The Rushden Echo & Argus, Feb 1940

Between the beginning of December and the end of February the Rushden Hospital Supply Depot, which has been engaged during the winter in knitting woollen comforts for local men serving with the Forces, has despatched to the local headquarters the following garments:

For the Army, 256 pairs of mittens, 58 helmets,  122 pairs of socks, 51 scarves, 45 pairs of gloves and three pullovers.

For the Navy, 82 helmets, 22 scarves and nine pairs of mittens.

For the Air Force, 118 helmets, 17 scarves, 10 pairs of mittens, two pullovers, two pairs of gloves and a pair of cuffs.

The totals are: Mittens, 275 pairs; socks, 122 pairs; gloves, 47 pairs; cuffs, 1 pair; helmets, 258; scarves, 90; pullovers, five.

Workers at the depot have also cut out and made 15 day shirts and 12 night shirts, and also a further dozen knitted patch­work quilts have been made and sent to Northampton General Hospital for use in the children's ward.

In addition hospital supply work has continued and the finished work includes eight pairs of operation stockings, five pairs of bed socks and over 1,050 swabs of different sizes, including 660 ordinary theatre swabs, or "snowballs" and 100 large-size pads.

Work for Hospitals, Troops and Civilians - Wonderful Record of Red Cross Supply Depot

This is an appropriate time for a survey of the work of the Rushden Red Cross Hospital Supply Depot (in connection with the Women's Voluntary Services), because the number of socks made for the Services has lately passed 1,000 pairs; garments made for the Services and civilians have topped the 500, and last week the number of hospital swabs and bandages soared into five figures.

Here is the depot's war work in figures:—

Hospital supplies: 5,886 gauze swabs (in sizes up to 9in. by 17in.), 2,530 theatre swabs or "snowballs", 512 eye pads, 260 theatre dressings, 252 surgeons' masks, 496 many-tailed bandages, 109 triangular bandages, 117 roller bandages; total, 10,162.

Knitted articles: 1,140 pairs of socks, 4.10 helmets, 171 scarves, 7 cap comforter scarves, 124 pairs of gloves, 380 pairs of mittens, 5 pairs of cuffs, 4 pairs of seaboot stocMiigs, 17 cardi­gans, 31 pullovers with sleeves, 82 sleeveless pullovers, 23 civilian pull­overs, cardigans and vests, 26 knitted quilts, 16 pairs of bedsocks, 35 pairs of operation stockings; total, 2,471.

Sewn articles: 98 pairs of pyjamas, 4 dressing gowns, 3J day shirts, 12 night shirts, 39 nightdresses, 9 pairs of drawers, 32 tropical vests, 37 bed jackets, 6 surgeons' coats, 3 "helpless case" shirts, 133 hospital treasure bags, 91 ambulance pillows, 11 hot bottle covers; total, 505.

Tuesday Afternoon

The depot held its first working meeting on September 26, 1939 having appointed Mrs. W. Robinson as honorary organiser and Miss D. M. Putnam as honorary secretary and Tuesday afternoon at the Y.M.C.A. Hall has since become a regular feature in the life of most of the members of the Women's Voluntarv Services.

Supplies of wool and material are received regularly from the county headquarters through the Area Correspondent, Mrs. A. S. Campbell, of Wellingborough, but these supplies had to be supplemented week by week by many bales of wool and rolls of material bought in the town itself. Almost all the gauze, cotton wool and calico used for the swabs and bandages has been purchased in this way.

The making of swabs and bandages, and such special articles as eye pads and surgeons' masks, is under the skilled supervision of Mrs. Strudwick. The cutting out of all garments to be sewn, which vary from small childdren's nightdresses to large men's pyjamas, is superintended by Mrs. M. Walker. These nightdresses and the small boys' shirts and pyjamas are sadly needed at the moment for civilian casualties, and the depot is now making nightdresses and blanket bed jackets for injured women.

Help from the Home

Welcome gifts have been received and money has been raised in many devious ways, but a word of mention must be given to the members of the Tea Committee, led by Mrs. S. Clark, who, by selling tea and a bun at 3d. a head, have made over £21 profit for the funds. A tribute is also due to the numerous workers at home who every week knit a pair of socks, a helmet, and sometimes a pullover, or make up a pair of pyjamas and bring it or send it in by a friend with unfailing regularity. In this group fall many workers, young and old, connected with the churches and chapels of Rushden. The Rushden Intermediate School has done splendid work, and the articles knitted by the senior girls, under Mrs. Hensman's direction, are often used as models of how things should be done.

The vast majority of the work done goes, of course, to headquarters for re-distribution to Northamptonshire regiments and Northamptonshire men in other branches of the Services; but in answer to a recent special appeal from a searchlight regiment composed mostly of local men, whose work exposes them to severe cold and strain, 72 pairs of socks and smaller quantities of gloves and mittens have been sent, and it is hoped to send other knitted comforts as soon as possible.

First Aid Supplies

For the Rushden First Aid Post the depot has made 146 bandages of various kinds; roller, triangular, and many-tailed, and 2,560 swabs. In addition, 91 ambulance pillows have been made and filled for use at the Post, and more hot bottle covers are now being made. Supplies of swabs a,nd bandages have been sent to such outlying districts as the Court Estate and Newton Bromswold. Two reserve stores have been deposited in different parts of Rushden itself, and a third is being prepared for the Irchester-road and Highfield district.