6 June 1944 - 25 July 1944
(Navy, Army and Air Force Institute/Expeditionary Force Institutes)
The first EFI personnel were landed on D+17 and on the following day they established the first Base Canteen Depot (BCD) under canvas at SULLY.
Within six days the BOD was being supplied direct from MULBERRY and arrangements made with RASC for the handling of EFI stores.
To supply troops who arrived up to D+30 issues of NAAFI/EFI special packs were made. These packs were designed to provide cigarettes, matches, stationery, razor blades, soap etc for thirty men for twenty-one days and were in addition to 17,500,000 cigarettes and 3,140 lbs of tobacco issued free during the early stages of the campaign.
On 13 July eight Bulk Issue Stores were opened and the first two mobile canteens started operating while on 20 July the first “Nobby Bar” opened in CAEN, and a further eighteen mobile canteens were on the road.
26 July-26 September
As the armies moved forward towards BELGIUM, and the lines of communication were stretched, EFI began to feel the handicap of lack of sufficient transport for taking even the essential supplies forward, as on a forward movement of this magnitude very little army transport could be made available for EFI use.
But DIEPPE was now functioning as a port through which small quantities of stores began to trickle.
This, coupled with the supplies coming through CAEN, where the base canteen depot situated in a hastily patched up barracks lay close to an invaluable railway, was an important step forward for the handling of imports, which, by the end of August had amounted to a value of £3,247,000.
To deal with the increasing commitments, EFI reinforcements were being drafted over from time to time and late in July the first draft of ATS/EFI arrived. During September 11 HQ EFI moved from SULLY to BRUSSELS.
27 September 1944—14 January 1945
In October the Home Canteen Service arrived and took over the NAAFI supply work in the rear areas.
Thus NAAFI supplies were provided through HCS and EFI in all areas from the base at CAEN forward to the mobile canteens and advanced canteen posts operating with troops close to the borders of HOLLAND.
The mobile canteens formed an important part of the activities of EFI in the theatre. Operating in the forward areas they were frequently in the thick of battle and the work of crews was often adventurous. For instance, as a result of taking a wrong turning an EFI van went into the BELGIAN town of ST VINCENT ahead of the troops, was mistaken for an armoured car of the EFI and liberated six allied airmen who had been hiding in a cellar. Mobile canteens did not have a roving commission but were carefully routed so as to ensure a regular supply and service to as many troops as possible.
Vans were posted to corps and routed by the formation to which they were attached. They drew supplies from the nearest mobile canteen depot or bulk issue stores as it was sometimes necessary to stock for periods of up to seven days to cover long advances.
The stock carried consisted of tea, milk, sugar, biscuits, cigarettes, lemonade powder, soap, tooth-paste, laces and stationery. Mobile vans were also used extensively on air strips to provide free snacks to ex PW being evacuated to UK by air.
By the end of November the value of goods passed through all establishments had increased to £l0,160,000 an increase of over £6,000,000 in three months in spite of the drastic restrictions on nearly all commodities owing to world shortage.
The programme which was being specially arranged for Christmas was hampered by news of the enemy attack on the ARDENNES.
However, difficulties caused by changes of location were successfully overcome and quantities of tinned turkey, pork, Christmas puddings and oranges were added to the normal army issue. In addition large quantities of slab cake sweets, pears, apples, cigars and a small quantity of captured enemy wines were manufactured or procured locally in liberated territories.
15 January 1945 - 8 May 1945
NAAFI/EFI activities at this stage were concentrated mainly on preparations for the crossing of the RHINE. Suitable premises for use as depots had to be found in forward areas and these were inspected and if necessary repaired by EFI workshops branch. The special NAAFI packs used for the distribution of cigarettes etc. had been improved in accordance with suggestions made by the troops, and were stored in readiness for the major advance.
An emergency call on NAAFI resources was made when liberated allied PW began to pass through on the first stage of their journey home. Free supplies of such commodities as tooth brushes, shaving soap and tooth paste in addition to a complete range of all items on the same scale as issued to the troops,were made available for a total of up to 250,000 liberated prisoners. This demand was in addition to the supply and distribution arrangements for ISO static and 200 mobile canteens serving the troops of 21 Army Group.
During the campaign EFI conducted approximately four hundred establishments ranging from Advance Canteen Posts in the forward areas to the Montgomery Club in BRUSSELS, which was capable of handling ten thousand troops daily. Weekly supply of essential articles to units for sale to the men was made by bulk issue stores.
The following figures give some idea of the quantities of stores imported into BLA from UK and USA during the period June 1944 - April 1945.
- Cigarettes 3,878,000,000
- Chocolate 83,000,000 2-oz bars
- Confectionery 3,141,475 lbs
- Razor blades 80,000,000
- Toilet soap 28,000,000 tablets
- Whisky 1,848,000 bottles
- Gin 910,000 bottles
- Bottled beer 25,258,000 reputed quarts
Imported beer was supplemented by beer brewed in the liberated countries from materials supplied by EFI.
Splendid work was done by the WVS attached for special duty to NAAFI/EFI. These ladies undertook the supervision of the amenities in all clubs, organised sight-seeing tours, concerts, libraries, games,etc., and operated mobile canteens at airstrips serving liberated PW being evacuated to UK.
By the end of the campaign 155 officers and 1,950 men were employed in the various branches of EFI in BLA and the supplementary force of ATS/EFI had grown to 13 officers and 727 ORs.
In addition a total of 5,199 local civilian staff was employed in EFI establishments.