The Sutlers Supreme
From Mobilisation to Evacuation
NAAFI and the Early War, 1939–1940
PART TWO
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Somewhere in France, 1939–1940
Press report from The Yorkshire Post, 19 December 1939, based on a Press Association report datelined “Somewhere in France.” Wartime censorship prevented correspondents from revealing the location of British forces serving with the BEF. The article notes reduced-price Christmas beer available through NAAFI canteens — though even at the special rate a bottle cost more than half a private soldier’s daily pay.
During the early months of the war, British newspaper reports from the BEF were frequently published under the deliberately vague dateline “Somewhere in France.”
When the first contingents of the British Expeditionary Force crossed to France in September 1939, newspapers at home could say very little about where they had gone. Wartime censorship was strict, and correspondents reporting from the front were forbidden to reveal the location of British formations. Instead, dispatches appeared under the deliberately vague dateline “Somewhere in France.”
Behind that familiar phrase lay a vast military deployment. Through the autumn and winter of 1939–40 the British Expeditionary Force settled into defensive positions across northern France while both sides prepared for a conflict that, for the moment, refused to begin. For the men serving with NAAFI’s newly formed Expeditionary Force Institutes, this period brought with it the task of establishing canteens, depots and supply lines across an unfamiliar landscape.
The months that followed would later be remembered as the “Phoney War.” The guns were largely silent, but the work of sustaining an army continued every day. Tea, cigarettes, writing paper and small comforts moved steadily through the EFI network, helping to maintain morale during a long winter of waiting.
Building the EFI Organisation
When the first Expeditionary Force Institute personnel crossed to France in the autumn of 1939, they entered a theatre where no NAAFI organisation yet existed. Their task was therefore not simply to operate canteens, but to construct an entire supply and welfare system for the British Expeditionary Force from the ground up.
The initial draft of Expeditionary Force Institutes — still often referred to in these early months as the Field Force Institutes (FFI) — numbered around five hundred officers and men. Overall command rested with Lieutenant-Colonel Norman Victor Peters, MC, with Major R. A. D. Alltoft serving as his deputy. The first detachments crossed the Channel in two main parties and moved towards separate base areas in western France, where the first administrative foundations of the organisation would be laid.
The early weeks were far from orderly. Supplies dispatched from Britain did not always arrive where they were expected, and the transport needed to move them often appeared at different ports altogether. Stores might reach one harbour while the lorries intended to carry them forward were unloaded at another. In these circumstances the task of matching cargo, vehicles, and personnel could be bewildering. Yet despite such confusion the organisation slowly began to take shape as officers improvised solutions and established the first depots and offices to serve the growing BEF.
Organisation of the Expeditionary Force Institutes in France during the early months of the war.
As the situation stabilised, the EFI administration was organised into regional areas responsible for supporting different parts of the force. Headquarters EFI Area North was established at Nantes under Major S. B. Martin. A second command, Headquarters EFI Area South, operated from Rennes under Major R. A. D. Alltoft. Further east another headquarters was established at Rheims under Major N. F. Hart to serve the Royal Air Force’s Advanced Air Striking Force.
EFI staff at Headquarters No. 2 Base Sub Area, Nantes, 1939. Major S. B. Martin (centre) with personnel responsible for establishing NAAFI services in the western base areas of the BEF.
As the months passed and the British Expeditionary Force expanded during the long winter of the “Phoney War,” the organisation continued to evolve. Early in 1940 a further EFI command under Major J. W. Martin was established to support the growing requirements of the BEF as the quiet stalemate along the front began to give way to the expectation of more active operations.
Supplying the Front
Once the principal EFI headquarters and depots were established, the next task was to move supplies forward to the troops themselves. Goods arriving from Britain were unloaded at the western ports and transported to EFI warehouses in the base areas around Nantes and Rennes. From there the most efficient means of distribution was usually by rail. Consignments of stores were then forwarded to Bulk Issue Stores (BIS), typically established near important railheads within the BEF area of operations.
