Haverfordwest Foot-Sling Depot

From The Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph, 21st March 1917

Haverfordwest Foot-Sling Depot.

A branch depot of the Surgical Requisites Association, itself a branch of Queen Mary's Needlework Guild, has lately been started in Haverfordwest.  A small local Committee having been formed, it was decided, in accordance with the express wish of the Association that the depot instead of making, as is usual, such articles as swabs, dressings, pads, bandages, etc., should specialise in one urgently needed Hospital requisite, viz., foot-slings.

Each Foot-Sling, which needs very exact and careful making, consists of a hammock-like foot-piece suspended by long straps from the shoulders.

The Slings are cut out at the depot (17 Market Street), and then distributed to members who do the necessary machine work in their own homes, returning the Slings for “finishing” to the depot.  Each Sling costs in material about 2s 6d, and as the Committee hope to send up at least 100 a month, the estimated monthly expenditure is £12 10s 0d.  The appeal for funds has been most generously responded to and much sympathy has been expressed with the work.  £95 has already been contributed, and it is hoped that a sufficient sum may be collected to enable the work to be carried on until such time as the necessity of providing foot-slings for our wounded ceases to be.  Every penny contributed goes directly towards buying materials, as there are no running expenses connected with the depot.

The Winter Campaign – Appeal for Comforts.

From The Times, Tuesday October 24, 1916.

THE WINTER CAMPAIGN.

AN APPEAL BY THE QUEEN FOR "COMFORTS."

We have received the following letter which the Queen has written, appealing for continued support for her Needlework Guild, which has done so much for the comfort of soldiers and sailors:—
Buckingham Palace, Oct. 24.
On the threshold of the third winter since the beginning of the war, I appeal to all those who have generously responded to my requests for work during the past two years not to relax their efforts in providing comforts for our soldiers and sailors.
Though applications from regiments and hospitals at home and abroad increase instead of diminish, and an almost unlimited number of things are needed if the Queen Mary's Needlework Guild is to meet all the demands made upon it.
As Sir Edward Ward has recently pointed out, the chief needs at the present moment are mittens, mufflers, helmets, socks, gloves, and cardigans; and my Guild is also being specially asked for pyjamas, day-shirts, bed-jackets, blankets, and sheets.
I wish to take this opportunity of thanking again the many workers in many lands who have so kindly contributed to the splendid total of 3,990,784 garments, which have been sent out in 26 months from Friary Court.

MARY R.

We are informed that of the 3,990,784 articles sent out by the Guild, about 650,000 have been supplied to regiments in France, 600,000 to hospitals at home, 1,750,000 to hospitals abroad, and the rest to the forces in Africa, the Allied Forces, prisoners in Germany, and various organizations for helping women and children at home. Of these articles, over 2,600,000 were bandages, splints, and other surgical requisites. The following are the numbers of “comforts” which have been supplied by the Guild up to October 21, and which bring the total to the figure mentioned in the Queen's letter:—

Bed-jackets	20,561	Jerseys	17,355
Pillows	13,417	Nightshirts	30,124
Belts	137,270	Nightingales	6,281
Blankets ..	8,650	Operation gowns	22,221
Cloth clothes and caps ..	9,048	Pillow-cases	31,884
		Pyjamas	30,034
Comforters     ..	94,238	Socks	371,802
Day-shirts	116,044	Sheets	9,990
Pants	30,031	Slippers	11,517
Dressing-gowns	4,384	Towels	26,635
Handkerchiefs	93,530	Vests	35,438
Helmets	44,240	Various	156,420

Cafe Chantant at Aberystwyth

From the Cambrian News, 14th July 1916.

Cafe Chantant.

HELPING A GOOD FUND.

Under the auspices of the local branch of the Surgical Requisites Association, a cafe chantant was held on Wednesday afternoon at the Old Assembly Rooms for the purpose of raising funds to provide bandages for wounded soldiers and sailors.  There was a large gathering and the proceedings were of an enjoyable character.

