British Army & Navy Leave Club (Paris) medallion

According to the Imperial War Museum, "early in 1917, when the Australians and Canadians visited Paris on leave in very large numbers, Miss Lily Butler opened a "Corner of Blighty", the pioneer leave club in Paris, to help them to spend their time as pleasantly and profitably as possible. Everything was given free of charge, and a staff of 45 voluntary women workers entertained 44,000 men in the first 10 months of the 2 years for which the club was open.
Six months later the British Army and Navy Leave Club was opened and was the pioneer residential club in Paris for soldiers and sailors on leave. Baron D'Erlanger lent the house, and English singer and actress, Miss Decima Moore, and the Rev. A. S. V. Blunt were honorary secretaries. In the two years that it was open 59,102 men were registered and 701,546 meals were served. A body of uniformed Women Guides looked after the comfort of the men, and free entertainments on a large scale were organised.
As a result of the success of this club, the British Empire Leave Club at Cologne was originated and organised on the same lines by Miss Decima Moore, Hon. Director-General, who raised the funds with a London Committee under Baron D'Erlanger as chairman. Each department was conducted by a voluntary woman worker drawn from one of the approved women's war organisations, who wore the uniform of her society, and did her last piece of war-work for the British in an officially recognised institution opened at the invitation of the army."

Very few of these medallions seem to have survived and it is unknown if they were issued to the voluntary workers or the patrons of the club. Two photographs of the interior of the club are held in the collection, as well as a map issued by the 'Daily Mail' newspaper, showing the location of the club in central Paris.