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Following the US entry in World War One, servicemen’s centres were set up around London. One of the most remarkable centres was The Eagle Hut in Aldwych, a place where American troops could stay, relax and enjoy the comforts of home in the heart of the capital.

It began operating in August 1917; four months after America entered the conflict, and was officially opened on 3 September by the US Ambassador and veterans of the US Civil War.

Run by the Young Men’s Christian Association, the temporary wooden buildings spread over 35,000ft. It was equipped with a barber’s shop, a concert hall, a billiards room, a lounge, kit room as well as 420 beds for off-duty soldiers who had no other place to stay while in London.

A canteen would serve American favourites such as pancakes and hash browns. Eight hundred volunteers, mostly women, worked at the Eagle Hut and on any given day served as many as 5,000 meals. It’s estimated some two million plates of food were served in the two years it operated.

The hut was meant to be a home away from home, tending to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of young men who were thousands of miles away from home. It was closed in August 1919 – just before peace was declared.

Location: Aldwych, London WC2B 4PJ
Image shows the Eagle Hut
Photograph courtesy of Imperial War Museums
Presented by Christina Comber from the YMCA with archive audio courtesy of Caroline Rennles from Imperial War Museums

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