THE BEAVER CLUB. SIX YEARS AND A DAY

The Story of the Beaver Club, 1940-1946

With a Foreword by The Rt. Hon. Vincent Massey, C.H.

SPRING GARDENS, LONDON, S.W.1 KELLY & KELLY LIMITED PRINTERS 5, 6 & 7, SINGER ST, LONDON, E.C.2 FOREWORD

THIS little book tells the story of the Beaver Club from its establishment in February, 1940, till its close just six years and a day later. It was thought that the story was worth telling because the Club l-Yas unlike any other institution ministering to our Canadian Service-men. It was unique both in the measure and in the character of its services. Much of what it achieved was due to the fine teamwork of the hundreds of workers who staffed it. To their devotion and fortitude I would like to pay sincere tribute. The Beaver Club is no more but it will long be remembered. Above all we shall never forget the life that surged within its walls-the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and sailors and airmen who gave the Club its meaning and its workers their impulse to serve. The photograph " The Broadcast Bridge " is reproduced by permission of " The Associated Press of Great Britain, Ltd." and the greater number of the other illustrations are photographs by Mr. A. Louis Jarche. SIX YEARS AND A DAY

THE STORY OF THE BEAVER CLUB, 1940-1946

O arrive in London from a muddy camp, perhaps T on a first visit, in the black-out-an effective curtain of darkness - after a tedious rail journey, encumbered with kit and without plans for spending a welcome leave-such might have been the lot of many a Canadian service-man had not a group of Canadians in London, having in mind experiences of the 1914-18 War, determined to meet the plain needs of the man on leave. In that War, the Beaver Hut, in the Strand where the Tivoli Cinema now stands, provided a social centre for Canadian troops. What it meant to them to find Canadian atmosphere and fellowship so far from their home towns had been retained in their memory through the years that had passed. When, therefore, Mr. Vincent Massey, the High Commissioner for Canada, in December, 1939 con­ sulted a number of Canadians in London about the provision of amenities for Canadian service-men on leave, he found not only enthusiasm for the idea but donations for such a purpose readily provided. Under his Chairmanship, a Committee was formed consisting of Sir Edward Peacock, Mr. (later Sir) Ernest Cooper, Lt.-Col. Hamilton Gault, Mr. C. B. Cowley, Mr. Stan]ey Long and Mr. W. N. Mcllwraith. Mr. Edward Pope joined the Committee in June, 1940, and Mr. C. A. Banks and Mr. R. 0. McMurtry in August and September of the same year. 1 SIX YEARS AND A DAY The prime question was the location of the Club. Of necessity, it had to be centrally situated, accessible from main railway termini. More than ever would it be satisfactory if the site were in that neigh­ bourhood of Westminster which has become identified with Canadian Government and other services­ around Trafalgar Square and Cockspur Street. Addi­ tionally restricting the selection, the building had to be commodious and adaptable for use as a club. Old County Hall, Spring Gardens Happily, Mr. and Mrs. Massey, when driving one day along The Mall, were impressed by vacant premises at hand which, with no· basic alterations, appeared to meet the Committee's requirements. Across the road from Canada House and the Headquarters of the Canadian Military Forces, there runs from Cockspur Street to The Mall a short thoroughfare, almost in part no more than a passageway, named Spring Gardens. On the right where it joins The Mall is a building then known as Old County Hall, which had been erected by the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1860. Bearing a "To Let" notice board,£ the building, obviously unused for some years, had been the offices of the London County Council from 1889 until that body moved to its new premises on the south bank of the Thames. The Metropolitan Board of Works had leased the site from the Crown in 1858 and had demolished the existing building, the town house since 1726 of the Earls of Berkeley. That house, erected before 1726, was the first building on the land, the lease of which had been granted to George Loudon, master gardener of the Royal Gardens. At that early period, it formed part of the Wildernesse-later Upper Spring Garden -a portion of St. James's Park surrounding Prince Rupert's Lodgings, where he died in 1682. The 2 THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB enclosure, divided from the Park by a low fence, continued for a few years to be a covert for deer, the public being forbidden to disturb them. Earlier, in the time of Henry VIII, the King, exchanging properties with the then owners, took over " felds new Soyn With Wheit," of which cornfields the land covered by the Beaver Club formed a portion. Thus, the Beaver Club stands on what was, from 1668 until his death, part of the grounds of Prince Rupert, principal promoter of the Hudson's Bay Company. Occupying the corner site, facing, on one side, The Mall-a small pleasant balustraded garden plot lying between the building and the roadway-with wide views across St. James's Park to Westminster Abbey and Palace, the exterior of the premises presents an attractive appearance. When the building was inspected, the Committee was favourably impressed with its possibilities as a Club. It found a well-proportioned entrance hall, with small offices on either side. Opposite the entrance, through a large doorway of pleasing design, access was had to the main part of the building, the principal feature being an imposing elliptical staircase leading to the first floor. An outstanding feature of that floor was the large Council Chamber, the use of which for Club purposes was at once apparent to the Com­ mittee. In addition, well-proportioned, commodious rooms offered ample accommodation for the many amenities which it was proposed to install for the benefit and entertainment of Service personnel making use of the Club. Negotiations with the London County Council were not protracted. At a rent of £2,000 a year, the premises were obtained by the Committee as the club house for the Beaver Club. 3 SIX YEARS AND A DAY Finance, Decoration, Equipment, Staff But a club house is no more than the shell of a club. To bring a club to life much more is required­ finance, equipment, furnishing, staff, members ; in this instance also structural alterations, complete cleansing and re-decorating from floor to ceiling, for every room and corridor bore evidence of years of disuse. All requirements were quickly met. In the first few months there were substantial donations-£10,000 from Gillette Industries, Ltd., through its Chairman, Mr. (now Sir) Ernest Cooper; £10,000 from Mr. C. A. Banks on behalf of his Companies, Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd., Pato Consolidated Gold Dredging Ltd., Placer Development, Ltd. ; £5,000 from Lord Beaverbrook ; and numerous smaller contributions. From these funds, expenditure on equipment, furniture, decorations and alterations was provided. A guar­ antee up to fifty thousand dollars towards the cost of establishing the Club was given by the Canadian Red Cross. Thanks to gifts from other sources, the whole amount was not called for, the actual cash donation being £3,748. The Canadian Y.M.C.A., agreed to make a liberal grant of $50,000 annually towards the cost of the Club's operations. In many ways, the Canadian Y.M.C.A. also co-operated with the Board of Manage­ ment in carrying on the Club's services. Some forms of the help which it gave may well be mentioned as they will indicate the nature of the obligation which the Board is under to the Canadian Y.M.C.A. For example, it provided from among its personnel the four successive managers of the Club : it purchased, shipped and warehoused the Canadian supplies used by the Club, the import clearances being made on its licences in the United Kingdom: through its good offices, the 4

