Lost tapestry raised funds for veterans

A unique tapestry featuring panels representing events of the Second World War which helped raise funds for veterans blinded during the conflict has been rediscovered.

Staff at veterans’ charity Scottish War Blinded recently unearthed the 1940s artefact in storage after it had been presumed missing for years.

Crafted by women of Aberdeenshire’s Denmore Scottish Women’s Rural Institutes (SWRI) in the 1940s, the women raised funds for Scottish War Blinded by displaying the artwork. Events depicted in the tapestry include Dunkirk, and a London street after a night of air raids.

The tapestry formerly adorned the wall of Scottish War Blinded’s workshops in West Lothian, having been donated by the SWRI. During a period of construction of a new activity hub for veterans with sight loss, the Linburn Centre, the tapestry was mislaid and had long been thought lost.

Rebecca Barr, director of Scottish War Blinded, said: “We are very excited to have found this beautiful tapestry again, after believing it had gone missing during the development of the Linburn Centre.

“It is wonderful to see how the talents and efforts of the women of the Scottish Women’s Institutes… were utilised to support blinded servicemen, and we’re honoured to now be able to preserve this unique piece of history for future generations to learn more about events during World War Two.”