What is V-mail?

V-mail (also known as Victory Mail) was a popular way to transport mail to and from the battlefield during World War 2. It was less expensive, took less time and weighed less than traditional mail - unfortunately, it was also less private.

Instead of sending a single letter through the military postal system, the letter would be read and censored by a third party, condensed into about a thumb-sized image and transferred to film, and later reprinted on paper once it arrived at its destination.

Besides being efficient and easy to censor, V-mail also helped to block infiltration attempts by outside parties - during the photocopying process, things like microdots and invisible ink were lost in translation.