1914 Christmas Tin and Message from Princess Mary

Description

This tin belonged to Victor Vincent Casado - Army Number 14792.

The Princess Mary Gift Fund Box is an embossed brass box that originally contained a variety of items such as tobacco and chocolate. It was intended as a Christmas present to those serving at Christmas 1914 and was paid for by a public fund backed by Princess Mary.

It was Princess Mary's express wish that "every sailor afloat and every soldier at the front" should have the present. The gifts were devised in October 1914 and intended for distribution to al who were serving overseas or at sea, in time for Christmas; afterwards with the fund in surplus and many feeling they had been "left out" distribution was extended more widely - to all those who were serving, whether at home or abroad, and to prisoners of war and the next of kin of 1914 casualties.

It was anticipated that the majority of eligible recipients would receive an embossed brass box, one ounce of pipe tobacco, twenty cigarettes, a pip, a tinder lighter, Christmas card and a photograph but quite early on the committee in charge received strong recommendation that an alternative gift should be made available for non-smokers. After some discussion it was decided that non-smokers should receive the brass box, a packet of acid tablets, a khaki writing case containing pencil, paper and envelopes together with the Christmas card and a photograph of the Princess