Sport has always been important for morale. It reinforces group identity and makes soldiers ready to serve a shared cause, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Although factors like patriotism, financial security and the chance to travel have persuaded men and women to enlist, sport has also played a major role in British Army recruitment.
The British Army has been responsible for establishing many of the sports we know and love today. It has also helped spread activities like football, polo, cricket and hockey throughout the world.
Full of the dark humour typical of soldiers at war, 'The Wipers Times' was one of the finest of many trench publications produced on the Western Front.
During the First World War, Private Stephen Palmer was sent an Oxo tin that ended up saving his life. Here, we delve deeper into his story and explore some other soldiers' unconventional life-saving possessions.
Animals have always provided companionship to soldiers on the front line, either serving as a distraction from the trials of war or sharing the hardship and danger of combat.
Adventure training is an important part of life in the modern British Army, but it comes with its own risks. Major 'Bronco' Lane lost more than he bargained for on an expedition to Mount Everest in 1976.
