Booklet - Australian Comforts Fund, Guide to Knitting, Jan 1940

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Summary:: Booklet produced by the Australian Comforts Fund, Victorian Division, as a Guide to Knitting for Australian servicemen on active service, January 1940. The booklet includes patterns for socks, pullovers, scarf, balaclava, mittens, caps, muffs and gloves for servicemen.It was printed by W.A. Hamer Pty Ltd, Peel St, North Melbourne.

This was produced in the first months of World War II, to provide information for those 'at home' who wanted to contribute to the war effort in the way that thousands of women and unenlisted men did during World War I. However, in the second war, the war effort required different types of activity: many women joined the work force and worked in factories or on farms, and had little time to spare for knitting comforts for the troops, apart from, perhaps, those they knew personally. Knitting wool was rationed, too, diverted into the mass-production of uniforms and other clothing for the troops.
Description:: Australian Comforts Fund pattern book. Patterns for garments includes: standard socks, long-sleeve pullover and balaclaca cap.
Acquisition Information:: Donation from Mrs V. Morgan, 1989

Discipline:	History
Dimensions:	12.30 cm (Width), 18.40 cm (Length)

Tagged with:	clothing, handcrafts, knitting patterns, wars conflicts, world war ii 1939-1945, clothing patterns, hand knitting, soldiers comforts
Themes this item is part of:	South Melbourne Oral History Project Collection, Clothing & Textiles Collection, Domestic & Community Life Collection, Australian Comforts Fund, World War I, Australian Comforts Fund, World War II, 1939-1946
Primary Classification:	MILITARY HISTORY
Secondary Classification:	Civilian Life
Tertiary Classification:	home production
Inscriptions:	Printed front cover: AUSTRALIAN/COMFORTS FUND/Victorian Division/A.C.F./Guide to Knitting/Standard Socks/Spiral Stocking (Navy)/Long-Sleeve Pullover/Round-Neck Sleeveless Pullover/Scarf/Balaclava Cap/Wrist-Mittens/Cap/for ACTIVE SERVICE/JANUARY, 1940.
Printer:	W.A. Hamer Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, jan 1940
Commissioned By:	AIF Australian Comforts Fund, Australia, 1939-1940