Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 29 February 1916. Letters 1916-1923 Mrs. Arthur Goff

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This is a letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff, honorary secretary of the Dundrum Prisoners of War Organisation, to Augusta Caroline Dillon (née Crofton), Lady Clonbrock (1839-1928). Mrs. Goff had a similar role to Lady Clonbrock in the Irish Women's Association, formed in London in the Spring of 1915 for the purpose of providing food and comforts for prisoners of war belonging to Irish Regiments. Mrs. Goff is writing about overlap between organisations and possible duplication of parcels, though she doesn't think it is widespread. She goes on to discuss what appears to be differences of opinion as to the treatment of prisoners from other Regiments where adopters are involved, especially when the Government and the Director General are encouraging private adoption. She mentions a specific case where two named prisoners got practically the same items both from Mrs. Goff's organisation and Lady Clonbrock's. Enclosed with this letter is an information sheet setting out details of the Dundrum Prisoners of War Organisation's modus operandi.

National Library of Ireland Clonbrock Estate Papers. Collection List No. 54; Ms. 35,796/11/13 https://letters1916.ie/item/1537 English Mrs. Arthur Goff 1916-02-29 Belfort House, Dundrum, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Augusta Caroline Dillon Female World War I (1914-1918) World War I (1914-1918)

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 The Dundrum Prisoners of War Organisation APPROVED BY THE WAR OFFICE AND Under the auspices of the Central Advisory Committee, R.D.F. Hon.Sec., MRS ARTHUR GOFF, Belfort House, Dundrum, Co. Dublin. Dundrum, Co. Dublin. Feb. 29th.1916 Dear Madam Many thanks for your letter. I do not think that there has really been much over lapping in the case of your circle & me. The Irish Womens Assocation only commenced in May. 1915. I had an acknowledgement back from Harley just before Xmas1914. He and Mahon got a weekly parcel from that on, until I saw the Irish Womens group in the day papers. I as my idea has always been to prevent overlapping I at once wrote to the commanding officer as I told you. Mahon was the only man I asked to keep. I see his wife often & she subscribes to his parcel. All the other men I gave up only sending to them when they wrote & and asked me for something such as boots: Walpole I have also been sending to for a year. Only a few weeks ago I found out what Dept he belong to as he never put it on his card. Gillard I commenced to send to again the beginning of Dec as I was asked by an adopter for a Connaught Ranger. I felt it was no good asking the I.W.A. about him as well As unless adopters sending through their society they will have nothing to do with them. It seems a pity to work like this as often one is asked for or offered money to send parcels to a man of a certain Dept. Personally I cannot understand it especially as its I understand that it is the wish of the Government and the Director General to encourage private adopters & more so when they are willing to send through an approved any regular adopted men on our list ( Yours) McMahon &Walpole fit exactly the same clothes as you have sent, with the exception of the great coat & coat & trousers. We sent out things in Nov. & Dec. Every man whose names had ever been on our list got a Xmas parcel. containing 1 1/2 lbs of home made plum pudding besides other foodstuffs. All our foods we get wholesale. This week the parcels contained tin roast mutton, tin salmon, tin milk, 1/4 lb tea, 1 lb sugar 1 1/2 lb gingerbread, 1/2 lb cabin biscuits besides the bread from Berne & tobacco from London, 250 cigarettes a month or 1 lb of tobacco. Please do not trouble to answer this. I am to see about the prisoners myself that I think everyone must be able Yours Truly missus Goff The Dundrum Prisoners of War Organisation Approved By the War Office and Under the auspices of the Central Advisory Committee, R.D.F. The funds of the above organisation entirely keep the men. It undertakes to look after each prisoner by a weekly parcel of foodstuffs, a supply of bread from Berne, tobacco and cigarettes out of bond from the British and American Co., London, besides underclothing, boots, etc. Every man costs under 5s. per week, which includes everything except clothes. A parcel is also despatched at once to every new appeal., of which there are many. No matter what regiment the man may belong to the parcel is sent and continued until such time as the man is taken on by his own Regiment or Depot. Any man already on the list can be adopted for 2s. 6d. per week, all goods being sent in the adoptor's name; or 6s per week for a new man or one of the adoptor's own choosing. All contributions of money, clothes (new or old), boots etc., will be gratefully received. Office hours at No. 1 Sydenham Road. — 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. every day except Wednesdays and Saturdays; Tuesday afternoons from 2-30 until 6.30 p.m. for labelling and packing, when all visitors are welcome. Tea — 4.30 p.m. A Committee Meeting will be held every Friday morning at 12 noon, this being formed of any subscribers who may wish to attend. All work absolutely voluntary. Communications and contributions to be addressed to the Hon. Secretary — MRS. ARTHUR GOFF, Belfort House, Dundrum, Co. Dublin Belfort House, Dundrum, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 12 August, 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 12 August 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 29 February 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 25 February, 1916. Mrs. Arthur Goff Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 12 August, 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 12 August 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 29 February 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 25 February, 1916. Augusta Caroline Dillon Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 13 December 1915Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 1 October 1916Letter from Private M. Cahill to Lady Clonbrock, 17 April 1916Letter from J. L. Hay to Lady Clonbrock, 7 January 1916Letter from Private Patrick Furey to Lady Clonbrock, 4 January 1916Letter from Jessie Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 19 April 1916Letter from John J. Thompson to Augusta Caroline Dillon, Lady Clonbrock, 13 November 1915Letter from Josephine Murray to Lady Clonbrock, 22 May 1916Letter from Elizabeth Francis Neill to Lady Clonbrock, 21 February 1916Letter from Maude Chenevix Trench to Lady Clonbrock, 13 June 1916Postcard from Maude Chenevix Trench to Lady Clonbrock, 16 May 1916Letter from Lady Clonbrock to Eliza Chamier, 24 May 1916Letter from George Hugh Chetwood Townsend to Lady Clonbrock, 1 April 1916Letter from Edith Francis Maxwell to Lady Clonbrock, 22 June 1916Letter from Emma Armstrong to Lady Clonbrock, 2 August 1916Letter from Ursula Mahon to Lady Clonbrock, 18 July 1916Letter from Lady Mayo, Royal Dublin Fusiliers Kildare Committee, to Lady Clonbrock, 31 December 1915.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 12 August, 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 12 August 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 29 February 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 25 February, 1916.Letter from Lady Mayo to Lady Clonbrock, 28 December, 1915.Letter from N. Maxwell, 23 July 1916.Letter from Emma Armstrong to Lady Clonbrock, 23 February, 1916.Letter from Kathleen Lewis, 19 October 1916.Letter from George C. Townshend to Lady Clonbrock, 18 October 1916.Letter from Emma Armstrong to Lady Clonbrock, 26 June 1916Letter from the Marquess of Sligo to Lady Clonbrock, 23 October, 1916.Letter from Florence to Lady Clonbrock, 28 November 1916.