Making Comforts in Llangollen

From the Llangollen Advertiser, February 18th, 1916.

THE WAR.

WAR GUILD WORK AND

COUNTY COMFORTS ASSOCIATION.

Mrs. W. Best much regrets that this report missed the paper last week.
The collection of garments was held on February 3rd, when 205 articles were brought in, namely :— 6 shirts, 8 jerseys, 11 vests, 4 caps, 52 scarves, 3 pyjamas, 68 pairs of mittens, 2 bed jackets, 48 pairs of socks, 4 pairs of slippers.

Distribution has been made.  To 2nd Battalion R. W.F.: 12 caps, 20 pairs of socks and 10 jerseys.  To Field Force Fund: 16 vests.  To Queen Mary's Needlework Guild: 40 scarves.  To Mrs. Lloyd George's Fund for Welsh Troops: 40 pairs of socks.  To the County Comforts Association: 50 pairs of mittens...   Names of more local men abroad who need comforts before the Winter is quite past will be welcome.

No more scarves or mittens should be begun now, unless a special appeal comes unexpectedly.  For men in the field the most needed articles are shirts, trench caps, socks and handkerchiefs.

Mrs. Best regrets exceedingly the War Office error re the amount of wool required for operation stockings.  She has also had a notification (since the bedjackets were cut out) to say the official pattern is not correct, and a few days ago another notice to say “bedjackets are suspended.”  If however the County Comforts Association will not accept them, Mrs. Best will send them elsewhere as they are largely asked for everywhere at the present time.

The operation stockings and mittens are to be sent off on Saturday, February 19th, so Mrs. Best hopes they will all come in by then.  The National Schools have ceased knitting for this Winter.  The girls have made 255 most excellent articles under the careful supervision of Miss Williams.  Many thanks are due to them all. The next collection will be on March 2nd, at 2 30.

[Here is a local group carrying on making comforts for local men in the same way that they had been doing since the start of the War, and apparently paying little attention to Sir Edward Ward's attempts to organise the supply of comforts nationally. But not entirely - it seems from the report that they had been knitting scarves and mittens through the winter, probably in response to a requisition to the County Comforts Association from Sir Edward, who had been asking only for these items for the men at the front. 

Mrs Best sounds thoroughly exasperated, as well she might be, with the War Office and whoever made the mistake over the bedjacket pattern. The operation stockings and bedjackets were presumably headed for one of the military hospitals run by the War Office.]