The Supervisors. The King and Queen visit the Club, 23rd February 1940. The Council Chamber after the Air Raid of the night of 8th March, 1941. THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB Club was able to secure sweets, chocolate, tobacco, and other commodities which were not generally available : and it placed orders for the Club's " Tuck Shop " : it also supplied games equipment for the recreation rooms, and-a greatly appreciated feature -two or three films weekly for the cinema perform­ ances. The position of the Canadian Y.M.C.A. in relation to the Club is indicated on the Club's letter paper-" The Beaver Club associated with the Canadian Y.M.C.A." The Club, however, remained an entirely independent institution, administered by its own governing body. Alterations were carried out in accordance with plans prepared by the late Major Harvey Dawson, F.R.I.B.A., a Canadian architect who had remained in London after the 1914-18 War. Structural alter­ ations, cleansing and renovating were put in hand by the Committee, and the decorating and furnishing were under the personal direction of Mrs. Massey, who, in the task of finding the furniture and equipment, had the active and able collaboration of Mr. Tommy McKinnon, a Canadian veteran of the First World War. Together they discovered many bargains in unexpected places. The Club also had the benefit of loans of furniture from generous friends. The Committee had realised from the beginning the importance of finding a properly qualified manager for the Club, and to that end communicated with Mr. J. W. Beaton, General War Secretary of the Canadian Y.M.C.A. in Toronto, with the result that some weeks before it opened Mr. H. J. Swetman arrived from Canada to take up the position. He was succeeded in April, 1942 by Mr. W. H. Spearman, who returned to Canada in May, 1944 when his place was taken by Mr. A. W. Kemball. For the last few months of the Club's existence Mr. E. G. Walling was Manager. Mr. C. A. J. Bourne, as Assistant Manager, carried 5 SIX YEARS AND A DAY the responsibility of the accounting of the Club's finances through almost the whole period of its exist­ ence. He took up his duties in October, 1940 and fulfilled them until the accounts were finally closed. At first only a very small number of paid staff were engaged, but their numbers grew as the activities of the Club increased until there were about 150 in December, 1945. The outstanding feature of the staffing of the Club from its opening until it closed its doors was the service of the voluntary staff, more than 500 in early days and increasing later to over 700, a substantial number being Canadian by birth or association. Without their loyal and devoted service, uninterrupted by the fiercest air attacks on London, the services of the Beaver Club could not have been maintained. This large corps of helpers was headed by its own supervisors who worked in close col­ laboration with the manager who, in turn, was directly responsible to the Board of Management. Three of the Supervisors, Mrs. Cambie, Mrs. Davidson, and Mrs. Swan, served with selfless devotion from the day the Club opened until it closed its doors for the last time. Those voluntary workers who completed a certain period of service at the Club were given specially designed badges by Mr. and Mrs. Massey, and 1,080 volunteers received this recognition. So energetically did the Committee and those who were assisting it apply themselves to the task of pre­ paration that the premises were ready to receive members on 19th February, 1940. The Club was formally opened by the King and Queen on 23rd February. A Club without Subscription No subscription was asked of those who used the Club. Although intended primarily for Canadian troops, its amenities and services being Canadian in 6 THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB interest and atmosphere, the Committee consistently declined to restrict the Club's facilities to Canadian service-men. It was a source of satisfaction to those responsible for the Club that it was able to include among its guests a certain number of British service-men and thus to reciprocate in some measure the hospitality which the Canadian Forces received throughout the War in United Kingdom institutions. Among those using the Club, mention should be made of the members of the Admiralty Arch Unit of the Home Guard. Although wearing private's battledress, they included retired Ambassadors, Admirals and Generals, and throughout the blitz and for a time afterwards were frequent and welcome visitors to the Club. A Real Want was Met From its opening, attendances showed that the Club satisfied a real need. By the end of 1940, it was estimated from fairly accurate records kept by the Commissionaires that they were more than 226,000 : and for the year 1941, about 600,000. What they increased to in after years will be set out later. It may be said of these figures, there being no authentic recording except by special arrangement, that they are no more than approximate-and the strength of that observation can be admitted*. The increasing use of the Club during the first two years can be more precisely shown by the takings at the canteen and snack bar. Over the first fifty-two weeks, the canteen took £11,838 : in the following fifty-two weeks, it took £22,716. The takings of the snack bar for the same periods rose from £4,805 to £14,313. One should bear in mind, when considering these figures, that the occasional

