Welfare stores, including sports equipment, were issued before D-day. Sports equipment was specially packed in “composite” cases, as for example, the football “composite”, which contained cases, bladders, laces, repair outfits, inflators, lacing-awls and dubbin. In addition, there were soccer and rugger match packs, each pack containing a complete outfit of clothing, including boots. 1,000,000 cigarettes and a supply of pipe tobacco, the gift of members and friends of the Oversea League, were shipped to the theatre each week.
Arrangements were made through the War Office with the Newspapers Association for the provision of BRITISH daily newspapers on a scale of one per ten men. Papers were packed in standard packs by a military unit and were despatched to the Continent, first by sea and later by air.
The first despatch was on D-day, but owing to cancellations in sailing, boats going to the wrong beach etc., arrivals of newspapers in NORMANDY were irregular for the first week, but some forward units did receive their newspapers on D+2.
The total number supplied on D-day was 56,000 which was stepped up a month later to 96,000. The cost of provision of the newspapers was borne by NAAFI.
Five “Stars-in-Battledress” parties, phased in with corps troops, landed on the beaches on D+8. They gave programmes within a mile of the front line, on a stage which was usually a 3-ton lorry with the sides down. Six ENSA mobile parties arrived on D+5.
Towards the end of July, the first mobile canteens arrived, and they began at once to operate among the forward troops.
Between D-day and 26 July, 5,500 wireless sets were issued.
Five Army Kinema Service sections, each consisting of two dual 35 mm and eight 16 mm cinemas landed in the bridgehead between 15 June and 26 July, and cinema shows were successfully given for eight hours each day to large audiences.
26 July-26 September
EQUIPMENT
Welfare stores continued to flow into the theatre, and in addition, large stocks of captured enemy stores became available.
Of these latter, 100,000 packs of playing cards, ten tons of writing paper and envelopes, and brushes of all kinds were distributed, while hot water bottles, Eau de Cologne, powder and scissors were handed over to the medical authorities.
100,000 books were received as a gift from a publishing firm in UK.
CLUBS AND CANTEENS
A mobile canteen control committee was set up (with representatives from EFI, 2 TAF and CVWW) to control the allocation of mobile canteens.
The normal scale to forward formations was three per armoured division and four per infantry division. Forward troops were always given first priority for canteens.
The YMCA and BELGIAN Red Cross Society opened canteens immediately after our troops arrived in BRUSSELS, and on 25 September Toc H opened the first static club.
HQ of CVWW moved to BRUSSELS in September, and the United Services Welfare Centre was acquired.
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
The original five all-male “Stars in Battledress” parties were replaced by six new parties including ATS personnel. Assistance and equipment was given in the forming of eleven divisional and other parties within the theatre. Stage equipment, draperies, scripts and song books, amplifying sets, etc, were issued to units. In all, 150 gramophones and 13,100 records were distributed.
During the period, ENSA built up a total of twenty-four mobile parties and twelve re-diffusion vans and opened fourteen garrison theatres.
Six FRENCH-BELGIAN parties were employed with ENSA.
BROADCASTING
Broadcasts from NW EUROPE included mention of army welfare activities, a “Stars in Battledress” broadcast in the “Transatlantic Spotlight” programme and contributions to the Allied Expeditionary Forces programme of the BBC.
CINEMAS
By the end of the phase, ENSA was running twelve garrison cinemas and the Army Kinema Service a hundred mobile Cinemas.
27 September 1944—14 January 1945
GENERAL
During October the Rear Welfare Equipment Depot was brought forward to BRUSSELS from the RWA. The distribution of large quantities of captured enemy welfare equipment continued to be carried out through the advanced equipment depots.
In most of the areas which contained a concentration of troops, gift shops were opened, where luxury goods such as perfume, cosmetics and toys were sold to the troops at very low prices. The most notable of these gift schemes were those run by the Second Army and by Baronne Rolin of BRUSSELS.
Owing to a variety of reasons a quantity of undeliverable tobacco parcels had accumulated at the Base APO. Arrangements were now made for these to be distributed on a fair basis through Welfare to field formations.
By December woollen comforts knitted and manufactured in UK had been distributed to the force on an allocation of at least one item per man. Owing to delays in delivery of supplies, the issue to forward troops was not carried out as early as had been intended.
CANTEENS, CLUBS AND HOSTELS
During October and November over thirty canteens and clubs were set up in BRUSSELS to cater for 10,000 troops on short leave.
An appreciable proportion was operated by the BELGIAN Red Cross, largely staffed by voluntary workers.
The Montgomery Club, the largest military club of its nature in the theatre, was opened by EFI in BRUSSELS on 20 December and on 18 December the first "21 Dance Club” also opened there.
In BRUSSELS, too, a need arose for a club to which service men and women could go irrespective of rank. In particular some officers in town had friends or relations in the ranks of the women’s services, and to meet this demand the Marlborough Club was opened.
Apart from these clubs opened in town centres, many divisions and higher formations opened clubs conveniently situated for the use of men temporarily out of the line.
During the ARDENNES offensive mobile canteens staffed by EFI and CVWW personnel operated in the forward areas.
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
The number of ENSA parties touring the 21 Army Group area increased to thirty-one, and, in addition, there were eight BELGIAN teams organised by ENSA.
There were also four “Stars in Battle-dress” parties on tour. A voluntary all-BELGIAN show visited units in Second Army area.