Mr. A. J. Hughes, town clerk, in introducing Lady Pryse to open the programme, explained that the Association was a branch of Queen Mary's Needlework Guild.  The branch was inaugurated at Aberystwyth in October and there were now eighty patriotic members who had the privilege of joining in that good work, in which they had shown great devotion.  Each working member contributed sixpence a week to procure materials.  The Association had sent to the head office 20,000 bandages which were practically entirely hand-made.  A parcel of 500 bandages was sent every week and a special appeal was being made by the head office for further efforts.  For that purpose more funds were necessary to procure materials and an increase of members would be welcomed. (Cheers).

Lady Pryse declared the function open and was thanked on the proposition of Mrs. Brown, seconded by Mrs. Jack Thomas.

The decorations were admirably arranged by Mr. W. H. Jones, Great Darkgate-street.

Needs Of The Wounded

From The Times, March 29 1915.

NEEDS OF THE WOUNDED.

THE QUEEN'S APPEAL TO BRITISH WOMEN.

Lady Lawley, honorary secretary of the Q.M.N.G. [Queen Mary's Needlework Guild], writing from Friary Court, St. James's Palace, S.W., says:--

...."The Q.M.N.G. has now had 7½ months of continual work, during which time over a million garments have been received, and distributed in 2,225 grants.  From various inquiries made it is felt by her Majesty the Queen that with the approach of summer the necessity for woollen comforts no longer exists; nor for clothing for women and children, but owing to the duration of the war and the large number of casualties every week, there is an increased demand for all necessaries and comforts for our wounded and convalescent soldiers in the many hospitals at home and abroad.  Several thousand more beds have to be fully equipped. Her Majesty, therefore, invites all those who have so generously helped the Q.M.N.G. in the past to devote their energies in the future to making any of the following for hospital use: --

Shirts; Nightshirts; Pyjamas; Dressing Gowns; Towels; Feather pillows; Bandages; Lint

"In addition to these, socks for men will be wanted all through the summer.”

Guide For Needlework Helpers

From The Times, Friday March 5, 1915. 

GUIDE FOR NEEDLEWORK HELPERS.

WANTS OF THE SOCIETIES.

The special needs of Queen Mary's Needlework Guild, the St. John Ambulance Association, the Indian Soldiers' Fund, and the British Red Cross Society for the coming week are as follows:—

Queen Mary's Needlework Guild.—Cardigans and sweaters, flannel day and night shirts, towels, feather pillows, locks, slippers (large size), handkerchiefs (coloured), vests and pants (preferably woven), bandages, women’s stockings, children's jerseys and stockings, babies' long clothes, boys' shirts and clothing of all sorts. No more belts are required. Shirts and socks are urgently needed: socks should be stitched together in pairs. All parcels should be addressed "Q.M.N.G., Friary Court, St. James's Palace. S.W." with list of contents and name and address of sender securely fastened inside each package.

St. John Ambulance Association:-- Dressing gowns, night-shirts, flannel and cotton, pneumonia jackets, handkerchiefs (especially coloured), blankets (coloured and white), towels and sheets, household cloths, cigarettes, bandages (many-tailed), ditto (“T”), lint (boric and plain), cyanide gauze. All parcels should be addressed “St. John Ambulance, 56, St. John’s Square, Clerkenwell, E.C." Information respecting patterns, &c., can be obtained from the West-end Depot, 35, Park-lane.

Order Of St. John of Jerusalem, Indian Soldiers’ Fund.— Socks, gloves and mittens, sweaters, flannel belts, shirts, and pyjamas, undervests and drawers, pillows, tea, tobacco, spices, and sweets. All hospital things are much needed, including night-shirts, bed-jackets. gauze, lint. boracic lint, cotton wool, bandages, &c., pneumonia jackets. &c.  All parcels, with list of contents inside, should be sent direct to the Secretary. Warehouse Committee. 29. Somerset-street, W. marked on the outside. “Indian Soldiers' Fund,"

British Red Cross Society. -- Vests and pants (woven or flannel, as per Red Cross pattern), cardigan jackets, knitted waistcoats, flannel shirts, flannel nightshirts and pyjamas, socks, tablecloths and napkins, tray-cloths, white counterpanes, blankets, towels and sheets, suitable games (chiefly draughts), hair brushes, shaving brushes.  No more paper or straw pillows of any kind are needed, as they are considered undesirable by all hospitals.  For the present no more kneecaps or empty kit-bags are required.  Special Medical Requirements.—Iodoform gauze, boric and plain lint.  No more triangular bandages, eye bandages, or splints are required at present.  All parcels should be addressed to the Manager, Stores Department, British Red Cross Society, 83, Pall-Mall, S.W.

