Royal Army Service Corps

This is an embroidered silk card from World War I, with the initials A.S.C.

Those letters could stand for any of the following:
American Society of Cinematographers
Artichoke Society of Canberra
Aeronautical Systems Center
Association of Society Cadavers
Ambulatory Surgical Center

In this case, the letters stand for the Army Service Corps, although they were sometimes referred to as Ally Sloper's Cavalry, after a contemporary rent-dodging, drunkard cartoon character.  However, the truth is that this corps played a very important role in World War I. Their name was changed to the Royal Army Service Corps. in 1918.

The A.S.C. was responsible for transport and supply of food, equipment,  munitions and other supplies on and off the battlefield. Although they were instrumental in winning the war, they are considered unsung heroes, because they rarely recognized for their importance.

Here's the back of the card. Silk cards from WWI were typically made in France.

Jo from Scotland recently posted some amusing old photos of the Royal Army Service Corps. Click here to see them.

Birthday Greetings - Silk Embroidered Card

I'm only familiar with the French silk embroidered cards, but this one was made in the United States, presumably right around 1920. If you're interested in silk postcards, Bill from the U.K. has a great website.

Embroidered Silk Postcard

The recipient of this card may well have been the mother of "wee Edith" from yesterday's post. This silk embroidered card was made in France. The cards were very popular among soldiers stationed in France at the end of WWI, so it's not surprising that the golden years for cards of this kind were from 1914-1920. They rarely had postmarks because they were sent via free soldier mail, although sometimes they were also sent in envelopes to protect the fabric.
The text on the card reads:

Dear Mrs. Bee

Just a P.C. for Auld Times Sake. Hoping you are all in the Best of Health.

Love From

Dod

Souvenir de France-1919

This peace postcard includes a removable Belgian lace handkerchief. The various victor flags are represented in the stitching of the numbers: Great Britain, Italy, France, the United States, Belgium, and Portugal. The card was never sent.