• A checked attendance for the two weeks, 13th-26th July, 1942, showed a total of 91,982, a daily average of 6,570. 7 SIX YEARS AND A DAY expenditure of a man on one visit would rarely exceed one shilling and threepence and many would spend less. Council Chamber Smashed by Bomb The figures for the second period are the more remarkable as the premises suffered severe damage from bombing during the night of 8th March, 1941. In the previous October, as the result of a bomb which fell in Carlton House Terrace, immediately adjoining the Club's premises, superficial damage had been done, but during an air attack on 8th March, a direct hit was registered on the Council Chamber, used as the niain canteen and also for dances and concerts. As will be seen from the illustration, that part of the premises was demolished, and in addition, the snack bar and tuck shop were also severely damaged. Happily, no one was killed: casualties were slight: courageous work by the manager and staff of the Club and the Fire Service extinguished the fire started by the bomb before irreparable damage was done to the premises. Notwithstanding this misfortune, the Club's services continued uninterruptedly owing to the tireless work and undaunted spirit of Mr. Swetman, then Manager of the Club, ably assisted and supported by every worker in the Club, whether voluntary or on the paid staff. What was done at this critical juncture furnished an outstanding example of conquering the many difficulties so frequently created by enemy action. An emergency canteen was forthwith established in the basement and other dispossessed services were accom­ modated elsewhere in undamaged or only partially damaged rooms. Restoration, involving rebuilding, repairs, redecoration, re-equipment and refurnishing, was, under war conditions, even with goodwill and co-operation from all quarters, a long process. 8 THE STORY OF THE BEAVER CLUB For some time, increased use of the Club premises had given the Board of Management considerable food for thought and, eventually, the entire second floor of the building was redecorated and furnished, the work being completed in August, 1942. While this work was in progress, the large scale operation of rebuilding and furnishing the Council Chamber was undertaken and carried to successful completion in November of the same year. It proved to be a long and expensive business but, fortunately for the Club, almost the entire cost was met by the War Damage Commission. It is fitting at this point that the Board should acknowledge with grateful thanks the able and willing services rendered to the Club in this connection by the architects, Messrs. Hal Williams and Co., the surveyors, Messrs, Hamilton H. Turner and Son, and the contractors, Messrs. Holliday and Greenwood. In the same month, the Club took over as an annex the connected buildings, Nos. 10, 12 and 14 Spring Gardens, using the premises for food stores and also transferring to them the Barber Shop, the Valeting Service, Shoe Shine Parlour and First Aid Post. On 14th November, 1942, the Club recorded its largest daily attendance to that time, 13,000; in the following week, the highest attendance for any week was registered-over 70,000. Henceforward the Club suffered no material damage from bombs or rockets, except for broken windows in 1944, and no other obstacle of outstanding importance to the main­ tenance of its services. But to be conducted effect­ ively and efficiently, the services required continuous attention and direction. Throughout the whole exist­ ence of the Club, the Committee, styled more accurately from April, 1941, the " Board of Management," held weekly, latterly fortnightly, meetings in the High Commissioner's room at Canada House. To these 9 SIX YEARS AND A DAY meetings a Finance Committee and a House Com­ mittee, appointed by the Board from its members, reported. A heavy burden fell inevitably upon these Committees and especially on the respective Chairmen, Mr. W. N. Mcilwraith and Mr. R. 0. McMurtry. They and their colleagues gave devoted and untiring service to the Club during the whole six years, and to their ability much of the success is due. Upon the House Committee fell the duty of main­ taining the premises, equipment, furniture and decoration. The use by thousands of men weekly of the lounges, games rooms, dining rooms, offices­ even stairs and corridors--caused " wear and tear " demanding constant replacements and renovations. Bearing in mind that the numbers were always rising, the need for more furniture and equipment was an ever present problem. One notes, throughout the Board's Minutes, the persistency of these requirements, so necessary to satisfy in order to keep the Club's premises and its many services up to a high standard. The Needs of the Service-Man The first needs of a man arriving in town on leave are simple-facilities for something more than " a wash and brush up," a place which can be his centre, and a meal. Later, to make good use of his time, he desires entertainment and guidance as to where to go and what to see. To satisfy these needs, the Beaver Club provided full facilities. In the Check Room he could deposit his kit, with the certainty that it was in safety until he required it. At hand, were shower and tub baths­ with hot and cold water. A shave, hair-cut, shampoo, and even more elegant treatments were to be had in the Barber Shop. For the independent, Gillette Corner provided facilities for self-shaving. The mud of the camps was soon removed in the Shoe Shine Parlour 10 THE STORY OF THE BEAVER CLUB where boots received a town polish. A valeting service ironed out rumpled uniforms and gave trousers as pronounced a crease as a British guardsman would envy. Unelaborate these amenities may be, but those who have experienced need of them know how effect­ ively they re-clothe one in self-respect. Telephones were at the service-man's disposal, and in the Message Room he could leave messages for, or receive them from his friends. Canadian Meals for Canadians Something to eat occurs naturally as a desire to be satisfied. From the day it opened the Beaver Club provided Canadian meals for Canadian soldiers, recognising their special tastes and the impossibility of satisfying them in London restaurants or cafes under war-time conditions. A postcard sent home to Canada from a contented member of the Beaver Club read-" The soldier marches on his stomach. I recommend the Beaver Club for food." It was the aim of the Board of Management always to deserve this recommendation. But it must be recorded that considerable obstacles had to be overcome from time to time in order to accomplish this aim. Upon the difficulties of catering in London in the years of war it is unnecessary to dwell : the needs of the Club demanded the services of a catering manageress -not always easily di~coverable even in time of peace-and one who was capable, in addition, of handling a staff of paid and voluntary assistants. In this capacity the Club had the expert services first of Mrs. Mulville, then of Miss Rolfe, and finally of Miss Copley. Mention has already been made of the destruction of the canteen, necessitating resort to emergency arrangements for a considerable period. Besides, the premises not having been built for the preparation 11 SIX YEARS AND A DAY and service of meals, their organisation had to be fitted into the limits of the existing structure. FinaLy, a matter which seldom occurs to the customer, there was the problem of equipment-of a type and on a scale capable of dealing with a heavy demand during the "peak" period. One has to study the Minutes of the Board of Management and the Reports of the House Com­ mittee to be aware of the care and attention con­ tinuously given to these questions. To Messrs. Lyons, whose guidance was sought on more than one occasion, the Board is deeply indebted. Not only were the services of their expert advisers freely given on various occasions, but during the emergency in 1941 they made available for the Club kitchen, free of cost, valuable items of equipment which could not otherwise have been obtained. Rationed foods were supplied in the normal manner and unrationed food was bought in the open market : through the good offices of the Canadian Y.M.C.A., supplies of such items as maple syrup, com-on-the-cob, tinned pumpkin, tinned fruits, other special Canadian products and, until economic conditions changed, Canadian meats (especially hams and tongues), came direct from Canadian sources. The Club provided three refreshment services­ hot meals in the canteen, lighter meals in the snack bar, and griddle cakes in the griddle bar. At a "peak" period, over 40,000 men were served weekly. In the canteen, breakfast was available from 8-9.30 a.m. : dinner from noon to 2.30 p.m. : and supper from 4.30 to 8 p.m. The meals were .substantial and nourishing, with as much variety as was possible under the conditions then obtaining. Ptices were reasonable-one might say, having in mind the general level of charges in London at the time, surprisingly low. The menus from two days of a week in December, 1945 may be of interest. 12 An Enquiry of the Information Bureau. The Main Lounge.

