Box, Cigarette, Benson & Hedges (1915)

History: Benson & Hedges was founded in London, England in 1873 by Richard Benson and William Hedges as Benson and Hedges Ltd. In the 1900s they opened branches in the United States and Canada.

Box, Cigarette, Benson & Hedges (1915) - image1

In 1915, the Army decided to give cigarettes to enlisted men because they wanted to keep them calm during battle and free of boredom. While frontline troops were probably more concerned with lack of regular food or effective footwear to cope with the often-waterlogged trenches, tobacco and cigarettes were highly valued comforts. British soldiers and sailors smoked 1,000 tons of cigarettes and 700 tons of pipe tobacco that year.

Box, Cigarette, Benson & Hedges (1915) - 3g12681uThe Army was aided by the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), which also handed out billions more manufactured cigarettes to soldiers. Smoking created a sense of camaraderie, boosted morale and helped to relieve stress. During a Christmas truce in 1914, German and British soldiers left their trenches to fraternize and to share a smoke with the enemy.

A First World War storefront window poster sponsored by the Over-Seas Club trumpeted “Our Boys Want Smokes.” “For 25 cents we send a dollar’s worth. Contributions received here for Canada’s Tobacco Fund.” For many soldiers, the link the fund created between the front and home became stronger when the fund began sending Canadian cigarette brands instead of British brands.

Many charity organizations that had once opposed cigarettes, including the YMCA, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross, agreed to support their distribution to American and Canadian soldiers.

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