Unopened V-Mail dated July 23rd 1944

[Heartfeltzero]

This is something I obtained recently. To my knowledge it’s never been opened. The seal is unbroken and I can tell just by looking at it that it’s not been opened. I’ve been contemplating whether I should open it or not.

[Dr. DTMUNG]

That's very cool yet also sad that the person it was meant for never got it.

[Danmark]

It may be the letter no parent wanted to receive? ...... looking at Google maps, the exact address doesn't now exist either.

[Kohima]

If you were to open it, it would become just another opened letter (and may not even be that interesting).. it would lose its mystery and could never be returned to its present state. It is a personal letter home, rather than an official communique.
Surely, the fact that it has never been opened is its appeal and power. I say leave it as it is - an evocative and thought provoking piece of history.

[Gwar]

V, or Victory mail, was a valuable tool for the military during World War II. The process, which originated in England, was the microfilming of specially designed letter sheets. Instead of using valuable cargo space to ship whole letters overseas, microfilmed copies were sent in their stead and then "blown up" at an overseas destination before being delivered to military personnel. The 37 mail bags required to carry 150,000 one-page letters could be replaced by a single mail sack. The weight of that same amount of mail was reduced dramatically from 2,575 pounds to a mere 45. The system of microfilming letters was based on the use of special V-mail letter-sheets, which were a combination of letter and envelope. The letter-sheets were constructed and gummed so as to fold into a uniform and distinctively marked envelope. The user wrote the message in the limited space provided, added the name and address of the recipient, folded the form, affixed postage, if necessary, and mailed the letter. V-mail correspondence was then reduced to thumb-nail size on microfilm. The rolls of film were sent to prescribed destinations for developing at a receiving station near the addressee. Finally, individual facsimiles of the letter-sheets were reproduced about one-quarter the original size and the miniature mail was then delivered to the addressee.
**** Most likely a personal letter, not THAT letter****

Info credit: National Postal Museum

[Danmark]

Thanks G,
yes, on reflection THAT letter would have been a telegram hand delivered. As luck has it, I (just) scored an unused V mail envelope and a scanned letter. I had been watching it and thought it was a modern copy until read your post.
Dan

[Danmark]

HI all,
I will do my own post but here is an unused V mail envelope - as Gwar explained in his post, this was the one the letter was written on then microfilmed from.



I believe the envelope in the OP is the one that the enlarged letter was finally delivered in....

Regards, Dan