The story behind the WW1 handkerchief
BY TERTIA BUTCHER
A handkerchief issued during the First World War has made its way to Hay, in pristine condition.
It belongs to Brian Cunningham of Gunbar who initially offered it to the War Memorial in Canberra, but decided to keep it in the family.
The handkerchief was issued to Brian’s father during the war and now sits behind glass in a protective frame to preserve this bit of local history for generations to come.
Many handkerchiefs were produced for British and Australian soldiers during the First World War in 1916 with designs which commemorated or recorded aspects of war.
They were commercially produced for soldiers to carry with them, or to give to those back home as mementos.
Brian’s handkerchief (pictured) appears to be rather rare as no one has seen this particular design before.
During World War 11 handkerchiefs were also used by the Allied forces as a map for escape or evasion routes.
Clandestine maps were printed onto the cloth handkerchiefs to be used by Allied servicemen in case of capture behind enemy lines.
These war-time maps, disguised as handkerchiefs, depicted old boundaries and conflicts in Europe.
Blowing your nose in them was a definite no-no, as it could mean covering up an important escape route such as a mountain pass, road or an airfield. Your life could depend on these maps and they were often hidden in the lining of a soldier’s coat or boots.