Page 138 - KBHA BULLETIN 6

Another S.A.W.A.S. activity was the collecting of games of any sort for distribution to the

recreation centres for servicemen in the Peninsula. They installed a large wooden crate next

to the hall where the public could deposit their surplus games.

Unlike the clear recollection I have of the many soldiers making use of the S.A.W.A.S. hall
when a convoy called at the Cape, I cannot recall the time when the troop numbers declined

to a trickle. My guess would be after May 1943. I started school at Wynberg Boys Junior
School in 1942 and being in new surroundings and with a longer school day, my attention

may have drifted away from events in the S.A.W.A.S. hall.

Later in the war, the “Seahurst Hotel” in St. James was converted into a home for

convalescing military personnel. They were easily identified by the light blue uniform they

wore when walking around St. James and Kalk Bay or visiting the S.A.W.A.S. hall.

At some stage the S.A.W.A.S. must have been officially disbanded but I have no idea of
the date. Perhaps consideration could be given to placing a plaque in the hall listing the

many ways the hall has been used over the years. This could also include a tribute to the
S.A.W.A.S. for their valuable contribution to the welfare of the troops in transit in World

War 2.

References

Sisson, T. (1989) Just Nuisance AB - His full story, W. J. Flesch & Partners (Pty) Ltd.,
Cape Town.

Cape Times Annual, 1940, 1941.

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