Following on from last month’s charity flag, today we are looking at another Scottish example, this time raising money for a Soldier’s Home at Redford, Midlothian (today a suburb of Edinburgh):

This flag dates to 1915 and has the lion rampant of Scotland on one side, and ‘hands across the sea’ on the other:

I believe the institution this was raising money for was the Royal Soldier’s Home, Colinton Road opposite Redford Barracks. The home had been set up to rehabilitate injured soldiers and sailors in a set of huts in 1914, permanent buildings not being completed until 1920. This suggests the flags were being sold to raise money to build these permanent structures.

The need for convalescent homes for injured servicemen was recognised early in the war by the people of Edinburgh, as witnessed by this letter to the Scotsman Newspaper in August 1914:

Sir,—I ask the courtesy of your paper to let it be generally known that at the offices of the Incorporated Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Help Societies, at the above address, a register is being kept of all those in Scotland who are so kind as to give assistance to invalided soldiers and sailors, of whatever rank, by the offer of convalescent homes
The time for these homes has not yet actually arrived; but it will very soon come. And when it does, I need scarcely point out the greet convenience and assistance it will be to have a register of such homes at a central office in Edinburgh, to which application can at once be made.
I hope therefore, that those who have convalescent homes to offer will be so kind as to write to our secretary, or to myself, giving all the information and details which they may think necessary and which they desire to be entered on our convalescent home register.—I am, &c.
P. C. Newbigging,
Colonel, Chairman.