From these forward depots the flow of supplies spread outward through the NAAFI network. Static canteens were opened in towns or billets close to concentrations of troops, while smaller detachments and isolated working parties were supplied from the same BIS centres. In these cases the familiar NAAFI mobile canteen provided the final link in the chain, carrying refreshments and everyday necessities directly to units beyond the reach of permanent institutes.
Contemporary records describing the precise operation of the Bulk Issue Stores are limited, but the surviving evidence suggests a system designed to mirror the army’s own logistical arrangements. By linking port depots, rail transport and forward distribution centres, the Expeditionary Force Institutes were able to maintain a steady supply of comforts to British troops across a wide and dispersed theatre of operations.
Yet the final stage of the journey lay beyond the railhead itself. It was along the roads of France, carried by the travelling NAAFI mobile canteen, that these supplies finally reached many of the scattered units of the British Expeditionary Force.
Up to this point much of the organisation established by the Expeditionary Force Institutes would have been familiar to NAAFI staff from their peacetime experience. Warehouses, bulk stores, rail transport and static institutes in towns close to troop concentrations all followed patterns that had long existed in overseas garrisons. The real challenge emerged when British units were dispersed across a wide countryside, often in small detachments far from any permanent canteen.
To reach these isolated troops the EFI developed the NAAFI mobile canteen service. Specially equipped vans travelled fixed routes through the BEF area, carrying tea, cocoa, cigarettes and other everyday comforts directly to units in the field. What had begun as a supplementary service soon became an essential part of the organisation’s work, extending NAAFI support far beyond the limits of the static institutes.
Contemporary accounts suggest that the system developed rapidly under the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel N. V. Peters. Writing later, one observer noted that the NAAFI mobile canteen service in France was expanding into what might well be described as “a unit of mechanised strength,” operating across wide areas and serving many of the most isolated detachments of the BEF. For soldiers stationed far from towns and billets, the arrival of the NAAFI van became one of the most welcome sights on the road.
Article describing the development of NAAFI mobile canteens in France during the early months of the war.
For many soldiers the arrival of the NAAFI van quickly became a welcome moment in the day. From its small boiler came hot tea, while cakes, cigarettes, chocolate, razor blades, bootlaces, notepaper and envelopes provided the simple comforts of home for men serving far from Britain. One can easily imagine the familiar cry running through a billet or working party as the van pulled in: “NAAFI up!”
The phrase would later become part of British military slang, signalling the welcome appearance of the NAAFI tea wagon and a brief pause for tea and refreshments — what soldiers often called “char and wad.”
News from Home
Press report describing the rapid distribution of British newspapers to the BEF through NAAFI channels. Copies were reaching troops in France within a day of publication, an impressive logistical achievement in wartime conditions.
Alongside the provision of food, drink and everyday necessities, the Expeditionary Force Institutes also played an important role in maintaining the flow of information from Britain to the troops in France. Daily newspapers formed a vital link with home, carrying not only news of the war but also the familiar rhythm of civilian life.
Responsibility for this task fell largely to NAAFI. Newspapers were purchased in Britain, most likely through arrangements with the major Fleet Street publishers, and incorporated into the organisation’s existing supply system. From London they would have been forwarded to NAAFI depots — such as those at Kennington — before being loaded onto the regular transport convoys crossing the Channel to France.
From there the established EFI distribution network took over. Bundles of newspapers travelled alongside other stores to railheads and Bulk Issue Stores, before being issued through canteens, messes and forward units. The system was sufficiently efficient that, as contemporary reports noted, British newspapers were often reaching troops within a day of publication — a remarkable achievement given the constraints of wartime transport.
For the soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force, this service was of real importance. Newspapers provided more than information; they offered reassurance and continuity, a daily reminder of home at a time when the war itself had yet to fully reveal its character. In mess rooms behind the lines and even in advanced positions, copies were eagerly read as soon as they arrived.
In this, as in so many other aspects of its work during the early months of the war, the NAAFI demonstrated a capacity not only to supply material comforts, but to sustain morale by keeping the British soldier connected to the world beyond the front.
Entertainment for the Troops
Press reports from late 1939 describing the development of mobile film units and organised entertainment for British troops in France. The EFI film circuit aimed to bring cinema directly to the front, even in advanced areas.
