and illustrations of infantry units from around the Commonwealth, including Anzac troops and the Sikhs of the Raj.

The card was printed in London by Sir Joseph Caustan & Sons on behalf of The Overseas Club. The goals of the group, according to the lower left, are fourfold – help one other, render individual service to the Empire, draw together British people the world over, and maintain the supremacy of the Empire in the Seas and the Air.