A Piano and a Dog

From The Times, 31 March 1915. 

PIANO AND DOG AS SAILORS’ COMFORTS.

Lady Jellicoe, in a letter thanking the public for the generous response made to the appeal for comforts for the sailors, writes:—

“We have dispatched, to all classes of ships— i.e., to armoured merchant cruisers as well as to his Majesty's ships, the following articles:—Mufflers, 27,410; mittens, 21,530; socks, 15,353; helmets, 6,615; belts, 5,830; jerseys, 3,982; vests, 1,793; blankets, 1,919; shirts, 1,115; pants, 1,075; besides quantities of sweets, pipes and tobacco, books, two gramophones, a piano, and a dog.

“In addition, I have received over £22,000 in cash, which has been spent in supplying blankets, thermos flasks, and sea boots to the Fleet.  It is Sir John's express wish that the surplus money should be held over for the present, as owing to the near approach of summer there is no further need for supplying extra warm comforts, and therefore I intend to close this fund after Easter.  If by evil chance the war still continues in October, I shall reopen this fund, but if by that date the war is happily ended, the surplus money will be devoted to the widows and children of non-commissioned warrant officers.

“By the kindness of the directors of Harrod's Stores all comforts received after Easter will be stored there until required.”

[Admiral Sir John Jellicoe was in command of the Grand Fleet; Lady Jellicoe was his wife.]

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.”

Cholera belts

Ad from the Girl's Own Paper, March 1915.

Text:  CHOLERA BELT, as officially recommended, a great safeguard against chill from exposure and damp and also against intestinal disorders.  This most welcome garment for our men at the front should be made from J. & J. BALDWIN'S 5-PLY WHITE HEATHER SCOTCH FINGERING WOOL from a simple recipe given in their booklet "Knitted Comforts for Men on Land and Sea,"....

The Queen Visits A Hosiery Factory.

From The Times, March 27 1915.

THE QUEEN AND HER WORKROOMS.

VISIT TO A HOSIERY FACTORY.

The Queen yesterday afternoon visited the mayoral workrooms of her “Work for Women” Fund at Willesden and Paddington, and afterwards went over the hosiery factory which has been started since the war by Miss Resdaile, a wholesale dressmaker, at her premises in Rathbone-place, to keep her workgirls in employment.

...The Queen first visited the room where socks for the Army were being made, asking many questions as to the output and price of the yarn. She was much interested in the small flat machines which Miss Resdaile bought when she heard that the Queen had entrusted to the Central Committee an order for 75,000 woollen body belts for the troops to form part of her gift to them.

With 100 of her girls stranded through the cessation of wholesale orders for dresses she determined to try for some part of this contract - and was successful.  The Queen learned that 15,000 belts were made on these machines, and that, finding the young dressmakers' skill increasing so rapidly, their employers tendered to the Contracts Department of the Central Committee for a million pairs of socks.  The War Office accepted the tender, and there will be enough work for the hundred girls until well into the autumn.

The machinery was put in motion, and her Majesty watched the process of making the socks. She was informed that 3,000 dozen pairs a week could be made when the machinery was in full swing. Her Majesty also asked how the amount earned compared with the former pay, and was told that it was about the same, varying from £1 to 35s.

....On the next floor were the machines for making cap comforters, of which 6,000 are dispatched in fulfilment of a War Office order every Friday.  The Queen saw one girl working four power machines, and was told that on each machine one operator could turn out 250 yards of comforter each day.  Her Majesty asked to see the material cut and "over-locked," the final process, and then left amid enthusiastic cheering from a large crowd which had assembled.

The Queen's “Work for Women" Fund yesterday reached a total of £143,379 15s. 1d.

 [Miss Resdaile was clearly a very enterprising woman.  She bought knitting machines, trusting that her dressmakers could be trained to use them successfully, and immediately got the order for thousands of body belts.  She must have been very persuasive.  

The fact that a small workshop was making 1 million pairs of socks in a few months shows the huge demand for socks for the Army.  I doubt if the women busily knitting socks by hand could compete with the machines - I suspect that most of the millions of pairs consumed during the war were machine-made.] 

Work in Armament Factories for Women

From The Times, 24th March 1915.

THE CALL TO WOMEN.

WORK IN ARMAMENT FACTORIES.

ENGINEERING EMPLOYMENT.

Already there has been a gratifying response from Scotland to the appeal of the Board of Trade for women workers to take the place of men released for active service.  Although the figures are not yet available, the officials of the Labour Exchanges in Glasgow report that a large number of women have already registered, and that a considerable number of applications for registration forms has also been received.

When the Parliamentary recruiting circular was distributed in the north, thousands of women householders offered their services to the nation in any capacity, and the present appeal gives them the opportunity they then asked for.  Many of the applicants are working women who are out of employment, but a large proportion belong to the leisured and middle classes.

