Themes

The Navy's People

• Naval Lives

• In Focus: Women in the Navy

• In Focus: Recreation and Time off

  • Personal Time

  • Living Conditions

  • Sports

  • Crossing the Line across the century

  • Parties onboard

  • NAAFI

• In Focus: Discipline and Punishment

Learning

• How To: Understand Naval Medals

NAAFI

Article highlights

• What is the NAAFI?

• The early years

• World War Two

• Post war years

World War Two

At the start of War the Navy had 270 canteens afloat and ashore and employed about 500 hundred personnel. The NAAFI had 26 motor launches in home waters to service the Home Fleet - this increased to 44 by 1944.

The Naval Canteen Service had warehouses, depots and canteens at each of the six main naval bases in the United Kingdom. There were equivalent canteens in naval bases overseas, such as Malta, Gibraltar, Aden, Simonstown (South Africa), Ceylon and Singapore.

Stand easy outside Speckington Manor (RNM)

British serviceman could enjoy a wide range of hot snacks. The NAAFI had over 50 bakeries and employed 1500 people. An example of saving waste was a snack called 'Nelson cake' or the 'depth charge' made from stale pastry, layered with jam and topped with coconut.

In Royal Navy ships NAAFI personnel were uniformed members of a ships company. All HM ships of any size have NAAFI canteen onboard. But NAAFI staff only had their own quarters on the largest ships.

While serving on destroyers and frigates they shared the life of the crew and had their own roles during action stations. They would assist the medical staff, which included acting as stretcher-bearers. Once the ship sounded the 'all clear', NAAFI workers once again became caterers, dispensing cigarettes and soft drinks.

The NAAFI shop in a small ship was hardly more than a small grocery shop, but in big ships it offered 'goodies' like ice cream, soda fountains, and books.

The NAAFI also ran ENSA which provided entertainment to Britain's fighting forces.

The NAAFI recruited thousands of its workers from civilian life, mainly from the provisions and grocery trades. A young man could be working aboard a destroyer within a few days of joining the organisation, the glamour outweighing the hardships.

During World War Two over 500 NAAFI workers lost their lives on active service. From the beginning of the War NAAFI personnel were in action. The sinking of the battleship HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow on 14 October 1939 by a German U-boat resulted in the loss of the NAAFI Manager and many of his staff.

NAAFI staff also took part in the parade in London to honour the crews of the British cruisers HMS Ajax, Achilles and Exeter. These crews took part in the battle of the River Plate and the sinking of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee.

NAAFI staff gave their lives during the evacuation of British and Allied troops from Crete. During the loss of HMS Kelly, Lord Mountbatten's destroyer, both NAAFI staff went down with the ship, they were Mr R V King (manager) and Mr F R Martin.

NAAFI shop and canteen for RN Personnel on exercise within the Arctic Circle (RNM)