NAAFI Pendant

This one-of-a-kind Naafi pendant was found in Colchester, Essex. It was part of a very broken cup and is dated to the late 1930's. It is suspended from an 18 Inch Stainless Steel chain and findings.

The History of NAAFI: From its Founding to WWII

NAAFI was established by the British Government on December 9th, 1920, through the merger of the Expeditionary Force Canteens (EFC) and the Navy and Army Canteen Board (NACB). The purpose of NAAFI was to provide recreational facilities for the Armed Forces, as well as sell goods to servicemen and their families. Over the course of 17 years, NAAFI expanded its operations to support military bases and deployments around the world, from Bermuda and Jamaica to Singapore and China.

During WWII, NAAFI's presence grew exponentially to provide support to troops on active service. The number of employees rose from 8,000 to a peak of 110,000, and the number of trading outlets grew from 1,350 to almost 10,000. Unfortunately, 550 NAAFI employees lost their lives while supporting the war effort overseas.