Griddle Bar - A Difficult Uecision. Field Comforts.

The Library and Reading RooIO. Conversation Piece. THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB The breakfast menu on one day included porridge, cereals, grilled bacon, scrambled egg, fried bread, fried potatoes, bread and butter, jam, marmalade, peanut butter, and honey : on the other, porridge, cereals, grilled bacon, mushroom omelette, " bubble, and squeak," fried potatoes and preserves. The prices were porridge 2d., bacon 2d., scrambled egg 2d., fried bread ld., preserves ld., bread and butter ld. tea was ld. a cup, and coffee 2ld. For dinner, one day there was roast lamb or york­ shire pie, mashed potatoes, cabbage, swedes ; duchess pudding and custard sauce ; assorted salads ; assorted cold sweets. On another day, roast beef and york­ shire pudding, baked and boiled potatoes, cabbage, leeks and white sauce ; semolina and raisin pudding ; assorted salads (such as tongue, sardine, smoked herring) ; and assorted cold sweets. For the meat dish and two vegetables, or salad, and hot or cold sweet, together with bread and butter or bread, and tea or coffee, the inclusive charge was 1s. 3d. One penny more was required if a soft drink instead of tea or coffee was chosen. Supper, a lighter meal, was provided for on one menu by baked fish and parsley sauce ; spaghetti in tomato sauce on toast ; vegetable omelette ; peas ; potatoes ; assorted salads ; assorted cold sweets : on the other, by cheese noodles ; baked beans on toast ; cottage pie; carrots; potatoes; assorted salads; assorted cold sweets (such as pears or peaches, blue­ berry pie, custard tart). The supper prices were fish dish, meat dish and omelette, 6d. ; vegetables 2d. ; salads, 9d. ; cold sweets, 4d. One might say that in the later years of the Club's existence about two hundred breakfasts were served daily, though there were times when the number was doubled : dinners numbered on an average 13 SIX YEARS AND A DAY 1,200 ; suppers usually 600, though the number has been 800. In round figures, day in and day out, about 2,000 hot meals were served in the canteen alone when the Club was running under conditions which came to be regarded as normal. The meal of the day was dinner. For it, a queue formed each day, but as the service was spread over two hours and a half, and as " customei:s " passed at the rate of seven a minute, the queue was always moving up. Progression from the head of the queue was rational-take up tray ; select from menu board ; pass cold counter (cold meats, salads, bread and butter, cold sweet) ; pass hot counter; pass drink counter (soft drinks, coffee, tea) ; pay ; collect knives, forks, spoons ; pass to one of the dining rooms. The diner left his used plates and cutlery at the counter as he went out : trays were collected from the dining rooms from time to time, and one member of the staff was wholly employed at meal times in cleaning and replacing them for further use. The snack bar opened at 10 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m. During that time it was in continuous opera­ tion. Even longer hours were worked in the griddle bar, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nowhere else in London, it is said, were real Canadian griddle cakes obtainable. The assertion may be open to challenge but what cannot be disputed was the popularity" of the product ; indeed it became necessary to limit the portions to two per person at one time of asking. There is evidence that many customers lined up for two more. One member of the staff, solely occupied for four years in making the batter, became wonderfully adept in mixing it of such quality that none but the most perfect griddle cakes were produced. The aim of the Board of Management was always to meet the cost of food and its preparation, together with wages, out of the receipts of the canteen and 14 THE STORY OF THE BEAVER CLUB snack and griddle bars. It was greatly helped to that end by the voluntary staff. Its members worked in shifts-one from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ; another from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ; and the third, coming on duty at 6 p.m., after their day's work, served the evening meals and in the snack and griddle bars until about 10 p.m. Some twenty-five of the forty normally on evening duty slept on the Club premises, and rising at 6.45 a.m. helped to serve breakfasts from 8 to 10 a.m. when they left for their day's business. Well over half of those on the night rota, about 250, gave their services in this way on one or two nights a week during the whole time the Club was open -a record of voluntary service which the Board of Management and all who have used the Club will always keep in memory, more unforgettable since for considerable periods heavy air raids were of nightly occurrence. " Enquire Within " For a stranger in a strange city-and especially in so confusing a metropolis as London-most sought for is a centre where "information" can be obtained. At the Beaver Club such a bureau covered a multi­ tude of services. They had one common feature­ each was a personal service to an individual. This department was under the direction of Mrs. Davidson who had been on the voluntary staff of the Beaver Hut in 1918. Among her assistants were Mrs. Crowe and Lady Ashley Cooper. Many requests were of an expected nature. What should one see ? During what hours could they be seen ? How to get there ? Information about trains and about religious services-a comprehensive notice board of such services was prominently displayed. About stage shows and concerts (for which a daily allo­ cation of free tickets was made to the Club) and so 15 SIX YEARS AND A DAY on : questions which an Information Bureau at any centre receiving guests is certain to be asked. Indeed, anticipating many of them, the Club prepared a map of Central London and a handy pocket guide­ both of which circulated in many thousands, being limited only by the difficulty of obtaining sufficient paper to meet the demand. The Beaver Club had no sleeping accommodation for men on leave, but its Information Bureau, keeping contact with Canadian and other Service hostels in London, booked such accommodation for all who desired it. This feature was most welcome, for it saved men from much waste of precious leave in seeking for themselves a hostel in London with vacant beds. To know that accommodation for the length of one's leave was fixed by the simple process of booking by telephone was to begin leave with satis­ faction. Private hospitality, too, was an " Information " service. Invitations from all parts of the United Kingdom to Canadians to stay as guests in British families were received. They were carefully analysed and meticulously recorded in a book kept for the purpose. Considerable in number, they were most varied in kind. To bring together hosts and guests of similar tastes was the aim of the Information Bureau. There were invitations to meals, for the day, for the week-end, and for the whole leave period. There were offers to receive convalescents. For Christmas, of course, the numbers rose. Hosts and hostesses represented all classes and dispositions. All with Canadian associations let that fact be known. One unusual attraction was "Gaelic spoken." Other amenities noted