I am a director of the Knitting & Crochet Guild and am responsible for their collections, not only of knitted and crocheted items, but also a large document collection. We have a fair amount of WW2 patterns which were put out by the various Comforts Committees, in magazines, newspapers, and circulated by individuals. These have patterns for balaclavas, knee warmers, socks, gloves, jumpers etc, as you would expect. I have been looking into these over the last few days whilst cataloguing them and wondered if anyone might know more of the way the Comfort Committees worked? There was a particular sock pattern which had no heel, so could therefore be worn by feet of any size, and which is especially recommended for those in the Navy, and related sea-faring groups, in the Navy Comforts Committee booklet and some magazines, but elsewhere is recommended for those in hospital. Were all the different groups vying to receive these items, so by advertising a pattern as especially good for a particular group were trying to influence where they were sent to? Yarn was rationed so the number of garments available was restricted, and this would make sense, but I need accurate information to add to our records relating to these patterns. I have not seen recommendations of destinations for items other than socks and items specific to hospital use thus far, but am still cataloguing so they may be there. Lynne
Hello Lynne and welcome to the forum Do you have a website where these patterns can be viewed? Here's an advert which was placed in The Times, Friday, Feb 09, 1940. If you haven't already done so it might be worth investigating those newspaper archives, (apparently available to access free of charge through library membership in England). IRISH GUARDS IN NEWSPAPERS The above was placed before one battalion of the Irish Guards went to Norway. One of the officers in that battalion was a Major Bowen, no doubt related to the Mrs Bowen running that particular committee. Regards Diane
Hi Lynne WTTF. Most of the comforts were knitted by the WI members, and sent to the serving soldiers from the village and the surplus sent to the County centre. Ref: Neil R Storey's book "Norfolk in the Second World War." Published between Jan and March 1941 in the Home & Country. Womans Institute supplement, was a record of what each branch of the WI had already done to help the war effort. Example : Sandringham (75 members) Knitted 482 comforts and supplied men from the village, Navy, RAF, Minesweepers and the county centre. Raised £26 for wool. Received 45 evacuees (31 remaining) Raised £8 8s 6p for war charities. Members were also part of the village War savings group. made 13 helpless case sheets to Red Cross and 9 pairs of pyjamas.
