The Army Postal Service (APS) was a remarkable organisation that handled over 2 billion letters and 12 million parcels throughout the Great War. A letter posted in London would normally arrive in France with a soldier in less than 48 hours. The postal service played a vital role in many areas including the emancipation of women, espionage and played a vital role in the morale of the troops. Letters and parcels brought welcome news and much-needed supplies.
Many soldiers, however, would use the postal service to send home souvenirs collected from the battlefields. The collection of souvenirs is as old as warfare itself, but one man, Barney Hines was so prolific at plundering the Germans he was universally known as "The Souvenir King."
His pilfering reached such levels, the Kaiser allegedly put a price on his head. Mad, bad, and dangerous to know, Hines would steal anything that wasn't nailed down. Exceptionally brave, he famously danced on top of a German pillbox, daring the occupants to come out, before robbing them of everything they owned. We hear about a legendary trench party conducted in stolen formal wear, the sad demise of a beautiful clock, and how even the Bank of France wasn't safe at the hand of the Souvenir King.
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