were tennis, swimming pools, music, and so on. Invitations were not confined to city or urban dwellers, they came in numbers from the villages and farms of rural Britain. " A small mixed 16 THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB farm, village dances "-acceptance of such an in­ vitation would give any Canadian a real insight into English country life. He who was instructed, after the train journey, to take the bus from the Market Place to "Pigstye Corner" could be certain that he was indeed in rural England. " Information " became experienced in blending offers and acceptances. One gathers how skilled they were not only from letters of thanks but from the knowledge that many a Canadian found an English family with whom he regularly spent his leaves, as one would go home. Ever present was the mutual appreciation of two outlooks on life, impossible without personal home associations, and resulting, one hopes, in a lasting understanding that will have real influence on the future of the Empire. To all the good people who extended this generous hospitality the Board of Management expresses, on behalf of the service-men who benefited therefrom, its deepest gratitude. The Information Bureau was an " enquire within," not on everything, but upon an extraordinarily wide range of subjects, and its· staff maintained that it had never been at a loss for an answer. To many questions, the reply was, of course, easily made, but only through experience. In Confidence In any body of men, far from home, separated from wives and families, dependent for news of them upon irregular war-time communications, subject to mis­ understandings which arise from almost the clearest written letters, there are individuals in anxiety, doubt, and difficulty-personal and domestic. One reads and hears too often of men whose army "crime" has arisen from these causes. Many would never have gone so far had they known someone in whom they 17 SIX YEARS AND A DAY could confide and whose advice they would not have been distrustful of asking. Many men took their troubles to the Manager of the Club, each one of whom by reason of his Y.M.C.A. training was not only sympathetic, but skilled in his approach to the problem put to him. Others sought solace and guidance for their uneasiness of mind by confiding in one or other of the voluntary personnel in the Information Bureau or " Field Comforts" Department where they were sure to find a ready human understanding and sympathy derived from ripe experience. Of the confidences made to them, they may not speak or reveal for record. But they can disclose, from knowledge coming to them later, that in not a few instances they prevented family misunderstanding burgeoning into irreconcilable disputes, showed many a young soldier ways out of seemingly insoluble troubles and, by so doing, kept them clear of some army " crime " which, in desperation, they had under contemplation. The Deposit Bank The soldier· on leave (" hail fellow well met ") with pay to spend, no defined plans and in highest spirits, may become easy prey for the underworld of great cities. Against such regrettable happenings the Beaver Club provided safeguards. That its members were well pleased with them, the records testify. Consider, for instance, its Deposit Bank. There, the service-man on leave could place on deposit what sum he wished. He could draw on it, on demand, as he liked. The amount which he put in was entered on a card, accounted for by his signature : and his drawings, also enter~d on the card, were similarly vouched for. Many men drew so much a day, spreading the sum at their disposal 18 THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB over the whole period of their leave, escaping thereby the weariness of those last days which accompanies empty pockets. Indeed, there were those who used the Bank as a permanent deposit, having a balance which they replenished from time to time or from which they sent amounts home to Canada. Needless to say, there were those who could not so carefully manage their :finances. The volunteers who staffed the Bank-the senior, Mrs. E. E. Forsyth, from New Zealand, from the day of its opening-be­ came inured to " hard up " stories, and declined, though sometimes perhaps a little reluctantly, to make advances. The effect of one such refusal remains in their memory for it caused the following cable to be dispatched-" To the best mother in the world: please send fifteen dollars immediately." Although the Beaver Club was not afforded official postal facilities, it provided such of them as are usual in clubs. It sold stamps ; for two years it handled parcels ; it received letters and cables for members ; and accepted out-going cables for dispatch. All of which services the staff in the Bank also handled, often gaining thereby an intimate but strictly con­ fidential knowledge of family anxieties and diffi­ culties. Upon the wording in such cases of cables of enquiry or assurance, the staff, approachable and experienced, gave kindly, helpful assistance for which many men have reason to thank them. The services so far recorded were, indeed, part only of the amenities offered by the Club, so to speak, " on the premises." On all floors there were lounges where in most comfortable armchairs and settees it was possible to read and rest-and even to doze without disturbance. There were writing rooms, too, so well supplied with Club stationery that no one had a real excuse for not writing home. During the day the writing tables were rarely vacant for any time 19 SIX YEARS AND A DAY and the armchairs and settees were always occupied. The voluntary staff whose duty it was to keep the lounges and writing rooms neat and tidy were fully employed. Games rooms, also billiards, skittles, " bingo " and table tennis were provided for those who wished to pass their time in any one of these ways. There were organised entertainments, too, in variety, of which more will be said later : but at this stage it will be convenient to record the remainder of the services which the Club offered to the individual member. First Aid Service Most useful was the First Aid Service. From December, 1940, the First Aid Room, staffed by members of the Westminster Division of the British Red Cross Society and equipped with Canadian supplies (some badly needed equipment being given by the Canadian Red Cross) was open every day, Sundays included, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Its value is shown in the number of attendances-33,832 from December, 1940 to 19th February, 1946, when it closed. The daily attendance varied, of course, but reference to the case books shows a continuous flow throughout the opening hours. Two days, selected from them at random, record 33 and 37 patients, distributed 12 and 10 before noon ; 11 and 17 from noon until 3 p.m., and 10 each day after 3 p.m. until closing time. To those who are without knowledge of the needs of a mass of men for first aid treatment, the figure of attendances will be surprising-and not less the variety of causes. Examining the case books, one notes treatments for cough, sore throats, ulcerated throat, burns, boils, cut legs, septic finger, crushed fingers, torn nail, splinter in hand, inflamed eye, 20 Siesta - Leave in London is so tiring. Ffrst Aid Serv,ce.

