‘Greatly under-estimated by the general public’: the Young Men’s Christian Association in the first Australian Imperial force 1914–1918

The YMCA provided an astonishing range of support services for the AIF during the First World War, which greatly facilitated the well-being of the Australian forces. This article explores the origins and nature of the collaboration between the YMCA and the Australian military and argues that its contribution, alongside other voluntary organisations, was vital to the functioning of the AIF. It improves our understanding of how volunteer organisations aided the war effort. It also strengthens our understanding of the role of religion in the AIF.