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It seems that its a love it or hate it thing with pottery. Personally I love it! The Naafi branded items being a personal favorite of mine. The large Naafi water jug on the right had me shouting out loud when it came out an RAF dump along with lots of other Naafi cups and items. I have even found a couple of Naafi branded drinking glasses. I have a pint glass and a couple of half pints. Over the years we have all found all kinds of plates, saucers, side plates, cups, mugs, egg cups, vases, jugs, dinner plates and also cutlery to go with it! I swear I must have a complete RAF dinner service for one....

The RAF items seem to come in two forms, the first type has gold rims and blue bands. Normally always date marked into the ceramic on the bottom. I have seen mid to late 1930's. The other type is the plain white with the RAF in blue circle. These can also be dated into the ceramic but not as often. I have seen from 1938 onwards in this style.

However before the NAAFI was established you had the NACB,. 'Navy Army Canteen Board', it wasn't until the RAF was a real branch of its own did the NAAFI get born. The RFC of WW1 falling under Army control. If you get really lucky with your porcelain finds, you may gets the NACB predecessor which was the ACC. 'Army Canteen Committee'. This wasn't around for long during WW1 so, items always tend to be broken up, but occasionally you'll get an intact piece.  
 

As well as all the official military run organisations like ACC, NACB and NAAFI, you also had ones run by the YMCA and private companies that supplied items like DICKESON. Who pretty much supplied everything you would need to run a canteen.

One of my favourite items for its peculiarity, a broken cup, found in three parts by my wife who still to this day doesn't understand why I love it so much. These three pieces of broken cup told a whole story of a bunch of women who took it upon themselves to stand at Preston station handing out tea and coffee to soldiers and sailors after they saw them waiting around in the cold for hours. After a few months more and more volunteers came forward and this grew into a fair sized scale operation and its fame grew. Some of the cups, like this one would have be pinch as a souvenir and when it was broken at the camp we found it at which was nowhere near Preston! In fact some cups have been reported to have made it all the way to the trenches. Lots more can be read online about this group and there is even a plaque on the wall at Preston station to commemorate these ladies who did their part.

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