Jewish Welfare Board Picture Postcard Listing

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Updated June 9, 2011

These picture postcards were issued by the Jewish Welfare Board for use by returning United States troops after the end of the First World War. This listing is part of my pages on troopship cards. More historical background is also available.

This listing is maintained by me, Bob Swanson, and is the result of personal experience at postcard shows, a close watch of Internet auctions, and the combining of several lists from other postcard and postal history collectors. Additional information is always welcomed. I am especially interested in good quality images of the cards where the current image is missing or poor quality.



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Key to Listing

The following key applies to the information in the listing:

Ship The name of the ship shown on the card
GH An X in this column indicates that this card is known in a horizontal format, with the message "Greetings from the Jewish Welfare Board..." on the front
GV An X in this column indicates that this card is known in a vertical format, with the message "Greetings from the Jewish Welfare Board..." on the front
IH An X in this column indicates that this card is known in a horizontal format, with the message "Issued by the Jewish Welfare Board..." on the front
IV An X in this column indicates that this card is known in a vertical format, with the message "Issued by the Jewish Welfare Board..." on the front
Going A "Y" (for yes) or "N" (for no) in this column indicates whether this card has an imprint on the message side "Going to camp _______". There may be more than one format with this text on the back.
Have Indicates whether I have a copy of this card in my collection. There will be a two-letter code here that matches the codes given above. I don't have too many of these, so am not able to trade at this time.
Image If one or more images of the postcard or the ship are available, there will be a link to the images in this table cell. Some of the images are good quality, some not so. The letters "RPPC" indicate a Real Photo Picture Postcard. NOTE that the Library of Congress website offers a fascinating collection of panoramic photographs. These photos include images of the troopships used in WW I. To view a particular ship, click on the LOC link provided, and search for the word that I mention in the table. There are also links to the Naval Historical Center, where they have a web page for the particular ship. They offer many interesting images of these ships. Unfortunately, there are very few WW I transports in their listings.
Notes Notes concerning this card or format. There are many cards that have not been seen by myself or other collectors, so we aren't sure of the format or type. If I know about the nationality of the ship, I'll include a comment. Any "Former:" notes indicate the German name of the ship before seizure. "Ex-German" indicates that it was seized in 1917 but not renamed. "Post-War" indicates that this was an Ex-German ship taken as war reparation, and generally not renamed.


The Listing

Ship Name GH GV IH IV Have Notes Images
Adriatic X       GH British
Aeolus     X     Former: Grosser Kurfurst
Agamemnon   X   X   Former: Kaiser Wilhelm II; [SAW GV and IV]
America X   X   IH HG Former: Amerika; [SAW GH]
Antigone     X   Former: Neckar
Aquitania     X   British [Saw IH]
Arizonian X       American Cargo
Calamares X       American
Dakotan X       American Cargo [Saw GH]
De Kalb X        
Finland X   X   American
France     X   French
General Goethals   X     Post-War German Cargo  
George Washington X   X   IH Ex-German [Have seen example of Horizontal "Greetings"]
Graf Waldersee X       Post-War
Great Northern X       GH American
Harrisburg X   X   American
Henry R Mallory X       American
Huron X   X   GH Former: Frederich der Grosse [Saw IH]
Imperator X       Post-War [Later given to the British and was renamed the Berengaria]
Iowan X       American Cargo
Kaiserin Auguste Victoria X       Post-War
Kroonland X   X   [Listed as "American", but pre-war cards show as Belgian]
Leviathan X X X X GH Former: Vaterland [Largest Liner in the World]
Louisville X       American
Luckenback X       American Cargo
Manchuria X   X   American
Martha Washington X   X   IH Austrian
Matsonia X       American
Maui     X   IH American
Mauretania     X   British
Mercury     X   Former: Barbarossa
Mongolia X   X   IH  
Mount Vernon X   X   IH Former: Kronprinzessin Cecile
Nansemond X       Post-War German Cargo
Nieuw Amsterdam X       Dutch  
Northern Light         Types not known  
Ohioan X       American Cargo
Olympic     X   British [Saw IH]
Orizaba X       American
Panaman X       American Cargo [saw GH]
Pastores X       American
Patria     X   French
Patricia X       Post-War
Patrick         Types not known  
Plattsburg X       American
Pocahontas     X   Former: Prinzess Irene
Powhatan X   X   Former: Hamburg
President Grant     X   IH Ex-German
Pretoria         Post-War [Types not known]  
Princess Matoika X        
Prinz Freidrich Wilhelm X       GH Post-War [have 2 G(H)]
Rijndam X       Dutch
Rotterdam X       Dutch
Susquehanna     X   Former: Rheim
Troy X       American Cargo [Saw GH]
Von Steuben X       Former: Kronprinz Wilhelm
Wilhelmina X       American
Zeelandia X       Dutch
Zeppelin X       Post-War

* -- Library of Congress (LOC) Panoramic Photo, Search for name in parenthesis to see an image.

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