Donation box : YMCA War Service Fund, Great Britain

Plywood donation box of nailed consruction in the shape of a YMCA hut. Identical transfers on each side of the 'roof' portray a sailor, soldier, airman and civil worker and the words 'The Service men today need the Y.M.C.A. Help them by helping us'. There is also a coin slot on each side; one has been blanked off on the inside. A hole has been drilled through one top corner of the roof. The other 'walls' of the hut are stained plywood, and the base shows evidence of a number of 'NATIONAL Y.M.C.A. WAR SERVICE FUND' labels which have been glued over a concealed opening; part of the text which remains advises 'Kindly remit the contents of this box once every three months'.

Simply constructed donation box encouraging people to support the Young Men's Christian Assocation (YMCA)'s War Service Fund. As it had during the First World War, the YMCA provided an extensive network of support for allied troops, maintaining frontline comfort stations, establishing comfort huts and camps, distributing everything from tea and books to blankets and spiritual training; organising sports days, concerts and Christmas dinners; providing welfare services for widows of servicemen and care services to prisoners of war. It would appear that when this donation box was full, it was returned to a central location to be emptied. A new label would then be attached before it was put back into use. Similar boxes were used in Australia.