Existing comment:
Soldier's Housewife:
Soldiers were responsible for the care of their own clothing. Officers usually had enough money to pay a tailor for needed alterations and repairs, but many enlisted men did not. This tradition was well established in the British Army at least as far back as the Revolutionary War.
The pocket kit called a "soldier's housewife" contained items necessary for mending clothing and darning socks. It usually included scissors, needles, thread, pins, buttons, yarn, and small pieces of material for patches. The same basic package has been in use in armies for years, and a variation of it is still used today. |