As the Expeditionary Force Institutes established their supply network across France, attention increasingly turned to another essential element of morale: entertainment. During the long months of the “Phoney War,” when active operations were limited, the need to occupy time and sustain spirits became ever more important.
Here again the NAAFI and EFI demonstrated a capacity for initiative. One of the earliest developments was the introduction of a mobile film service. Specially equipped units travelled across the BEF area, bringing cinema directly to troops in camps, billets and even forward positions. Reports from the period suggest that this “film circuit” was expanding rapidly, with the ambition that every soldier and airman in France would have the opportunity to attend regular screenings.
These mobile cinemas were designed to operate independently of local infrastructure. Equipped with their own generators, they could function in isolated areas where no permanent facilities existed. In this way, films — often shown before their general release in Britain — were carried to men serving close to the front line, providing a welcome diversion from the monotony of winter quarters.
Contemporary reports highlighting the organisation of concert parties and the emergence of ENSA, bringing professional entertainment from Britain to troops serving with the BEF.
Alongside the film units came a second and more ambitious development: the organisation of live entertainment for the troops. Under the direction of figures such as Basil Dean, concert parties began to travel from Britain to France, bringing with them performers drawn from the stage and music hall. These shows were not confined to base areas but were intended to reach as wide a range of units as possible, often touring continuously across the theatre.
This effort soon became formalised in the creation of the Entertainments National Service Association — ENSA — which sought to coordinate and expand the provision of entertainment to the forces. Well-known performers, including figures such as Gracie Fields, offered their services, while smaller concert parties ensured that even troops in more remote locations were not overlooked.
As with the distribution of newspapers and the operation of mobile canteens, the aim remained the same: to maintain a connection with home and to sustain morale during a period of waiting and uncertainty. Whether through a weekly film show, a concert in a nearby town, or a performance brought closer to the line, these initiatives ensured that the men of the BEF were not forgotten.
By the early months of 1940, the Expeditionary Force Institutes had succeeded in establishing a remarkably effective system across the British Expeditionary Force in France. From warehouses and railheads to mobile canteens, newspaper distribution and travelling cinemas, a network had been created which provided not only the necessities of daily life, but also comfort, information and a sense of connection with home. In the quiet months of the “Phoney War,” this system functioned with a degree of efficiency that reflected both careful organisation and considerable improvisation in the face of uncertain conditions.
For the men of the BEF, these services formed part of the fabric of everyday life during a period of waiting — a routine of tea, news and occasional entertainment that helped sustain morale through the winter of 1939–40. Yet this fragile stability rested upon circumstances that would not endure. In the months ahead, the war in France would change rapidly and irrevocably, placing new and far greater demands upon the organisation that had so carefully been built.
In Conclusion
This contemporary assessment by the Commander-in-Chief of the BEF succinctly captures the scale and effectiveness of the EFI organisation by early 1940:
— General the Viscount Gort, Despatches published in the London Gazette, 10 October 1941
Sources & References
NAAFI by Land and Sea, Sue A Lowe, pp. 59–60. Details of Expeditionary Force Institutes organisation in France.
NAAFI in Uniform, Lt-Col. Howard N Cole, pp. 9-10. Details of Expeditionary Force Institutes organisation in France.
Royal Army Ordnance Corps(RAOC) Gazette, April 1941. "NAAFI Mobiles".
General the Viscount Gort, Despatches covering operations of the British Expeditionary Force, published in the London Gazette, 10 October 1941.
The Yorkshire Post, 19 December 1939. Press Association report datelined “Somewhere in France”.
Daily News (London), 17 January 1940. Report on the distribution of newspapers to British troops in France.
Belfast News-Letter, 20 November 1939. Reports on the development of mobile film units serving British troops.
John Bull, 25 November 1939. Coverage of ENSA and entertainment provision for the British Expeditionary Force.
Tuesday Express, 28 November 1939. Report on concert parties and ENSA activity in France.
(Accessed via Findmypast (British Library Newspapers). Reproduced under fair dealing for non-commercial historical research and commentary.
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