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MILITARY FITNESS & SPORTA short overview of 100 years of Military Fitness and Sport in the Army, Navy & Royal Marines(1871-1971)Compiled by Peter Brown MBEMSc. in Exercise & Behavioural Medicine.Former Assistant Inspector of Physical Training Royal Marines.

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MILITARY FITNESS & SPORTA short overview of 100 years of Military Fitness and Sport in the Army, Navy & Royal Marines(1871-1971)Compiled by Peter Brown MBEMSc. in Exercise & Behavioural Medicine.Former Assistant Inspector of Physical Training Royal Marines.GENERAL: The primary aim of this document is to provide a general overview of the important role that military fitness and sport has played in the Army, Navy and Royal Marines over a 100-year period (1871-1971) which included two world wars. The starting date coincides with the opening of the Royal Marines Gymnasium, at the Depot R.M. Deal, in 1871 and its closure just after 1971, thus providing over 100 years of history. This task was particularly challenging because of the limited archive information available. However, the information that has been gathered is from a wide variety of reliable sources and although references have not generally been included, they are available if required. It will become obvious that I am not a practiced historian, so my advance apologies for any omissions, or errors. As a former Royal Marines Physical Training Instructor my secondary aim has merely been to capture some of our precious history for future generations. Finally, I would also like to demonstrate that the knowledge and methodology of physical training and sporting activity, first gained in the Victorian Age, was extremely thorough and sound and that the basic principles of training are just as relevant in the technological age. In the fast- paced world of today many of these past lessons may have been forgotten. Given the many recruitment and retention challenges facing today’s armed forces, it is hoped that some vital lessons, learned over a period of 100 years, may perhaps re-visited for the future. (Peter Brown, July 2023.)CTCRM PT STAFF IN 1982RM PT STAFF IN 1923

MILITARY FITNESS AND SPORT – INDEX: PAGE:GENERAL SYNOPSIS AND OBSERVATIONS. 2THE PRE - VICTORIAN ERA – THE KNIGHTS OF THE REALM. 3(1a) THE VICTORIAN ERA (1837 - 1901) - THE ARMY. 4(1a) THE ARMY - MACLAREN’S SYSTEM OF EXERCISES. 5(1b) THE VICTORIAN ERA (1837 - 1901) - THE ROYAL NAVY. 6(1c) THE VICTORIAN ERA (1837 - 1901) - THE ROYAL MARINES. 7(2a) PRE - WORLD WAR 1 (1901 - 1914) - THE ARMY. 8(2b) PRE - WORLD WAR 1 (1901 - 1914) -THE ROYAL NAVY. 9(2c) PRE – WORLD WAR 1 (1901 - 1914) - THE ROYAL MARINES. 10(3a) WORLD WAR 1 (1914 - 1918) - THE ARMY. 11(3b) WORLD WAR 1 (1914 - 1918) - THE ROYAL NAVY. 12(3c) WORLD WAR 1 (1914 - 1918) - THE ROYAL MARINES. 13(4a) POST WORLD WAR 1 (1919 - 1939) - THE ARMY. 14(4b) POST WORLD WAR 1 (1919 - 1939) - THE ROYAL NAVY. 15(4c) POST WORLD WAR 1 (1919 - 1939) - THE ROYAL MARINES. 16(5a) WORLD WAR II (1939 - 1945) - THE ARMY. 18(5a) THE FORMING OF COMMANDO UNITS AT ACHNACARRY. 19(5b) WORLD WAR II (1939 - 1945) - THE ROYAL NAVY. 20(5c) WORLD WAR II (1939 - 1945) - THE ROYAL MARINES. 21(6a) POST WORLD WAR II (1940 - 1971) - THE ARMY. 24(6b) POST WORLD WAR II (1946 - 1971) - THE ROYAL NAVY. 26(6c) POST WORLD WAR II (1945 - 1971) - THE ROYAL MARINES. 29100 YEARS OF MILITARY FITNESS AND SPORT (1871-1971) – SOME LESSONS LEARNED. 33MILITARY FITNESS AND SPORT POSTERS: 34(1) MACLAREN AND THE FIRST ARMY GYMNASIUM. 35(2) PHYSICAL TRAINING IN THE ROYAL NAVY. 36(3)THE ROYAL MARINES PT SCHOOL AT DEAL. 37(3)THE PT INSTRUCTOR’S CROSSED CLUBS BADGE. 38(5) EARLY ROYAL MARINES PT INSTRUCTORS. 39(6)R.M. ATHLETICS SPORTS POSTER AT DEAL (1895). 40(7) BAYONET FIGHTING IN THE ROYAL MARINES. 41(8) PEHR HENRIK LING AND SWEDISH PT. 42(9)RM PT2 INSTRUCTOR COURSE SYLLABI (1930-1970’S). 43(10) MILITARY SPORTS RECRUITING POSTERS. 44QUOTATION REFERENCES. 45