Tuel< Shop. " Bingo " demands concentration. A Games Room. The Broadcast Bridge - A Message Home. - THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB painful ear, grazed elbow, scalded arm, warts, sprained ankle, blistered heel, athletes foot, wounded shoulder, indigestion, abdominal pain : and that " morning after" feeling, sometimes recorded as "severe head­ ache," but at other times bluntly " hangover," for which the remedy in either case was bromo-seltzer. Akin to the First Aid Service was chiropody treatment. Twice a week from October, 1942, until February, 1946, a qualified chiropodist, Miss Mutch, volunteered her services. How welcome they were is shown by the attendance-1,270. In addition to the immediate relief which first aid treatment brought, the service had a wider value. It enabled a man on leave to continue enjoying his leave, whereas without treatment he would have been in pain and some distress. In such cases also it prevented developments through neglect, which might, at the end of his leave, have sent him to hospital. The First Aid Department, of course, sent all serious cases on to the Canadian Army Medical Service, with which it had a most complete under­ standing, shown al~o by a further arrangement by which men on hospital leave attended the First Aid Room at the Club for changes of dressings and other attention. The Tuck Shop From First Aid one turns to a far different service ; that attraction, recalling school days, known as the " Tuck Shop " ; it was never without customers and generally presented the war-time feature of queues. It expanded from a small counter in the snack bar to a big room of its own. There, tobacco and cigarettes could be bought; and, at reasonable prices, a variety (the stock covered some five hundred different items) of such articles as service-men especially require or desire for personal use or as 21 SIX YEARS AND A DAY souvenirs. Thus, for sale, were medal ribbons, badges and flashes, toilet requisites, stationery, lighters, leather belts, mirrors, pouches, thermos flasks, photo films, wrist watch straps, chocolate and sweets (from Canada) and gum. There were souvenirs, too, for girl friends, or families at home, and toys for the children. That articles in very short supply in shops were often to be found in the Beaver Club was due to the skilful buying in the early days of Mrs. W. Wilmot, and in later years of Mrs. E. L. James, who most efficiently enlarged and maintained this important feature of the Club's activities. All good value for the money, and highly appreciated by the men, as is shown by the turnover. which in the first twelve months of the Club's operation was £4,805 and in the twelve months period ending 19th Febru_ary, 1946, £82,763. Field Comforts Service A kindly service was Field Comforts under the direction of Mrs. M. Appleby : it covered more_ than is implied in the name. From its stores such material · " comforts " as scarves, gloves, helmets, pullovers, mittens, abdominal belts and socks-gifts in all cases, mostly from Canada and many from the Canadian Women's Club, Ottawa-were supplied to the men in need of them. But its speciality was an attention of which only women, knowing men's helplessness in such matters, would have realised the importance. From March, 1940, until the Club closed six years later, seven days a week, three very helpful and willing volunteers mended and even altered uniforms, sewed on them divisional and regimental flashes, shoulder badges and chevrons, and medal ribbons, to the number of several hundred weekly, reaching in total, the records show, the figure of 83,474. And, it may be remarked, at no cost to the Club's funds for such necessities as needles, cottons, and thread were purchased out 22 THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB of the proceeds from the sale of the packing cases in which the " comforts " from Canada were transported. There was, about this service, more than is ex­ pressed in the above description. Conducted in a room which might well have been the parlour of any soldier's home, the atmosphere invited confidences, further influenced by the understanding of the voluntary workers, the senior of whom had Canadian associations of many years. One gathers, therefore, that many of those thousands who made use of Field Comforts stayed for the talk about Canadian and their own affairs. Indeed, there is proof especially of the latter, for one hears of wedding and birthday gifts from the " comforts " stores, and knowledge of these occasions could only have been obtained if conversations had taken a personal turn. One can say of this service that it completely fulfilled the wishes of those who founded the Club-that it should, so far as was possible, reproduce a home and Canadian environment in all that it offered. All the News from Canada Nowhere was such atmosphere more decidedly shown than in the Library and Reading Room, super­ vised by Miss Bowron, and later by Lady Japp. There, around the walls some eighty Canadian newspapers -national dailies, local weeklies-were racked, and on the tables were some twenty weekly periodicals. Their supply was the answer to an invitation by the High Commissioner to newspaper proprietors to place the Club on their circulation list-and generous was the response. Could they have seen-some did when visiting the Club-the 11:se which was made of their gifts, they would have realised how fully they had satisfied the service-man's intense desire for news from home. Indeed, to write of the papers as being on racks around 23 SIX YEARS AND A DAY the walls is misleading. They were, it is true, so first placed, and repeatedly replaced, by the Librarian : but there they did not remain. The Reading Room was always full. One might even see on occasions, such was the demand, two readers to one paper. The Broadcast Bridge Broadcasting was a bridge between men on leave in London and their families and friends in Canada. In August, 1940, the British Broadcasting Corporation proposed that a permanent line should be instalJed at the Club, affording a weekly broadcast to Canada. The offer was accepted by the Board of Management. The first broadcast of the series arranged by the Cana­ dian Broadcasting Corporation, with Mr. "Gerry" Wilmot at the "mike," took place on 4th October, 1940, in the form of a quiz between six-a-side Eastern and Western teams of service-men. Those who took part "enjoyed" the opportunity of saying a few words to relatives and friends in Canada. Personal messages continued to be broadcast until the end of September, 1942, by which date 12,505 had been transmitted. In