New Zealand's Great War by John Crawford

Author:John Crawford [John Crawford and Ian McGibbon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781927147344
Publisher: Exisle Publishing Pty Ltd
Published: 2011-02-08T05:00:00+00:00

20

ON THE TRIANGLE TRAIL: THE NEW ZEALAND YMCA AND THE GREAT WAR

Ria Keenan

Before the YMCA became known to a generation, via a collection of gay stereotypes, as a place where ‘You can get yourself clean, you can get a good meal, you can do whatever you feel’1, it was a service organisation known for its religious and recreational activities. The Young Men’s Christian Association was started in England in 1844 by George Williams. One of the men who attended its London meetings, R.B. Shalders, emigrated to New Zealand and advertised the first programme of YMCA lectures in Auckland in 1855. The organisation spread to Christchurch in 1862, Nelson and Wellington in 1866, Dunedin in 1874 and Invercargill in 1876. These groups in each city were independent of each other until the formation of a national council in 1886. The activities of the early New Zealand YMCA consisted of Sunday afternoon Scripture groups, fortnightly Bible study lectures, choirs and evangelical meetings. In 1860 the Auckland YMCA imported gymnasium equipment from the United States and the organisation started the sport and recreation courses for which it is best known today.2

In the years leading up to the Great War the YMCA became involved in providing canteen services, writing and recreational rooms for young men at military service camps (referred to, rather unfortunately, by the National Committee as ‘Concentration Camps’).3 When war broke out the New Zealand government permitted the YMCA to continue their work in the Main Body camps at Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin and at the permanent training camp established at Trentham, but was initially reluctant to let them go overseas with the troops. It was not until after the Main Body of troops had arrived in Egypt and their off-duty recreational activities began to worry the authorities that the value of the YMCA’s services was recognised. The British YMCA had established itself in Egypt with help from the Red Cross, and the New Zealand organisation helped to convince the New Zealand military authorities that field secretaries for New Zealand troops would help provide a more wholesome distraction for the troops than the fleshpots of Cairo.4

James (later Sir James) Hay was the first New Zealand YMCA field secretary to go overseas with New Zealand troops, leaving with the 4th Reinforcements in April 1915. Hay later went on to YMCA duties in France and finally in England.5 In the next two to three years many more New Zealand YMCA representatives joined him overseas, sailing on the same troopships as the men or, in some cases, making their own way to wherever they felt they were needed.6

Although many different groups provided welfare workers for the New Zealand troops behind the lines, particularly the Salvation Army, which had its own huts near the lines, the most organised, and widespread, and the only one officially sanctioned by the NZEF, was the New Zealand YMCA.

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