Mittens for the Troops

From the Glasgow Herald, 1st December 1914.

COMFORTS FOR THE TROOPS.

1st A. and S. [Argyll and Sutherland] Highlanders. – Mrs. Adair Campbell, Rockbank, Helensburgh, has been asked by Colonel Henderson of the 1st A. and S. Highlanders to collect 400 pairs of mittens for men of the regiment, which has just returned from India and is shortly going to the front.  All contributions from work-parties or from those interested in the regiment will be most gratefully received at the above address.

Christmas Fare. – The Scottish Branch of the Queen Mary Needlework Guild (St. Andrew’s Ambulance Association), 180 West Regent Street, Glasgow, will be very grateful for gifts of plum puddings and fruit cakes to be forwarded to our Expeditionary Force and Home Regiments for Christmas.  It is advisable that the puddings should be cooked and tied in a buttered cloth, and packed in cardboard boxes, and sent in before December 5.  It is felt that such gifts will be appreciated by our soldiers, and the making of an extra pudding will not entail much extra trouble.  

Work Amongst the Women

From the Huddersfield Examiner, 26th November, 1914

[Extracts from a much longer article.]

WORK AMONGST THE WOMEN.

MUCH ACTIVITY CENTRALISED AT THE PAROCHIAL HALL.

...The members of the Huddersfield and District Women’s Committee for the Sick and Wounded Soldiers and Sailors arranged to be “at home” at the Parochial Hall on Tuesday and again to-day.  At the first of the series of four “At Homes” which took place on Tuesday afternoon, the Mayoress (who is president of the Women’s Committee) presided over a very large gathering of ladies. .....

A VAST UNDERTAKING

Mrs. Demetriadi read the report [of the work of the Committee].... She invited all present to inspect the work rooms below, particularly the Belgian refugee clothing room, where a capable lot of workers, under the supervision of Mrs. Crowther and Miss Willans, had done an enormous amount of work.  From that room more than 320 Belgian refugees now in Huddersfield had been clothed.....
In the main rooms an enormous number of garments had been cut out, despatched to the various work centres, and returned made up.  Mrs. Marshall and Mrs. Guy Crosland had cut out and arranged the work, and Mrs. Kaye had searched Huddersfield over in buying wool for socks, mittens, etc.
Goods had been sent all over the British Isles, to the army in France, to the navy, and to all the Red Cross societies, British, French, and Belgian, and to the St. John Ambulance Society.  She hoped that many ladies would undertake to knit jerseys, for which Lady Jellicoe had appealed on behalf of the men in the navy....  
The committee hoped that the energies of the ladies would not be relaxed.  The women could not fight, but they could see that the men were well provided with the necessities of life, to prevent as much as possible death from pneumonia, exposure, and cold.

STITCH, STITCH, STITCH

Miss Hickson [reported on] the work of the Needlework Guild Sub-committee. She stated that forty districts, extending as far as Holmfirth, Marsden, and Delph, were working in conjunction with the guild, and material for making garments had been distributed amongst 400 individual workers. Very valuable assistance had been given to the committee by several clothing firms, whose employees had cut out the garments. Gifts averaged about 1,000 weekly. Difficulty had been experienced in obtaining knitting wool, and the only way of obtaining sufficiently large quantities had been by ordering direct from wholesale firms. All flannel, etc., and as much wool as possible, had been bought from local tradespeople.  The needlework depot had been opened as a receiving and forwarding agency for the front and the Navy, and in connection with that department a sixpenny fund had been started in order to buy wool for mufflers and mittens for the soldiers and sailors.  The total number of articles sent away was 22,644, consisting of 6,650 bandages, 3,519 pairs of socks, 2,292 flannel shirts, 202 mufflers, 261 dressing gowns, also bed-jackets, helmets, mittens, etc., but such things as cigarettes, writing paper, postcards, etc., were not included in the figure.....  The Needlework Committee was still working as enthusiastically as ever, and was prepared to continue as long as there was need, and they hoped to receive the same generous support as in the past.

