14 February 2020

WHAT WE WORE IN THE WAR

WHAT WE WORE IN THE WAR
    
HENFIELD MUSEUM                   NEW DISPLAY  2020

                         UNTIL SPRING 2021


                 
                                 
                                                                                                                    
A new year and a new selection of costume and photographs from Henfield Museum.
This display salutes the 75th anniversary of  VE Day.
Victory in Europe Day marked the Allied victory in Europe in 1945.

Uniforms became a common sight on the home front during the second world war.
Henfield is fortunate to have some fine examples of  these uniforms in the collection.

Starting with a WVS (Womens Voluntary Services) dress, belt and hat from the 1940s.

                                         



This FANY  (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry) officers uniform was made for the wearer by
Olga Ashford in Bond Street. Her uniform hat was from Scott & Co of Old Bond Street.


©M.AINSCOUGH


 Still a uniform but with quite a different appearance to the preceding two, we have a Land Girl (WLA - WOMANS LAND ARMY) jacket and a pair of dungarees. Robust in heavy weight khaki, with removable buttons on clips on the jacket for ease of washing, the pieces are enhanced by contemporary photographs of land girls at work in the Henfield area in the 1940s.


                                                    


The apron from a 1940s Red Cross nurse uniform sits near a blouse made from parachute silk and a pair of capacious cotton bloomers, lovingly detailed with coloured embroidery.
    
©M.AINSCOUGH
©M.AINSCOUGH


A very fine blue light wool dress takes centre stage. Resplendent with buttons, a decorated collar, trimmed sleeves, a side zip and pleats, it is a post war Utility dress, made as wool came off the ration and embellishments were again allowed on clothing.The belt is not original.
                                    

Not forgetting the chaps, we have a No2 uniform jacket from a Major in the Royal Pioneer Corps.

           


Photographs, a dress pattern, the Parish magazine from June 1945, ration books, ID cards and a Naval housewife (sewing kit) fill the bottom of the case.



This exhibition runs until Spring 2021.
If you can, please come and see the display.
Henfield Museum has many many interesting things to discover.
Post code for sat nav  BN5 9DB

Stephanie Richards Curator of Costume.

Grateful thanks to Mike Ainscough for use of his photographs.



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