It is anticipated that work can be found almost immediately for fully a thousand women in the engineering and armament factories in the Clyde district.  Already one or two firms have experimented with female labour, principally in the manufacture of shells and other explosives, and the women have shown remarkable aptitude for picking up the work.

Several other armament and engineering firms have informed Labour Exchanges that they are prepared to engage a considerable number of women, and steps are being taken to ascertain the views of other employers.  The work which the women volunteers will be asked to undertake will be the operating of turning lathes or other light machines which require little or no technical knowledge.

OFFERS OF TRAINING.

Since it has become clear that a new industrial army of women is coming forward to enrol for war service the Central Labour Exchange are beginning to receive offers to train them.  An offer to place a large training farm at their disposal was received yesterday in London, and there were similar proposals from various institutions and organizations, as well as inquiries from individual employers.
Applications for registration continue to pour in steadily.  Returns have not yet been received from the Exchanges throughout the country, although many women residing in the country have written to the central office direct, but it is hoped that this information showing how the movement has spread will be available shortly.  The women's societies generally have shown a disposition to cooperate in the most patriotic spirit.

[As we know, many women worked in munitions factories during the First World War, doing hard and dangerous work.  This is the beginning of it - this report stresses that the women will only be doing light work requiring little technical knowledge, and expresses surprise that women can pick up the work so quickly.]    

No More Sweaters

From The Times, 24th March 1915.

EXEANT SWEATERS

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir, -- May I invade your columns for the last time, to say that as I now have enough sweaters on hand to fulfil all promises made, and as we are within measurable distance of warmer weather, I propose to close my work?  Your readers should on no account take this as any kind of ex cathedra statement that no more warm clothing is needed.  I only state the fact that I have enough to carry on my small venture until the warm weather comes.  There are, however, some things that are wanted throughout the year – e.g., socks, shirts, and all cheerful little things like cigarettes, packets of tobacco and sweets, writing-paper, other personalia, and small medicaments.  Any of the above I am willing to continue sending weekly throughout the summer.  I venture further to suggest that it is a pity for ladies to let the “knitting habit” die down.  Should we not do well to begin forming laagers of warm things for the autumn and winter?  It is neither difficult nor pessimistic to prophecy a revival of the needed for comforts towards the close of the year.  When peace is signed, Israel cannot return to his tents in an afternoon.

I render account of my sweaters: -- 13,443 is the number to-day, the miscellanea kindly sent to make fillings for the sacks bringing the figures close up to 20,000.  We are told that this supplement of sweaters, &c., has been of some sort of use and comfort to you, soldier and sailor too, while you have been training, watching, fighting, and dying for us, the long wet winter through.  E superabundantia cordis os loquitur – we are honoured that this should have been so.  I thank my helpers for much unlooked-for kindness.  They send me the sweaters and pay for the dyeing.  I merely win the wager and get the credit.  So no more of sweaters – till the autumn.

Yours faithfully,
JOHN PENOYRE.
8 King’s Bench-walk, Inner Temple, E.C., March 23.

[John Penoyre had obviously had a classical education, but I'm not sure how many of his women readers would be able to translate the Latin. E superabundantia cordis os loquitur - the original quote seems to be ex abundantia cordis os loquitur, which is translated as 'out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks', and according to Wikipedia is from the New Testament.

Laager is a word that would I think have been familiar to all his readers from the South African War - it means a camp, or more specifically 'an encampment formed by a circle of wagons', and here he just uses it to mean a store.]

Bovril Appeal

From The Observer, 21st March 1915.

FOR THE SOLDIER IN THE FIRING LINE.

The work initiated on behalf of the soldiers by Miss Gladys Storey has outgrown its modest beginning.  Moved by the accounts of the suffering of the men exposed to frost and rain --- standing sometimes for hours in water up to their waists --- Miss Storey conceived the idea of designing a memorial card to Lord Roberts, and devoting the proceeds to the supply of some added comfort for the men in the trenches.  The idea was simple, but it proved an instantaneous success.  In a very short time fifty thousand cards had been sold; donations were also received.  From the proceeds supplies of hot Bovril were by arrangement with the Military Authorities being served out to the men, who, from their position in the firing line, were cut off from the hot meals elsewhere provided for them.  Donations began to come in, and since December constant consignments have been kept up.  Originally Miss Storey had no idea of appealing for donations; so great, however, is the appreciation expressed in letters from the front from all ranks that Miss Storey has felt it a duty to carry the matter further, and is making a great effort to raise £10,000 so that supplies to all regiments be continued and increased….. 

[An account of Miss Storey's original appeal is here.]