On 3 March 1944 a meeting was held in the Lundin Mill School to discuss arrangements for "Salute the Soldier" week. As the Second World War approached the five year mark, this latest themed national savings campaign was hoped to be "a victory salute to our soldiers". Fife set a target of £3,000,000 and ear-marked 17-24 June while suggesting that local areas may vary their dates throughout June (in order to avoid events competing with one another and to make it easier to book pipe bands and the like).
Largo and Newburn held a meeting on 3 March to "consider arrangements for local effort" (see notice below from that week's Leven Mail). At that meeting it was agreed to hold the local programme of events 3-10 June and to aim for a target of £15,000 (for comparison the target set by Leven was £50,000). Several sub-committees were set up to organise the various events. The overall Chair of proceedings was W. Lindsay Burns, managing director of Henry Balfour and Company Durie Foundry in Leven, who lived at Linburn on Leven Road, Lundin Links.
Central to Largo's programme of events was a 'Grand Concert' in the Montrave Hall on 8 June, where Lord Elgin would give a speech and the Polish soldiers would, as in previous years, play a key role in the entertainment. The 'Grand Dance' at La Scala boasted a six piece dance band (see notices below from the 31 May Leven Mail). These events were supplemented by: bring and buy sales; whist drives in the Simpson Institute and at Coates House; children's sports on the Lundin Links Common; a parade of services; a baby show; a fancy dress parade; and a treasure hunt.
In the end, Largo exceeded its £15,000 target by more than £5,000. Moreover, a number of additional donations given during 'Salute the Solider' week, enabled the committee to gift an ambulance and portable x-ray machine to the War Office. These were handed over at a special ceremony on 11 November 1944, where a demonstration was given to the public of the x-ray machine and the ambulance made a tour of the Largo villages.
With the growing sense that the war was drawing to a close, many local authorities inaugurated a 'Welcome Home Fund'. The 'Largo and Newburn Welcome Home Fund Committee' was set up early in 1945 and a series of functions were arranged, the first being held on 9th February in La Scala featuring Les Gordon and his band (see below). This was clearly successful, as another dance was held for the same cause at the same venue the following month. In fact, these dances were held regularly at La Scala right through into 1946 - all in aid of the Welcome Home Fund - which was maintained for a period after the war ended.
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