Altrusa International of Ashburton is acknowledging the end of World War 2 – 80 years ago today – by giving away copies of Violet’s Scarf to primary school pupils.
Altrusa is distributing 20 copies of the book by Auckland author Colleen Brown.
Altrusa’s literary committee chair Sue Gough said it was great they could purchase a true New Zealand story to give to schools.
‘‘It’s a lovely story, beautifully illustrated. The books have been well received by schools.’’
She said the club had been approached by Operation Wrapped in Remembrance, whose project was to knit and crochet scarves for veterans from World War 2, Korea, Malay and Vietnam wars, to tie-in with significant dates linked to these wars and 2025.
‘‘We were asked, given the veteran scarf project, if we would purchase copies of the books and distribute to the schools to mark, in particular, the 80th commemorations of the end of World War 2.
‘‘The club talked about it and it was something we were keen to do,’’ Sue said.
Violet’s Scarf is the story of an eight-year-old girl from Riverton, New Zealand with a brother serving in World War 1 wanted to do her bit for the war effort and to help the soldiers fighting overseas.
She knitted a scarf and it was added to the thousands of parcels dispatched to Kiwi troops.
Her scarf ended up in a parcel sent to France and against the odds her brother, George, an army driver, picked up it up and opened it to discover the scarf inside had been knitted by his sister.
George brought the scarf back to New Zealand and although it perished in a shed fire, the tag on it survived and is in the Hocken Library in Dunedin.
The message on the tag reads ‘Gift for soldier knitted by Violet Cloughley, aged eight years, Riverton School’.
Sue said; ‘‘it has been so nice to deliver the books and see the schools’ reactions.’’
‘‘One teacher said the timing was perfect as they had a pupil who would find the book a very helpful resource for a project they were working on about wars.’’
The cost of the books has been paid for with funds raised at this year’s Fabric Bazaar.
– Operation Wrapped in Remembrance knitted, crochet or woven scarves for veterans can be dropped at the office of Rangitata MP James Meager, at 161 Burnett St, Ashburton.
