Military News Today

The Union Jack Club is well known and well used by veterans and serving military personnel alike when visiting London. 

The Union Jack Club was founded in 1904 an opened its doors in 1907 and has since welcomed in over 23million military personnel. The vision of the club came from visionary British Royal Red Cross nurse Ethel McCaul (1867-1931) who was an advocate for improvements in military medical practice and care who distinguished herself as a front line nurse during the Boer War at the turn of the 20th Century. 

The vision for the Union Jack Club came from McCaul’s determination to give non-commissioned ranks to have the opportunity to have somewhere reputable to stay like the officers already had, somewhere to stay either alone or with their families in the nations capital, but at no more of a cost than one days pay.

McCaul’s tireless efforts were rewarded with the Union Jack Club opening in the central London area of Waterloo, the club today has 261 bedrooms, a restaurant, bars, library snug, reading room, office hot desk work, launderette and meeting rooms.

But recently the bosses of this magnificent building and facility that serves thousands of our veterans and service personnel every year have been fighting a battle against a proposed development on their doorstep.

The clubs bosses have already lost the first round as Lambeth councillors recommend approval for a 70metre office block in Waterloo at a planning meeting despite claims that the building would leave many of its rooms in darkness and wreaking havoc on the area’s overall character.

In an interview with Soldier Magazine at the end of 2023, the clubs chief executive said “I can confirm that the fight against the proposals will go on” he went on to say “we have never been against development per se, but we are opposed to the massive scale of this project, which will block out light in a lot of our rooms” describing the planned building as a “carbuncle”.