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NAAFI canteens for servicemen and women
Unknown, 1944, Photograph
Item
of 175
NAAFI canteens for servicemen and women
NAAFI canteens for servicemen and women
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About this image
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Location
Category
Library Item
Item no
7523
Title
NAAFI canteens for servicemen and women
Description
Two women stand behind a wooden counter in a staff canteen. They both wear a uniform and a cap. One woman is pouring tea and the other is holding some plates. Behind them there is a serving hatch displaying a poster for National Savings Certificates and on either side there is a dresser. The cabinets each have a mirror and a vase of flowers in the centre and on the shelves are several cake stands.
Artist / maker
Unknown
Date
1944
Size
16.4 x 21.4 cm
Type
Photograph
Location
Edinburgh and Scottish Collection
Before the NAAFI existed, Expeditionary Force Canteens were set up in 1915 to feed and support troops overseas. In 1918 the Navy and Army Canteen Board managed the process at home. Both organisations combined in 1921 to form the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI), which was created by the government to run recreational establishments needed by the Armed Forces. It also sold goods to servicemen and their families.
In 1928, the NAAFI was operating in several overseas countries, including Germany and China and by 1938, services had extended to many other places, such as Egypt and Singapore.
At the start of World War II, the number of employees increased to 110,000 and by 1942 included over 4,000 artists entertaining troops. The NAAFI catered for the troops involved in the D-Day landings of 1944 and also provided packs including cigarettes, razor blades and letter cards to every soldier involved. At the end of the war, operations were scaled down and staff reduced.
The first NAAFI built town club opened in Portsmouth in 1946. To the present day, the organisation has provided service to military personnel in peace time and in conflicts including the Falklands War in 1982 and the Gulf War in 1990. It now operates over 280 outlets throughout the world, providing retail, catering and leisure facilities.
Exhibitions with this item
Whose Town? Edinburgh during the Second World War
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Furnishings
>
Furniture
>
Cupboards
People
>
Adults
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Women
Sport and leisure
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Activities
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Eating and drinking
Sport and leisure
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Eating and drinking facilities
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Canteens
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