the following month, a new broadcasting studio was opened on the third floor, the Club making the necessary constructional arrangements and the British Broadcasting Corpora­ tion supplying the equipment. It was regularly used by the Canadian Forces Radio Service, and, once a week, members of the Canadian Forces formed the audience. Other ways of making the Club a bit of Canada in the heart of London were devised. Dominion Day was naturally an occasion for a special pro­ gramme. To the party on that day in 1943, for example, a hundred girls from the Canadian Forces were invited as guests to the Club. In 1943, with the same purpose in view, on one 24 THE STORY OF THE BEAVER CLUB night of the week, the dance and entertainment was especially assigned to a Province of the Dominion. On these "Province Nights," as guest of honour a distinguished representative of the particular Province was invited to be present, and men on leave from the Province were welcomed. The idea was carried further. Re-unions were arranged for men from the same city or town. Indi­ vidual invitations were· sent to them from their home town in Canada. Many such functions were held. Among the places participating were, for example­ Swift Current, Saskatchewan ; Calgary ; Flin Flon, Manitoba; Powell River, B.C.; Waterloo, Ontario; Thamesville, Ontario ; Grenfell, Saskatchewan. Mother's Day also afforded an opportunity for exceptional activity. On that day in 1941 there was a broadcast to Canada when a message from Mrs. Churchill was relayed. Service-men gave a musical programme. Then and in following years broadcasts were arranged, when Mrs. Massey and Lady Polson spoke to the mothers in Canada. Indoor Entertainment Organised entertainment within the Club grew to be so important a feature ·with the number of men using it that the Board decided to appoint an Enter­ tainments Assistant to work with the Manager and the already existing Entertainments Committee set up by the voluntary workers. Arrangements were accordingly completed through the kind offices of the Canadian Y.M.C.A. and the first Entertainments Assistant, Mr. Andy Ashton, took up his duties at the Club in June, 1942. He was succeeded in March, 1945, by Mr. E. G. Walling. On his appointment as Manager in November, 1945, Mr. Walling gave up the post, his successor being Mr. R. D. McDonald who remained until the Club closed. 25 SIX YEARS AND A DAY The programme was continuous, and as varied as could be devised. The service-man on leave could be certain of afternoon and evening and often lunch hour attractions, within the Club itself. Dances were, of course, a basic item of the enter­ tainment programme. Excepting Sundays, they were almost a nightly event, and in the afternoons tea dances were frequent. Club statistics record attendances at dances as 243,600, and the figure may be regarded as a near approximation to exactness. Most dances were free; at some a small charge was made. Some were informal ; others were more de rigueur. Voluntary workers were dance hostesses; to some dances, men could bring a lady partner. Arrangements over six years naturally varied. By May, 1943, dances had become "parties" and not just " another dance." Dance contests, games, quiz contests were included-and even Highland dances. The last, it is reported, had so developed that at one time sixteen couples could be seen on the floor dancing reels, encouraged on occasions by Scots Guards who, with their pipers, gave exhibitions of Highland dancing. The entertainment programme about this time shows the specialities of the dance arrangements. On Wed­ nesdays, the dance was for Canadians only, who could bring a partner. On Thursdays, a dance contest was staged. On Fridays, during the dance inter­ mission, a quiz contest was put on. On Saturdays there was a tea dance in the afternoon, and the evening entertainment was a " Beaver Club Party." Men who did not know how to dance had no reasonable excuse for not participating, for once a week, from 7-9.30 p.m., dancing instruction was given by Miss Madelaine Lee, whose pupils numbered many hundreds, and here may be mentioned a happy thought of an anonymous donor-the gift of a supply of dancing shoes for the men. 26 THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB Other regular entertainments were provided in variety. On three afternoons a week there were " movies," the films being supplied by the Canadian Y.M.C.A., many of them at that time not having been released for public showing. " Bingo " parties were held twice a week: a weekly whist drive could be expected and table tennis tournaments were regularly arranged. Lunch-hour concerts in the snack bar were given three times weekly : at those on Sundays bands of the Guards played for a considerable period. A tea dance in the Lounge was a Saturday afternoon item on the entertainment programme, whilst on Sunday afternoon there was a tea-hour concert. Every month, sixty or so wounded soldiers, " boys in blue " from Canadian hospitals, were entertained by the Club to a concert and tea. Except on particular occasions, the music was supplied by the Beaver Club Orchestra, a combination of instrumentalists whose leader and moving spirit over the years was Miss Mitzie Kaye, and for whose devoted, entirely voluntary service the Board of Management and all who passed through the Club owe a deep debt of gratitude. She and her faithful assistants never failed them, fair weather or foul, bombs or no bombs, and many thousand Canadian service-men will long remember her bright and viva­ cious personality. Keeping up Christmas Christmas at the Beaver Club was a specially recognised festival. The Club rooms were lavishly decorated. Christmas trees, made gay with illumina­ tions, were abundant. On Christmas Day, 1940, 1,200 Canadians on leave took part in the proceedings, the canteen and snack bar giving a continuous service. Christmas Day, 1941, was marked by a free dinner. The festival in 1942, 1943 and 1944 by 27 SIX YEARS AND A DAY a free turkey dinner, an afternoon party, and an evening dance. Festivities for Christmas, 1945, being the last occasion for the Club, shall for that reason have fuller mention. On the afternoons of the two days preceding 25th December, the Beaver Club Carol Choir sang in the Assembly Hall. On the Sunday (23rd December), a party went (as in previous years) to St. George's Chapel, Windsor. On Christmas Day itself dinner in the Assembly Hall was timed for 12.30 p.m. Two hundred and fifty men partook of it, all on this occasion, as at previous Christmas Day dinners, being guests of the Club. The menu was- Grape Fruit

