Comforts for Local Men

From the Llangollen Advertiser, 31st December 1915.

WAR GUILD

AND COUNTY COMFORTS ASSOCIATION.

The collection for the above was held on Dec. 23rd, when 266 garments were brought in, made up as follows:—

6 shirts,
60 pairs socks,
20 vests,
6 caps,
6 jerseys,
19 bags,
87 scarves,
12 handkerchiefs,
50 pairs mittens,
2 various. 

Since the last report, owing to Christmastide, no extensive distribution has yet been made.  Mrs. W. Best has, however, sent 99 pairs of mittens to Queen Mary's Needlework Guild (recognized by the War Office), 50 pairs of socks to Mrs. Lloyd George's Fund for Welsh Troops, 2 pairs of socks for convalescent soldiers, and the following parcels to local men:—
Pte. Edwd. Wallis, R.A.M.C., 2 vests, 2 pairs socks, pair mittens; Pte. J. E. Roberts, 1st Welsh Horse, 2 shirts, pair socks, cap-scarf, mittens, handkerchief; Pte. E. Jones, 5360, 2nd Batt. R. W.F., 2 vests, shirt, pair socks, 2 hankerchiefs; Morris Williams, Montgomeryshire Yeomanry, 2 pairs socks, jersey, cap-scarf, mittens; Pte. A. Dean, 1st Welsh Horse, 2 vests, cap-scarf, pair socks, jersey, mittens.

During 1915 sixty-five parcels have been sent to local men, mostly all abroad at the time, and up to date only nine have not been acknowledged.

The next requisition for the County Comforts Association is another 1,000 scarves.  Mrs. Best has promised 120 this time, to be ready by Jan. 13th at latest.  Regulations are, “size, 10 in, by 58 in. —fleecy wool.”  The ends should be run in with a needle when finished.  Names and addresses should be attached to all mittens and scarves when brought in.

[This is such an odd mixture. At one extreme, local knitters were just a small part of a national scheme to provide thousands of scarves, under the direction of Sir Edward Ward, who had sent the requisition for 1.000 scarves to the county. At the other, they are sending personal parcels to several local men, as if they were family members.]