30Some 80 years ago this month, an entertained nonna and a young girl keep Rifleman Brighthouse, of the 8th (Ardwick) Manchester Regiment, company as he darns a sock in Anghiari, Italy, 15 August 1944.
IWM NA 17875
The good rifleman is no doubt using his broad arrow-marked Army-supplied “housewife” sewing kit, likely beefed up by experience earned via backpacking through Europe. You can just make it out at his foot before his M1 Thompson.
Housewife Sewing Kit British Army, IWM (EQU 4327)
As noted by the IWM:
The ‘Housewife’ holdall/pouch contained all that a soldier would require to carry out any repairs to his clothing when necessary. Inside it would contain a thimble, two balls of grey darning wool (for socks), 50 yards of linen thread wound around card, needles, brass dish buttons (for battledress), and plastic buttons for shirts. The ‘Housewife’ was often contained within the holdall and stowed within the man’s haversack.