During WW2 voluntary organisations and individuals all over Britain along with the old ‘Empire’ countries and even the USA knitted ‘comforts’. These ranged from socks through to ‘helmets, Balaclava’, ‘Caps, Comforter’, scarves, gloves, wrist warmers, pullovers, cardigans, ‘tank tops’ and other miscellaneous items designed to make the service man and womans life just that little bit more bearable.

One organisation, among those given the task of distributing the ‘comforts’ to those who needed them, was the Women’s Voluntary Service. After the Dunkirk evacuation in May1940 the WVS met returning trains and handed out not only ‘tea and a wad’ but also distributed replacement shirts, socks and many other items of clothing, in many cases the workers went for days without sleep as the train loads of the returning BEF passed through.

Left: A British Soldier photographed around 1940 in the same series as the photo above, tries on a 'helmet, balaklava'. Above: RAF Comforts Fund lapel badge

Knitted ‘comforts’ were often more eagerly sought by the services than the issue items. With knitting being a popular source of spare time occupation prior to WW2, most women and many men could knit and darn to a highly skilled level and this was reflected in their ‘product’ which was often of better quality, warmer and softer then the coarse items offered out by the War Department clothing stores.

The amount of clothing accessories produced by volunteers working alone and in knitting groups is beyond calculation but as an interesting figure the WVS had been manufacturing 5 tons of knitted clothing a month but in 1945 were requested to make items for needy children in the liberated countries, as a result they upped their target to 10 tons per month, and achieved it!

Above Left: AWVS lady sorts knitted goods for the services for distributionclothing	Above Right: WVS personnel sort knitted comforts received by post

Collectors of British service men and women’s uniform would do well not to ignore knitted comforts items, they are certainly more typical of what was worn by the average member of the armed forces than the issue items. Recently, while going through an enormous quantity of WW2 surplus gloves, the author found an incredible number of different colours and styles which indicates a wide variety of sources and patterns. Some examples are shown in the relevant photograph to illustrate that whilst there was obviously a definitive WD pattern, the reality of what was in use was vastly different. The normal colour of wool for the Army was a dark to light brown, this of course matched the predominant shade of British battledress khaki. The RAF and RN normally used blue/grey and Navy blue respectively. With even civil defence workers turning out these items in their spare time the amount manufactured was prolific and no doubt much if it has survived unrecognised because of its differing appearance to issue clothing.

Left: Samples of different patterns of gloves found in a batch of several thousand by the author. These were disposed of by the army in the late 1940’s/very early 1950’s. This selection is by no means exhaustive. A) Chocolate brown glove, heavy wool knit, B) Green glove, similar knit to A. C) Olive green glove with a very ‘American’ appearance, the hand size is larger than A) and B) so the length is deceptive, the interesting point of this item is the much shorter wrist portion. D) Very heavy thick knitting style, with a civilian pattern. E) This glove is again in an ‘American’ style, and is is right or left handed, the thumb portion being designed to fit either hand, thus removing the need for matched pairs. F) Pair of unissued gloves manufactured in a mid green wool, a colour that was of course available in WW2, the postwar green glove issued to the British army from the late 1950’s was of a deeper green. G) Unused pair of Issue light brown gloves, note that they are still sewn together. H) Unused pair of dark brown issue army gloves, again note the red cotton keeping them together. I) Lastly a pair of chocolate brown gloves in a civilian style knit made by members of the Red Cross & St John war organisation, London. See label inset.This small sample of gloves from redundant WW2 stocks proves that there are no hard and fast rules when of comes to useage of knitted goods by the armed forces. The American appearance of two of the examples indicates that they were made by sympathetic organisations in the USA, probably in the 'Bundles for Britain' scheme. (Authors collection)

Clothing was not the sum total of voluntary manufacturing capacity, for instance miles of camouflage netting was assembled by housewives in their back gardens and by the WVS in village halls around the country, ‘netting’ was a particularly arduous and back-breaking job, especially as many of the workers were elderly women doing their bit hour after hour for their country.

The photographs in this article more than adequately illustrate some of the types of unofficial clothing worn under, and over, the standard uniform and the appearance of the fighting soldier when he had been able to acquire additional cold weather clothing.

Left: This set of knitting patterns covers most of the clothing required by a service man or woman in the extremes of European winter temperatures. Another pattern of scarve existed to that illustrated with a large ‘pocket’ in one end which could be placed over the head before wrapping the remaining length around the neck. Note that there are two patterns of ‘helmet, Balaclava’ Left: Rear of knitting pattern showing the illustration for ‘wristlets’(Authors collection)

Above: This man, believed to be a member of an RAF Servicing Commando photographed in Normandy Summer 1944, is wearing a distinctly non regulation khaki roll-neck pullover.	Above top:A khaki drill coloured housewife made in Australia. Some of the contents are of British manufacture so it is uncertain as to whether the ‘hussif’ was supplied empty or has since been replenished with materials, the latter seems far more likely. Above bottom:Close up of the ink stamp inside the housewife stating that this item is a ‘gift from the Australian comforts fund’

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