BROADCASTING
No. 1 field Broadcasting Unit arrived with four mobile 1 kw transmitters and by 7 January three broadcasting stations were working, one each in Second Army area, First Canadian Army area and advance L of C area. Each station transmitted over an area of 25 miles radius. Programmes consisted of relays of the AEF programme, gramophone records and of items specially recorded in the field.
After the liberation of EINDHOVEN some five thousand wireless sets from local manufacture were made available for purchase.
CINEMAS
The operation of a number of garrison cinemas was undertaken by the Army Kinema Service because ENSA was unable to open sufficient to meet the requirements of the force.
AKS was called upon to show an increased number of training films. A certain amount of enemy equipment and Continental equipment made for the enemy was obtained.
It was less valuable than anticipated due to lack of spares and poor material used in its manufacture.
LEGAL AID
The legal aid section of HQ 21 Army Group which had previously operated from UK arrived in BRUSSELS on 27 October and by the end of December had reviewed and given advice in 1,200 cases.
SOLDIERS’, SAILORS’ AND AIRMEN’s FAMILIES’ ASSOCIATION
Representatives of SSAFA landed on the Continent on 5 October, and immediately set up offices in BRUSSELS and soon afterwards at EINDHOVEN and CAEN. In addition members of the association toured the L of C area, visiting the chief military centres each week. By the end of the year the SSAFA had given help and handed on information in over five hundred cases of domestic welfare, matrimonial disagreements and financial hardship.
15 January 1945 - 8 May 1945
GENERAL
Approval was given in January for the formation of a pool of welfare officers within 21 Army Group to provide AWS officers for attachment to formations down to divisions and sub areas.
EQUIPMENT
An order was placed with the Services Central Book Depot for 100,000 Penguin books to be delivered each month, and during February steps were taken to create a reserve of sports equipment for issue after hostilities ceased.
Supplies were difficult to obtain but some were received from UK and these were augmented by purchases from BELGIAN, FRENCH and AMERICAN manufacturers.
CANTEENS, CLUBS AND HOSTELS
Welfare centres, canteens and clubs were installed in large towns, including CALAIS, BRUGES, EINDHOVEN, NIJMEGEN and TILBURG for troops on visit or passing through on short or privilege leave, and, in addition, canteens were opened in the staging and concentration areas for operation GOLDFLAKE.
Forty-six canteens were also opened by the BELGIAN Red Cross Society before VE day.
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
By the end of January sixty-six plays and concert parties, and also ninety FRENCH and BELGIAN artistes were on tour. Every effort was made to open permanent entertainment centres in the rear areas. Portable stage sets, costumes and draperies for theatres were supplied from stock or obtained in UK while musical instruments of all types were also made available for purchase.
Although the combined resources of BRITISH and CANADIAN entertainment were adequate to meet demands, the rapid movement of operations made it difficult to route concert parties to forward troops.
The problem of providing entertainment for these men was further complicated in the early stages of operation PLUNDER because mixed parties were forbidden to cross the RHINE.
Until this ban was lifted on 14 April there was a glut of entertainment between the MAAS and the RHINE and a scarcity among the fighting formations. Fifty-seven ENSA shows, including five CANADIAN and six FRENCH/BELGIAN, were on the Continent at the beginning of May, and there were also thirty-two parties formed by service personnel, including RN, RAF, CANADIAN and “Stars in Battledress”.
Part-time entertainments included 244 dance bands and orchestras, sixty-nine unit or formation parties and twelve shows organised by BELGIAN and DUTCH civilians.
BROADCASTING
Broadcasting stations BLA 2 and BLA 4 were allotted to Second Army and were finally deployed near NIENBURG and HAMBURG and BLA 3 in the CANADIAN area was finally located at APEN.
At NORDEN a 100 KW transmitter was found undamaged and this, together with a captured 20 kw GERMAN Air Force mobile transmitter was earmarked for use by No. 1 Field Broadcasting Unit as the basis of the future “Forces Network” to cover the BRITISH zone of occupation.
Between January and May thirty radio programmes were recorded within 21 Army Group area by No. l FBU production unit for broadcast by the BBC on the AEF programme.
The target figure of one wireless receiver to every seventy men was largely achieved by the end of hostilities.
CINEMAS
AKS Cinema Sections continued to arrive during the period, bringing the scale at VE day to approximately one mobile cinema per 4,350 men.
In view of the lack of entertainment and social life in GERMANY, it was essential to provide more entertainment for the troops there and consequently, several AKS sections were withdrawn from L of C and sent forward.
AKS increased the number of garrison cinemas operated by them by opening more in GERMANY which were to be run and maintained by AKS until ENSA could take them over.
On VE day, ENSA was running 28 cinemas, all outside GERMANY, while AKs had 149 in operation, of which 84 were in GERMANY.
LEGAL AID
To bring free legal aid facilities nearer to the fighting troops No. 1 Forward Aid Section was moved from BRUSSELS to BOURG LEOPOLD on 23 January 45 with Second Army, and eventually followed the advance into GERMANY. No. 2 Section moved to LILLE with HQ L of C on 29 January.
SSAFA
Representatives from the BRUSSELS bureau visited OSTEND, GHENT and ANTWERP each week, while other bureaux were established as necessity arose at EINDHOVEN, CAEN, BOURG LEOPOLD, HEEZE, HORST and GOCH.
After the RHINE crossing, bureaux were opened at EMSDETTEN, HENGELO and LUNEBURG.
An office at BRUGES attached to 105 Rft Gp was opened on 5 April. During this period 2,850 men were interviewed and given advice on their personal problems.
