The Sutlers Supreme

The Most Northerly Forces Canteen in the World?

NAAFI in Northern Norway, 1945

One of the pleasures of researching NAAFI history is discovering small stories which unexpectedly reveal just how far the organisation’s reach once extended.

A recent addition to the Sutlers Supreme archive explores the little-known presence of NAAFI and EFI personnel in Northern Norway during the closing stages of the Second World War. Although EFI staff had briefly operated in Norway during the ill-fated 1940 campaign, British forces returned to the region in May 1945 following the German surrender.

Contemporary newspapers described the NAAFI establishment at Tromsø as “the most Northerly Forces Canteen in the world” — a claim which, whether entirely accurate or not, perfectly captures the extraordinary geographical spread of wartime welfare operations.

Northern Norway map showing Tromsø and key wartime locations

Northern Norway during the Second World War period, showing Tromsø and other important northern settlements connected with wartime operations.

The accompanying map was created as part of ongoing work connected with the Sutlers Supreme NAAFI around the world project, which aims to document the global footprint of NAAFI, EFI/ATS and NCS service from 1921 onwards.

Even today, Tromsø remains associated with isolation, Arctic weather and extreme geography. The idea that NAAFI personnel were operating canteens and welfare facilities so far north during the immediate post-war period offers a remarkable reminder of the organisation’s adaptability and worldwide presence.