Would you pay £1,000 for this post- card? - Picture Postcard Monthly

Home Comforts ForThe TroopsDi Lawer examines the parcels sent tosoldiers in World War OneThe only responsibility placed on women at the outbreakof World War One was to encourage their mento enlist. They willingly performed this duty for Kingand country with the result that within months alegion of wives and sweethearts were left to get onwith their lives as best they could.Beautifully drawn byHarold Copping whoexhibited at theRoyal Academy thisunused card, No.3 inthe 'Home andBeauty' Series waspublished by Degen& Co of London.(below) A bi-lingualcaption on thisAgnes Richardsoncard No. 2201 inthe 'Artistique'Series publishedby the Inter-ArtCo. Who canrecall holding theskein of wool formother while shewound it?Encouraging men to enlist was the main 'Work for women'in the early days of the war. This unused Inter-Art Co. cardis No.209Many postcards depictyoung ladies sending out'goodies' to the troops.This EC Series card,No.3809D was posted fromIlford to Pershore in July1916. Published by Wildt &Kray it was drawn by LilianA Govey.It wasn't long, however,before women of all agesfelt they could do muchmore than sit at home andfret. So they began providingmaterial 'comforts' forthe soldiers, filling parcelswith cigarettes, sweets,home baking, newspapersand magazines. Womenalso discovered there was aneed for clothing of everykind and decided thatequipping the men withknitted and hand sewn garmentswas a far more practicalway of utilising theirtalents. The expressionCigarettes wereperhaps the most welcomeitem in a parcel of 'comforts'received by troops.This CPC Series card wasissued by a Leicester firmand posted to Mansfield in1916 Soldier Harry wasobviously impressed by thecontents of his parcel: Mydearest Aunt, Just a line tolet you know that I receivedyour nice letter and alsoparcel and the pie was soawfully nice. I have quiteenjoyed it and also the cake.I thank you so very muchfor it. I think it awfully kindof you…'home comforts for thetroops' came to mean knittedgarments to keep thesoldiers warm during thewinter, and artists lost notime depicting women'shandicraft efforts on postcards.Many long-established30 Picture Postcard Monthly November 2009societies formedsupport groups and'comfort funds'were put into placeto purchase treatsand materials tomake the garments.The VictoriaLeague, founded in1901 after the BoerWar, turned itsattention to theplight of UK andCommonwealthforces andbecame a receivingcentre foroverseas gifts fordistribution tosoldiers andrelief organisations.The VictoriaLeague'snoble efforts were reinforcedby The Girls FriendlySociety which had attracteda membership of nearly200,000 by 1914, and youngladies started knitting forthe troops just as they hadduring the Boer War. Basicpatterns for socks and mittenswere even published inthe Society's magazine tohelp the more novice knittersamong their numbers.Campaigning suffragettesalso helped, turningfrom militancy to baking,making, knitting andsewing; Girl Guide companiesdid their bit too, andThe Dogs Trust collectedcombings from members'pets to be knitted into clothingfor the troops - a practicewhich continuedthroughout the war.Support, too, came(right) Postcard No.217 byartist AA Nash is from the'Two-0-nine' Series, publishernot shown but by theInter-Art Co. It was postedto Tottenham in 1916 andsuggests that even veryyoung children knitted forthe troops.f r o mQueen Mary's NeedleworkGuild which was formed on21 August 1914 - just 17days after war was declared- specifically to providecomforts for serving soldiers.The QMNG also providedexact instructions onhow to knit socks and sewnightshirts to comply withmilitary standards. So asnot to deprive workers oftheir livelihood