Godmothers
The volume of private correspondence increased greatly during the war, offering families a way to stay in touch with loved ones far away from home. But soldiers whose loved ones lived in occupied territories and were either displaced or forced to stay were even more isolated that other soldiers. Beginning in 1915, volunteer “godmothers" started to sponsor soldiers —especially these lonelier ones— who were serving at the front. Agencies or newspapers matched women of every age and social status with soldiers who wanted a godmother. Godmothers wrote letters and sent packages that were sometimes seen as good-luck charms, also taking charge of soldiers on leave. The godmothers played a valuable role by giving psychological support and helping soldiers combat loneliness while improving their daily lives at the front and providing a connection to normal life. They also contributed to a widespread patriotic environment, although they sometimes gave rise to romantic thoughts and the occasional fantasy among the Poilus (a nickname for World War One infantrymen), inevitably unleashing debates about the morality in French society. Some of these relationships did eventually result in post-war marriages.
