Sending Christmas Boxes for serving military personnel overseas is a custom, first conceived in 1914 by 17-year-old Princess Mary, daughter of King George V. The custom was revived in 2004, in which all Servicemen and Servicewomen deployed on operations over the Christmas period were issued with a gift box aimed at giving them a lift during the festive season. The December 2004 gift box was well received and with the MOD’s encouragement, uk4u Thanks! was registered and incorporated in May 2005 with the express aim of repeating the gifting each year.

In November 1914, an advertisement in the national press invited contributions for a ‘Sailors & Soldiers Christmas Fund’.  There was an overwhelming response, and the money raised was used to provide an embossed brass box, with a variety of contents.  For officers and men on active service afloat or at the front the box contained a pipe, lighter, 1oz of tobacco and 20 cigarettes.  Non-smokers and boys received a bullet pencil and a packet of sweets.  There were also boxes for Indian troops, who received sweets and spices, and nurses were sent chocolate.  Some of the items had to be sent separately from the box itself, for lack of space.