FOR THE REFUGEES.

Miss Willans read the report of the Belgian Refugee Clothing Committee... Parcels of all sizes and descriptions had poured in containing a tremendous assortment of clothing of every description, from a baby’s cap to the contents of the lockers of a large golf club.  Splendid gifts of cloth had been received from various manufacturers, as well as special articles of clothing, boots, etc., from manufacturers and various shops in the town.  The contents of the parcels had either been given away to the refugees in the town or sent away.  Altogether twelve consignments of clothing and two rolls of cloth, amounting to 8,224 garments, had been sent away either to the central depot in London or to other towns....

GIFTS FOR TERRITORIALS

Mrs. Cooper read a report stating that on the mobilisation of the 5th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment the wives and relatives of the officers decided to raise funds to provide underclothing for the non-commissioned officers and men of the battalion.  A committee was formed to carry out the work from the recruiting area, viz., Huddersfield, Mirfield, Kirkburton, Shepley, Holmfirth, and Meltham...
The committee has already dispatched 1,299 flannel shirts, 1,495 pairs of woollen socks, 1,007 pairs of canvas shoes, and various articles, viz., helmets, towels, body-belts, scarves, mittens, etc.  There was another consignment at the Drill Hall ready to be forwarded, consisting of 1,117 flannel shirts, 1,106 pairs of woollen socks, and various other articles...

Afternoon tea was kindly given by Mrs. F. W. Sykes, and the decorations of the hall were provided by the lady members of the Lindley Golf Club, who have also sent 240 garments to Lady Jellicoe for the use of the men in the Navy. Miss Nancy Dyson, in costume, recited a topical composition by Mr. Arnold W. Sykes, entitled “For the boys at the front.”  The ladies were also “At Home” in the evening.

[The Women's Committee had evidently expanded the scope of their work from Sick and Wounded Soldiers and Sailors to include sailors at sea, soldiers at the front, soldiers in training (the Territorials), and Belgian refugees.]   

Guide to Needleworkers

From The Times, 12th September 1914. 

NEEDLEWORK HELPERS' GUIDE.

The official weekly list of requirements issued by Queen Mary's Needlework Guild, the St. John Ambulance Association, and the British Red Cross Society states that no more nightingales or helmets are required.  The following articles are needed by the societies named:—

QUEEN MARY'S NEEDLEWORK GUILD.—Dressing gowns, babies' clothing, pyjamas, towels, vests, and pants.

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.—Cholera belts, dressing gowns, nightshirts (ordinary), slippers, and socks.

BRITISH RED CROSS SOCIETY.—Dressing gowns, pyjamas (flannel if possible), slippers, towels (face), vests, and pants.

N.B.—(a)—A sock with 11 in. foot is the size most required, but a smaller number of 10½ in. foot and 11½ in. foot are also needed.
(b)—The public are earnestly requested to adhere to standard patterns for hospital garments, as unauthorized and fancy shapes are unpractical, and lead to waste of time and material.
(c)—The public are also warned against the very dangerous practice of inserting matches in clothing of any kind.
(d)—No perishable goods of any description, such as game, fruit, &c., should be sent to 83, Pall-mall.  Any persons wishing to present such gifts should apply to the Stores Department, and a list of hospitals containing sick and wounded soldiers and sailors will be immediately forwarded.

[This was one of the weekly statements promised at the end of August (here), to co-ordinate the efforts of volunteers.  It seems to be asking a lot of the local groups - they were expected to switch their efforts instantly to match a list like this and to provide the things asked for this week.    

"No more nightingales or helmets are required".  Volunteers evidently liked making (Balaclava) helmets - the statement of weekly requirements on 31st August also said "No helmets are required at present".   Perhaps the local groups were not as compliant as they might have been. 

A nightingale was a sort of bed-jacket (invented by Florence Nightingale, allegedly).

I wonder why people had been sending matches in parcels of clothes?]   

The Co-ordination of Effort

From The Times, 31st August, 1914.

THE CO-ORDINATION OF EFFORT.

A WEEKLY MEETING AT ST. JAMES'S PALACE.