Turkey Ham Sausage

Corn-on-the-Cob Carrots Potatoes Cranberry Jelly

Plum Pudding Mince Pies Afterwards to hear the King's Speech, the guests adjourned to the main lounge where also the after­ noon party and the evening party and dance were held. " It Did My Heart Good" To give the men on leave in London a good time at Christmas was the immediate aim of the Club and, thanks particularly to the efforts of the voluntary workers, it was well fulfilled. But also in their minds was the hope that mothers, wives and families away in Canada should feel that their men were able to keep Christmas in the old way. 28 Home Town News. New Year Party. Barber's Shop.

Shoe Shine Parlour.

Valeting Service. Queen Mary arrives for the Farewell Party, 19th February, 1946. THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB It was pleasant to know that men wrote home happy reports of the time they had had. Letters of thanks came back to the Club; one such, from Alberta, so sincere and artless, deserves record. Addressed to "Dear Folks of the Beaver Club," it read- " I am writing to thank you for your kindness to my boy Bill and his two friends on Christmas Day. I was thinking while we were having Christmas dinner, poor Bill, he won't be getting any turkey this year, and I was feeling kinda blue about it. And then the first letter I got he was telling me about the grand turkey dinner he had with all the trimmings and about the parcel with useful gifts each soldier was given before they left. My, it did my heart good ....." The Club Celebrates Its Birthdays The Club never forgot to celebrate its birthdays. It was an occasion every year for special rejoicings. On the anniversary in 1941, its guest of honour was the Duke of Gloucester-the Duchess had visited the Club a few days earlier. In 1942, the Duke and Duchess of Kent were the guests of the Club. In 1943, the birthday party was marked by a musical programme in which the R.C.A.F. Orchestra played, Miss Beatrice Lillie sang, and a broadcast and a dance. On the occasion of its fourth anniversary (February, 1944), the Club was honoured by a second visit from the King and Queen. The High Commissioner being in Canada on official business, Sir Edward Peacock took his place. The R.C.A.F. Orchestra played during the afternoon and at the dance in the evening. Anniversary celebrations in February, 1945, were spread over the whole week from 19th to 25th February. To the party on the first evening, the Lord Mayor of London and the Lady Mayoress came. Among those 29 SIX YEARS AND A DAY present were a number of service-men on leave from the Western Front. Guest artists of " stage and screen "-seventy-seven in all-gave their services. Every evening there was a dance at which attendances varied between 500 and 600. There were teas and concerts ; and on two occasions, sponsored by the First Aid Post and by the Library and " Field Com­ forts," Canadian service-men " in hospital blue " were entertained to tea, seventy-five being present on each occasion. The sixth anniversary-and the last-was fittingly celebrated, as described later. Touring London and Around Men on leave in London naturally went sight­ seeing, daylight raids and other war-time hindrances notwithstanding. The Club in many ways helped them to make the best use of their time. Mention has already been made of the map and guide prepared for those who wished to make their own way about. An independent tour round London by bus at a cost of one shilling for the fare, for which the Club pre­ pared a useful route guide, was very popular, the Club having issued a total of 134,520 tickets for this tour. But the Club itself made a feature of its own con­ ducted tours under the expert guidance of Mr. S. Studd, who in February, 1940, just after the Club opened, took the first party to the Tower of London, to which visits were made twice daily thereafter. From that time until the Club closed Mr. Studd devoted his whole time to this very valuable work, and personally conducted hundreds of parties to places of interest in and near London. The Houses of Parliament were visited three times a week, Sir Jocelyn Lucas, M.P., acting as host and guide on most occasions. Parties were conducted 30 THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB over Westminster Abbey, special permission being given to visit Henry VII's Chapel. To witness the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace was an alternate day attraction. Every Saturday there was a trip to Windsor Castle, and on Sundays a journey was made to Hampton Court Palace. The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace were also visited; so, regularly, were the Zoological Gardens and Madame Tussauds Waxworks, including, of course, the Chamber of Horrors. For some time, parties were taken to the General Post Office. Once a week a comprehensive conducted tour of London was in the programme. Club tours were not confined to the conventional sights. Petticoat Lane on Sunday morning was an attractive outing. The Mint was regularly visited, but the number in a party was naturally severely limited. On other visits also restrictions were reason­ ably placed upon numbers ; such as on those to the " Evening Standard " which was a regular Thursday afternoon feature, and to the " Daily Express," as a regular feature on Friday nights. Other attractions, at various times, (for war con­ ditions, rationing, and air raid damage were liable to provoke interruptions and sometimes complete stoppages) were to the Royal Naval College, Green­ wich; Lloyds (with tea); Courage's Brewery, Tower Bridge (with lunch) ; Carreras (with cigarettes) ; Lyons Bakeries at Cadby Hall ; the Mansion House (with refreshments) ; and on Sunday mornings, until it was destroyed by bombing, the Guards Chapel at Wel­ lington Barracks where seats were reserved for the Club party. · Historic Homes and the English Countryside During the summer of 1941, austerity and war restrictions not being as severe as they later became, 31 SIX YEARS AND A DAY facilities were obtained for the series of Sunday visits to historic and pleasant homes within easy reach of London. The first was to Hampton Court, where as guests of a resident the party viewed the Palace from a privileged angle, and later enjoyed a picnic tea in Bushey Park. The second ,visit was to the home of Mr. C. A. Banks, a member of the Board of Manage­ ment, at Englefield Green in Surrey. The third to Ashridge Common in bluebell time showed the English countryside in spring to perfection. Hexton Manor -mentioned in Domesday Book-the home of Sir Patrick Ashley Cooper, in Hertfordshire, was also visited. On another occasion, the excursion was to Windsor where the party was received at St. George's Chapel by the Dean, and afterwards, by special permission, picnicked on a perfect June day in the Royal Park. There was a visit, also, to Sir John and Lady Dashwood, who is Canadian born, at West Wycombe Park where there was boating on the lake and for the energetic a climb to the remarkable church on the hill. That to Knole ·Park, the historic home of the Sackvilles, was a memorable occasion, Lord Sackville meeting the party and acting as its guide. As guests of Phyllis Court, Henley-on-Thames, the party enjoyed boating on the river and engaged themselves in impromptu races on the regatta course. Markyate Cell, in Hertfordshire, monastic, ancient and haunted, was an unusual attraction. History was recalled by the visit to Hever Castle -Ann Boleyn's residence when courted by Henry VIII. There were visits also to Lady Crosfield at Highgate, whose courts have made lawn tennis history; to Lady Harcourt's at Puttenham Priory with its wide views across Surrey ; to Tewin Water with its famous pictures where Lady Beit was hostess; and to The Lodge at Crawley where Mr. Benskin led the party 32 THE STORY OF THE BEA VER CLUB through woods to the lake for a picnic tea and canoeing for those who wished. Unhappily, these outings could not be resumed in later years. War restrictions becoming stricter, trans­ port was unobtainable, and with the best will, hostesses, in the face of rationing, were unable to provide refreshments. But, so long as they continued, they allowed a sight of " old England " in history and in its unadorned countryside. The records show that 95,304 men on leave went sightseeing on the Club's personally-conducted tours and visits. The figure is a remarkable one, as, in almost all cases, the numbers allowed to a party were limited, often severely. For the greater part, the Club's visits were to places for which special arrangements had to be made, as they were not, either usually, or due to the War, open to the public. Through the goodwill of friends and sympathisers the Club was, however, able to provide extraordinary facilities.

In Conclusion The Club closed its doors on 19th February, 1946, having been open for six years and one day. On that date its sixth birthday was celebrated and the ceremony of closing the Club was observed. The occasion was marked by the visit of Queen Mary who was received by Mr. and Mrs. Massey. Among the guests present were Field-Marshal Lord Alexander (Governor-General Designate of Canada), Lady Alex­ ander, and the Chiefs of the Canadian Services­ Lieut.-General J. C. Murchie, Air-Marshal G. 0. Johnson and Captain A. M. Hope, R.C.N. After addresses by Mr. Massey and the Services Chiefs, the birthday cake was cut by Mrs. Massey, and the proceedings concluded by the singing of 33 SIX YEARS AND A DAY "Auld Lang Syne," "0 Canada," and the National Anthem. So, its purpose fulfilled, the Beaver Club ceased to exist. Much, however, remains. Thousands of Canadian service-men will retain most pleasant recollections of its services and the kindly attentions of its personnel. The friendships formed during the six yeais of its life have forged new links of amity and understanding between Canada and Britain.

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