Sport and the Military: The British Armed Forces 1880–1960On battleships, behind the trenches of the Western Front and in the midst of the Desert War, British servicemen and women have played sport in the least promising circumstances. When 400 soldiers were asked in Burma in 1946 what they liked about the Army, 108 put sport in first place - well ahead of comradeship and leave - and this book explores the fascinating history of organised sport in the life of officers and other ranks of all three British services from 1880–1960. Drawing on a wide range of sources, this book examines how organised sport developed in the Victorian army and navy, became the focus of criticism for Edwardian army reformers, and was officially adopted during the Great War to boost morale and esprit de corps. It shows how service sport adapted to the influx of professional sportsmen, especially footballers, during the Second World War and the National Service years. |
Contents
1 | |
15 | |
2 Officer sports and their critics 18801914 | 50 |
3 Sport in the Great War | 80 |
4 The amateur era 191939 | 112 |
5 Soldiers sailors and civilians | 144 |
6 A different kind of war | 178 |
7 The national service years the summit of military sport? | 217 |
Conclusion | 253 |
264 | |
283 | |
Common terms and phrases
10th Hussars Amateur April Army Athletic Army Cup Army Football Association Army Illustrated Army Sport Control Army team ASCB Association Football Athletic Association Battalion became Brigade Britain British army Captain cavalry championships civilian sport Colonel Committee competition Corps cricket cross-country running December Diary Edwardian encouraged equestrian sport FA Amateur Cup February field fighting football match football team French Fund Fusiliers History hockey hunting Hussars included India inter-regimental inter-service January Journal July June Kentish League London March military sport Minutes money prizes morale national service Navy and Army NCOs November October officer sport Olympic Physical Training pig-sticking played players polo ponies Portsmouth race RAF Sports ranks recreational training recruiting Royal Air Force Royal Artillery Royal Engineers Royal Navy Rugby Union Second World semi-final September Sergeant service sport servicemen soldiers Sport Control Board Sports Board sportsmen tion tournaments troops unit War Office wartime