Features / World War I
Bristol’s War: In The Dug Out
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) had purchased a site on Colston Street just before war broke out, and was planning a major new building there.
Building work was now put on hold and the YMCA decided to build a temporary structure for soldiers’ welfare. It was fronted with sandbags and cement to give it a suitably military air and was officially opened by the Lord Mayor on May 17, 1917.
The ‘Dug Out’, as it was known, was very popular. It had a canteen and recreation room and a reading room in which soldiers could write letters – YMCA centres had free notepaper for soldiers. There were baths, kitchens and dormitory facilities for soldiers passing through on their way to or from the Front. The sleeping accommodation soon had to be extended.
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The Dug Out hosted teas and entertainment for wounded soldiers, including outings to places of interest and to cricket and even baseball matches between British and American military teams from nearby camps. Every Sunday there was a religious “song service” and other social events for all.
The Dug Out was open 24 hours a day and run by up to 400 volunteers. It was easily the most popular of the many facilities the YMCA had across the city during the war, and during its relatively brief existence its visitors used over a million sheets of notepaper.
The Bristol YMCA was receiving letters of praise and appreciation for the Dug Out from around the world for many years after the war ended.
This is one of over 100 tales of Bristol in the First World War written by Eugene Byrne for Bristol 2014 and available on a free smartphone app, Great War Stories. Details and downloads at http://www.bristol2014.com/great-war-stories-map-and-app.html
Tomorrow: Fined for buying a round
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