- In November 1914, an advertisement was
placed in the national press inviting monetary contributions to
a 'Sailors & Soldiers Christmas Fund' which had been created by
Princess Mary, the seventeen year old daughter of King George V
and Queen Mary. The purpose was to provide everyone wearing the
King's uniform and serving overseas on Christmas Day 1914 with a
'gift from the nation'.
- The response was truly overwhelming, and
it was decided to spend the money on an embossed brass box,
based on a design by Messrs Adshead and Ramsey. The contents
varied considerably; officers and men on active service afloat
or at the front received a box containing a combination of pipe,
lighter, 1 oz of tobacco and twenty cigarettes in distinctive
yellow monogrammed wrappers. Non-smokers and boys received a
bullet pencil and a packet of sweets instead. Indian troops
often got sweets and spices, and nurses were treated to
chocolate. Many of these items were despatched separately from
the tins themselves, as once the standard issue of tobacco and
cigarettes was placed in the tin there was little room for much
else apart from the greeting card
- All boxes, irrespective of recipient,
contained a Christmas card and a picture of the Princess. Those
which were not distributed until after Christmas were sent out
with a card wishing the recipient a 'victorious new year'.
- The wounded on leave or in hospital,
nurses, and the widows or parents of those killed were also
entitled to the gift. Prisoners of war at the time had theirs
reserved until they were repatriated.
- Great efforts were made to distribute the
gifts in time for Christmas, and huge demands were made on an
already stretched postal service. More than 355,000 were
successfully delivered by the deadline. As time pressed on, a
shortage of brass meant that many entitled personnel did not
receive their gift until as late as the summer of 1916, and in
January 1919 it was reported that 'considerable' numbers had
still not been distributed.
- Orders for brass strip were placed with
the USA, who were not yet involved in the war, and a large
consignment was lost with the ship 'Lusitania'. As so much brass
was being consumed in the production of weapons and munitions,
the quality of the boxes which were manufactured late on was
poor, being of a plated inferior alloy, when compared with the
earlier pure brass examples.
