World War 2, South West Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Salvation Army, 1944

In Australia, the Red Shield Defence Services were established as a response to the start of World War 1 in 1914. Salvation Army chaplains were sent all over the world, to offer practical, emotional and spiritual aid to servicemen.
Barely a few days had passed after the declaration of World War Two on Sunday, 3 September 1939, before The Salvation Army opened its first Red Shield marquee.
Within weeks, dozens more had been erected across Australia, with The Salvation Army soon present at nearly every location troops could be found in the country.

During World War 2, Red Shield Officers, better known as “Sallymen”, established the now-famous "Hop In" centres at war zones from Tobruk to the Kokoda track, providing on-the-spot comforts and a home away from home for soldiers. The centres ranged from large marquees in major staging areas to hastily erected flies – all displaying the familiar “Hop In You’re Welcome” signs.
The establishment of the Red Shield huts in military bases on the home front in World War Two paved the way for the ongoing work of The Salvation Army within the Australian Defence Force, that continues today.