MUNITION WORKERS’ BILLET DOUX.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4579, 7 June 1917, Page 5

MUNITION WORKERS’ BILLET DOUX.

NOW PROHIBITED

Very little of romance comes into the soldiers life in these mechanical times, and a recent ordinance of the authorities still further reduces the modicum. 'By notes placed in cartridge boxes, fuse cases, and tube tains, many Birmingham lassies engaged in the ammunition industries have'sent out to the Tommies messages of goodwill and comfort-, and, in most cases, the actresses of the sender being included. Tommies have frequently opened up a. correspondence- with their fair well-wishers. Sometimes the results have been romantic, but more often have taken the prosaic form of a steady stream of parcels, of smokes, and goodies proceeding from a well-off munition worker at home to a very appreciative Tommy abroad. Unfortunately for this very -pleasant and .apparently inoffensive 'avarngement, it has been found that- there are spies, or tho agents ofs pies even in munition works, and the inclusion of.notes in ammunition with an invitation to correspond with the sender has been t'ho enemy’s method of. ascertaining tlie disposition of the different unrts of the British Expeditionary Force, and now it is an offence for soldiers to open up correspondence with persons whoso dame reaches them through tlie medium of messages m ammunition boxes. a