…some ephemera

[corsair5517]

Thanks, David… what a palaver, eh?! And he finished the war years as a Flying Officer, so I wonder what that’s about?

He’d long since gone back to civilian life and had married in 1948, so this may have come as something of a surprise to him, I reckon!!

[corsair5517]

I know we've all seen the hussuf before, but this was Dads' and I really can imagine him using it!!

IMG_0992 by John Stokes, on Flickr


IMG_0990 by John Stokes, on Flickr


IMG_0991 by John Stokes, on Flickr


... and the buttons off both his and Pats' uniforms... slowly getting polished!!


IMG_0993 by John Stokes, on Flickr

[Dave Homewood]

Excellent. Often when an airman had been trained up and was on final leave before heading overseas, the local home town where he was back to visit family would put on a farewell supper or dance in their honour, and the Patriotic Fund or local council would present them wit a wallet or a hussif as a gift.

For the uninitiated, hussif is a military term adapted from housewife, and it was a kit with sewing aids like needled, thread, darn, pins, etc, as seen here, so the serviceman could repair their uniform.

[davidd]

I reckon that very few airmen eve carried out much "repairing" of their uniforms whilst on active service, probably just the occasional detached button or two! I catalogued all the "hussifs" in the RNZAF collaction many years ago, and most kits seemed to be in approximately the same state of dress as when they were issued.. There was also a tropical version of the "hussif" made for RNZAF personnel in the South Pacific theatre, possibly in khaki material with appropriate bits and pieces. This only appeared in latter part of the war. I think wartime hussifs were issued along with other equipment (particularly clothing) but it was pointed out that these items were manufactured by the unpaid (volunteer) women of Air Force Relations (a NZ-wide organization - the honorary "leader" of the Air Force Relations was traditionally the wife of the CAS. I think hussifs were even listed on the clothing issue card, but were not required to be handed back if I recall correctly (same as underclothing and socks). On second thoughts, the hussif shown in corsair5517's photos is almost certainly the tropical hussif - in red and lightish blue - they were not khaki! Looks like khaki plastic buttons in the kit, possibly also a length of cotton thread for attachment purposes.

[Dave Homewood]

When I was being recruited and about to join the RNZAF were were given a long list of items we should bring with us to General Service Training School, and one of the things we had to do was make up our own hussif, in accordance with the exact specifications on the list, to bring. And then at GSTS we learned about the history of a hussif, in that it was a military word derived from housewife. I do not recall ever using mine during my service other than maybe the small pair of scissors. But then i was S&S so any sewing needed I did at work.

[thebrads]

Joined the RNZN in 1997.
Was issued a housewife, might have got used once or twice.
Interestingly, it was definitely a "housewife" and pronounced as so in Pussers.

[camtech]

When I joined in 65, we were issued with a "Housewife", and never heard the term hussif. Used it to sew buttons back on and minor repairs. Finally ditched it about 20 years later.