The Second Time Around -Anniversary Review Part 7
Tea Cars and Bombed-out Birthday Celebration
Almost as soon as the second world war broke out in September 1939, the YMCA stepped in with a new idea for bringing comfort to the troops. The first “Tea Car”, or mobile canteen, a second-hand van fitted out with a small kitchen and painted camouflage green, was in use on the streets of East London by September 23. By the end of 1940, there were 500 vans in service.
As well as visiting isolated army outposts along the British coastline, these vans followed the troops into France and Flanders. As the German armies pushed the British back to the French coastline the vans raced alongside the withdrawing armies, serving tea and selling cigarettes, chocolate, cake, hair cream, tooth-paste, and stationery. The crews, many of the woman, stayed with the armies until the very last moment. As rowing boats arrived from Britain to evacuate the army from the beaches of Dunkirk the crews of three mobile canteens saw their vans and supplies burnt by incendiary bombs were lifted, with the troops, in nick of time.
Across the channel, YMCA vans were on hand at Dover to serve 5,000 gallons of tea to the weary troops.
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| Above, Australian air-force pilots enjoy a 'cuppa' from a YMCA tea car |
One army officer wrote to the YMCA in thanks: “You people are simply splendid. In Flanders wherever we went there was a YMCA Tea Car to serve us, and we knew that in the withdrawal we should always find a YMCA Tea Car when we stopped, with tea and cigarettes. The YMCA Tea Cars stayed with us to the end, and were only left behind when orders came to abandon everything.”
Back at home, the bombing started. During the Blitz, the tea cars rushed to the aid of burning cities. By January 1941 there were 70 in use in London, serving hot drinks to the fire crews on duty through the night, providing food and drink for those made homeless and touring the public air-raid shelter.
In Coventry, YMCA mobile canteens kept the people of the city alive for ten to 14 days after the town’s food supplies had been destroyed by bombing.
In Sheffield one YMCA tea car worker vividly described his work in one evening’s report:
“Pulled up beside large squads of AFS man hosing burning buildings. When released they surgery over to our car. We could hardly hand out tea and provisions quick enough. They were soaked through, hungry and shivering with cold. Crowds of people, carrying what little belongings were left to them, hungry, and shivering in the bitter cold, called down blessings on our heads.”
As the war went on the YMCA developed new services - library vans, entertainments vans, and even cinema vans, and permanent centers for troops.
Internationally, the World Alliance of the YMCAs expended the work it had begun with prisoners of the war and refugees during the first world war. Altogether more than 250 YMCA secretaries visited camps in 38 countries.
In China, one camp of Japanese prisoners was re-named “Liberty Village” and run democratically by the prisoners themselves. In Poland Bibles and communion bread and wine were imaginative large-scale education programmes. Italian teachers were brought in to teach 8,000 illiterate Italian soldiers to read. And at Norton Camps, in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, almost 1,000 prisoners were trained as primary school teachers, coached to pass university entrance exams or given basic theological training.
After seeing photographs of Italian P.O.W.s using YMCA equipment for concerts and games, Mussolini said: “If soldiers see how well they are treated on the other side, how shall we be able to keep them?”
It was during the war that, overshadowed by much bigger events, the YMCA celebrated its centenary. As hordes of British and American troops gathered in London to prepare for their return to France, YMCA members were congregating in the city for an anniversary service in St Paul’s Cathedral. The preacher was the Archbishop of Canterbury Wukkuan Tenoke, who had headed the YMCA’s education work with troops during the first war.
Kenneth Ling, now the former President of the Yorkshire and Humberside Region of the YMCAs, was in London for the celebration. He was then a 20-year-old Huddersfield boys club leader, who had not been called up because he had lost an arm as a child.
“It was a memorable service,” he said. He recalls a chunk of St Paul’s had been blown out and was covered with tarpaulin.
“It was a memorable service,” he said. He recalls a chunk of St Paul’s had been blown out and was covered with tarpaulin.
“Just as the service was over there was a noise. We went outside and the sky was black and filled with planes. They were just going over to bomb the beaches in preparation for D-Day.”
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| Right, the Queen Mother, then Queen Elizabeth, inspects the 1000th YMCA tea car |
Taken from the 150th Anniversary Review
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