MEN badly injured in the First World War were determined not to give up on life.

They set to work on painted fabrics, producing a wide range of goods for people to buy.

They included gowns for day and evening wear, cloaks, scarves, shawls, lingerie, curtains, tea cosies, table cloths, bedspreads, bags and much more.

They were all put on sale in the second floor showrooms of the Elliston & Cavell store in Magdalen Street, Oxford, from March 10-14, 1925.

A copy of the advertisement for the sale, which appeared in the Oxford Chronicle newspaper, has been sent in by John Buckett, of Cemetery Road, Abingdon.

It was among a collection of bound local newspapers from the 1920s given to him by a next-door neighbour, who was emigrating to Australia.

The fabrics were the work of severely disabled members of the Disabled Sailors and Soldiers Mutual Association, whose patron was Princess Mary, daughter of King George V.

The advertisement read: “This exquisite work is done by 29 severely disabled men, among whom there are only 34 undamaged hands and 32 undamaged legs.”

In a tribute to the association’s work, Field Marshal Earl Haig wrote that there were 100,000 wholly or partially disabled ex-servicemen still forced to look to charity to supplement their pensions.

Proclaiming “these men want work, not charity”, the advertisement, which included a Punch cartoon, said the public could help their plight by visiting the store and buying the fabrics.

Elliston & Cavell was one of Oxford’s leading department stores.

It continued trading until the 1970s when it was absorbed by Debenhams.