Pinning Her Hopes

Most of Clara’s history and possessions come to us from her eldest son, Kenneth. One cherished item is a pin nestled in cotton tucked in a simple white cardboard box. Of modest value by today’s standards, it clearly held a special place for the woman who wore it. The gold pin depicts a rampant lion on a white enamel ground with the words “Dieu Et Mon Droit” (God and My Right) emblazoned on a shield topped with a crown and cross. An enamel ribbon of blue, white, and red decorates the background. Engraved in an oval on the reverse are the words “Official B.W.R.S and B.B. By Accessocraft”.

The B.W.R.S. was the acronym for the British War Relief Society and B.B. stood for one of its American partners, Bundles for Britain. Established in 1940 by Mrs. Natalie Wales Latham in New York City, Bundles for Britain was featured in the May 19, 1941 issue of Life magazine. The thirty-year-old single mother of two organized a group of women committed to knitting socks, gloves, hats, sweaters, and scarves for distribution to British civilians affected by the ravages of World War II. The article reported that within sixteen months, Natalie and her team had raised three million dollars, sent hundreds of thousands of used garments, twenty-four ambulances, fifty-nine mobile canteens, and twenty-one X-ray machines to Britain, and their efforts had multiplied into 975 chapters across the United States. The pins, designed by Robert Appleby and manufactured by costume jewelry makers Monet and Accessocraft, were marketed for fund-raising and promoting sympathy for the tragic circumstances in Britain.

Far to the south, Atlanta’s citizens were reminded daily by the Atlanta Constitution of the situation in Europe. While American sympathies were with the people suffering under German occupation, polls showed that US citizens were reluctant for the government to actively participate in the war. By September 1940, news of The Blitz reached Atlanta with the headlines screaming “British City in Flames after Massive Air Raid” and “Nazi Bombers Unleash Greatest Raid on London: Enemy Unloads 50 Explosives in 10 Minutes.” In a Constitution article dated September 5, 1940, Atlanta’s women were challenged to organize their own chapter. Mrs. Albert Thornton and Mrs. Daniel MacDougald accepted the post of co-chairs with bevy of other society matrons volunteering to head various committees. Posting their frequent meetings in the newspaper, their endeavors included a knitting circle, organizing benefit events, and selling the specially designed small gold emblem pins for $2.50, with a reported 90% of the profits benefiting the cause. While Clara had little free time to knit and sew, and less to participate in dances or golf tournaments, she could donate $2.50 from her modest earnings to support her kin and countrymen. She proudly wore the pin as evidenced in the photo of her on the Goodrum estate.