"With the approval of her Majesty the Queen it has been arranged that a meeting of one representative of each of the Queen Mary's Needlework Guild, the St. John Ambulance Association, and the British Red Cross Society shall be held every Wednesday afternoon.... in order to ascertain what garments and articles have been received by each Society, and what are the special requirements for the following week.

"A statement will then be issued to the Press... Great confusion and much unnecessary work has been caused by unauthorized statements appearing in the Press.  The workers for all three Societies named above are earnestly requested to note that this weekly statement will be authoritative, and no attention should be paid to any others.

"Those who are so kindly giving garments to the societies are earnestly recommended to pay for the work to be done by women who would otherwise be unemployed.
....
The Societies wish to draw attention to the following matters :—

• Many questions have been asked as regards flannelette.  The Societies are not refusing garments made of this material, but flannel is greatly to be preferred.  
• Width and length of bandages should be clearly marked on each roll.  
• No helmets are required at present.  
• All socks other than bed socks must be made with heels.

The special requirements of each Society for the coming week are as follows:—
QUEEN MARY'S NEEDLEWORK GUILD.

• Cotton twill nightshirts.
• Pillowcases, 20in. by 30in.
• Handkerchiefs.
• Dressing gowns.
• Drawers.

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE SOCIETY.

• Drawers.
• Vests.
• Pillowcases, 20in. by 30in. 
• Dressing gowns. 
• Towels.

THE BRITISH RED CROSS SOCIETY.

• Flannel day shirts. 
• Handkerchiefs. 
• Cardigan jackets. 
• Socks (made with heels).

[When I read this attempt to sort out the confusion over who should provide what, I thought 'about time too' - until I remembered that the country had been at war for less than a month at this point,  so it was understandable that it would take a while to get organised.

The QMNG is catering here for the sick and wounded - clearly that was always the remit of the other two societies.

Flannelette is a brushed cotton fabric, to imitate flannel (wool).  Flannel was more expensive but officially preferred - for instance, uniform shirts for the Army were made of flannel, even for summer wear (I believe).

'Helmets' means Balaclava-type helmets, either to wear on cold days or for sleeping in.

There had been several letters in the press from private individuals (for instance, here)  suggesting that socks made without heel shaping had several advantages - they would fit any size foot and would wear better, because the heel of the man's foot would not always be in the same place.  The societies reported here obviously felt that this idea should be firmly suppressed.]

The Queen's Appeal to Needlework Guilds

HER MAJESTY'S APPEAL.

Queen Mary has issued the following appeal:—

I appeal to all the presidents of the needlework guilds throughout the British Isles to organize a large collection of garments for those who will suffer on account of the war, and I appeal to all women who are in a position to do so to aid the guilds with their work.

Garments will be of service to the soldiers, sailors, and Territorials, to their families, to the military and naval hospitals, and to those among the poorer classes of the population who will suffer from any distress that may arise.

I hope that the guilds will cooperate with the Prince of Wales's National Relief Fund, with the Red Cross Society,... the Territorial Associations, Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Associations, and the Soldiers’ and Sailors' Help Society.

The most useful garments for soldiers and sailors on active service are flannel shirts, socks, sweaters, and cardigan jackets; for the naval and military hospitals, nightshirts, pyjamas, flannel bed-jackets, and bed-socks...

Large numbers of all the ordinary garments for women and children will be required.  Those intended for the wives and children of soldiers, sailors, and Territorials will be distributed with the help of the Soldiers’ and Sailors' Families Association and of the Territorial  Associations... Those garments intended for persons suffering from distress owing to unemployment should be sent to the Committees for the Prevention and Relief of Distress which are being formed by the Mayors and Provosts, and the chairmen of the county councils and larger urban district councils. ... 

.....

MARY R.

(The Times, August 10^th 1914)

[I don't know why it was felt necessary, this early in the war, to provide basic items of clothing for serving soldiers and sailors, such as flannel shirts, which was surely the job of the War Office.  Later appeals were for 'comforts',  additional items of clothing beyond the official provision, especially for warm winter clothing and extra socks. At this stage, many people seem to have felt an urge to do something to help, but a lot of confusion about what it should be.]