How the British Post Office Went To War

The British Postal Museum and Archive currently has an interesting on-line exhibit, "How the Post Office Went To War."

According to the site, "At the outbreak of war in 1939, the General Post Office (GPO) controlled virtually all civil communications channels: mail, phone and telegram. The GPO was also the largest employer in the country, and its business was turned upside down when one third of GPO staff joined active service, within a few weeks of the declaration of war."

"Working in blackout conditions, often in temporary buildings, staff worked and risked their lives to keep services going. It fell to many of the new women staff to keep the telephone exchanges (often sited at the tops of buildings) running during the blitz. Postmen collected mail from pillar boxes buried in rubble as nearby bombs were being defused."

To visit, click here.