MOTHER OF DUCHESS

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21034, 9 February 1940, Page 3

MOTHER OF DUCHESS

TIME GIVEN TO WAR WORK The Duchess of Gloucester’s mother, the Dowager Duchess of Buccleuch, is at present living quietly at Branxholm, Hawick, giving all her time to war work. She has a small staff there, and they are all helping her, the:\ primary work being the making of steering gloves for men on m /esweepers and sailors in j the North Sea. The gloves which men on mines weepers value most are made of tine twine, which is crocheted and then lined with warm cloth. • The twine enables the men to get a I good grip on the hawsers in the icy j cold weather, and the cloth keeps their hands from freezing. When a ’ large supply of gloves has been comI pie red the Dowager Duchess hopes j to give her time to the making of treasure bags for the Red Cross. These are little square bags, made of ! picturesque pieces of cretonne, or ' material of that kind, which are given jto soldier patients when they are ( admitted to hospital. They were popular with men during the last ■ war. Each bag has a tiny square of ' glazed linen attached to it, and on this the name and details of the soldier can be written. The bags are used for keeping watches, fountain pens and small trinket* together.