Adelaide YMCA army work

Adelaide YMCA poster soliciting donations for wartime work. The YMCA supplied men with entertainment, food, and supplies for letter writing. This particular poster features seven black and white photographs of the 10th Battalion Infantry while it was stationed at Mitcham, Egypt. The photographs are situated next to explanatory captions, and depict the various services, such as a canteen, which the Y.M.C.A. supplied to the men. The largest photograph, at the top centre of the poster, is a photograph of the entire 10th Battalion Infantry before they embarked to the Dardanelles for active duty. There is also a photograph of the giant entertainment marquee which was shipped out to Egypt (it could hold 1,000 men).
The purpose of the Y.M.C.A. did not just provide comfort and entertainment - it was also attempted to keep the men from behaving improperly overseas. The first caption reads: 'This work...must appeal strongly to those who know anything at all about the insidious temptations of Cairo.' Some soldiers in the A.I.F. behaved appallingly in Cairo, particularly in the entertainment districts.