AIRMAN'S GIFT BOX - SECOND WORLD WAR

[Lynne Storry]

I have a box 7" x 11" that my Grandfather sent to my Grandfather during the Second World War when he was serving in the RAF as ground crew. It gives my Grandmother's address written in fountain pen on the lid and says on the top righthand side "Airman's Gift - 4 Ladies Silk Stockings £10.00, 8 Handkerchiefs £4.00, 2 Combs £1.00, Total £15.00. Can anyone throw any light on this box as I am hoping to give a short five minute talk at my local Family History Society on this box on our Heirlooms Evening in May but can find absolutely nothing on the Web. Any ideas what this was all about?|help|

[susan-y]

Grandfather sent to my Grandfather

I am guessing you meant your Grandfather sent to your Grandmother as it contained silk stockings?? :) I understand stockings were hard to get in the war years, at least I remember my mother saying that was the case here in
Canada.

Sue

[Lynne Storry]

Sorry, yes it did mean my Grandfather sent it to my Grandmother. I just cannot find any history or knowledge about these gift boxes. We believe my Grandfather was in Egypt/Palestine at the time. I wonder if they were sent from the country he was serving in, or if there was some sort off general scheme whereby they had deductions made froim their pay, but the gifts were sent from England. Hope someone can solve this.

[Geoffers]

I have a box 7" x 11" that my Grandfather sent to my Grandfather during the Second World War when he was serving in the RAF as ground crew. It gives my Grandmother's address written in fountain pen on the lid and says on the top righthand side "Airman's Gift - 4 Ladies Silk Stockings £10.00, 8 Handkerchiefs £4.00, 2 Combs £1.00, Total £15.00. Can anyone throw any light on this box

From your description, it just sounds like a private gift.

[Sue Mackay]

From your description, it just sounds like a private gift.

I wonder if it had something to do with import duty, rather as today we have to stick green stickers on parcels going overseas with the contents and value, and there is a box to mark Gift. I have no idea about UK import duty in the 1940s, but a very quick Google revealed a site about the film industry in Hollywood which contained the phrase "a short-lived 75% import duty, from 1947-1948, that restricted the import of all US films into the UK".

It's a fascinating heirloom just for the prices. £15 was a great deal of money in the war years!

[Lynne Storry]

My Mother seems to think that it was something that was organised by the Air Force for men serving outside the UK. She seems to remember her Father said that there was a list of things to choose from. The box is about 3" deep and had been nailed down on all four sides. My Grandfather was not the sort of man to go out on his own and purchase Silk Stockings and Handkerchiefs. I also can't believe that these things were easy to come by in Egypt/Palestine.

[Lynne Storry]

I think what you have come up with might be a definite possibility, but I still can't believe my Grandfather went and purchased Silk Stockings and Handkerchiefs himself. He just was not that sort of man. Mom thinks the items were chosen from some sort of "list". Can you imagine my Grandmother's face when she opened it, and very likely found that they were the wrong size and colour. What are we women like?