3EARLY MILITARY TRAINING – THE KNIGHTS OF THE REALM: Feudalism (between the 9th – 15th Centuries) began in England with the conquest of William the Conqueror, who brought the practice over from France and it lasted in England until it was abolished by Parliament in 1660. During this period knighthoods were conferred upon mounted warriors and the knights were the most feared warriors, as they were highly skilled on horseback in battle. A knight served as an elite fighter for a lord, and he would receive a payment in the form of land holdings. The training of knights was highly methodical and the various skills, including the wearing of armour, and mounting a horse, were precise drills that were timed to perfection. It was very difficult for a boy to become a knight and he would normally be the son of a knight, or of a member of the aristocracyThe knight’s training culminated in a very important ceremony of allegiance, held in the presence of the lord and other knights of the order. The lord would have to provide his knights to the king in times of conflict, or war, and the more knights he had the greater was his prestige. In return the king would award areas of land for the service provided by the knight and number of battles won. To become a knight was difficult. If, between the ages of 8-14, the boy was accepted he would be sent to the neighbouring castle, where he would be trained as a page. The boy would spend most of his time strengthening his body, wrestling, riding horses and learning how to fight with a spear and a sword.A page learned to handle horses, hunt, and use mock weapons while serving a knight proper. From the age of 14 the next step was to become a squire (‘esquire’) who had more responsibility. Squires started an education that included an understanding of chivalry and the use of real weapons. Squires also assisted their knights, both in peace and at war, holding their extra lances and looking after the several horses that a knight owned. A squire had to develop strength, agility and speed. He also had to learn about courtly etiquette, music and dancing. At around the age of 18, if he had thoroughly proved himself, the squire would be invited to be made a knight. On the day of the ceremony the squire was dressed by two knights with a white tunic and white belt to symbolise purity, black or brown stockings to represent the earth, to which he will one day return, and a scarlet cloak for the blood he is now ready to spill for his baron, sovereign, and church. The squire’s sword was then blessed by a priest and given back, with the proviso that he would always protect the poor and the weak. The blade had two cutting edges, one to represent justice, and the other for loyalty and chivalry. The knight awarding the honour would then put the sword and belt on the squire and give him a kiss on the cheek. The squire was then finally knighted by a simple tap on the shoulders with the sword to remind him of his moral duty not to disgrace the knight who had so honoured him. He was then given his horse, his shield and his banner, which might bear his family coat of arms. The ceremony was followed by a feast. Knights were rewarded for their courage and endeavour displayed on the battlefield and many knights, having displayed such qualities, were given their title and their spurs, hence the saying of ‘earning one’s spurs.’ having displayed great valour on the battlefield. However, by the end of the Middle Ages the knights were no longer so important, as many countries then had their own standing armies, with soldiers who were paid to fight. This led to the rise in importance of the English bowmen and the longbow, which, by comparison, made the heavy armour of the knights relatively cumbersome and thus they became redundant in future wars. Archery then became the most practiced sport, for both the nobles and the common people, and was encouraged by the royal authorities as a main weapon of war. This continued until the invention and common use of the musket, which then lessened the importance of the longbow as a weapon of war.

(1a) THE VICTORIAN ERA (1837 - 1901) -THE ARMY: While structured physical training was in its infancy in Victorian Britain, even prior to the Crimean War of 1853-1856, sport had already become popular in the British Army although, because of their education in the British Public Schools, sport was practiced mainly by the officer class. Sport was even seen by some officers as merely a natural extension of sport and ‘winning the game’. The Duke of Wellington was said to have remarked that ‘The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.’ (1)Following the Crimean War and very concerned about the poor standards of fitness amongst Army volunteers, where over 40% of volunteers were considered to be unfit for military service, the War Office turned to Mr Archibald MacLaren (1819-1884.) for advice. MacLaren was a distinguished pioneer of gymnasium design and scientifically-based exercise, who had established his own successful, purpose-built gymnasium in Oxford in 1858, with great acclaim and widespread publicity. Following impressive presentations by MacLaren and further visits by the War Office, in 1860, Major Frederick Hammersley and 12 selected Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO’s) from different Army regiments were selected. They would attend MacLaren’s gymnasium in Oxford to undergo six months of training, to learn about his programme and methods of gymnastic exercises and instruction. During the 1860’s Archibald MacLaren was then asked by the War Office to design the first military gymnasia and structured gymnastic (exercise) programmes for the British Army. The first military purpose-built gymnasia were then built in many Army garrisons and the Army Gymnastic Staff was formed in Aldershot. Along with the new gymnasia, sports fields were then eventually added and MacLaren’s introduction of progressive physical training, combined with increased sport, was widely welcomed, especially as it largely replaced the much disliked and regimented programme of barbell training that was being used at the time. In 1865 the first regulations governing physical training in the army were published. Selected N.C.O.’s from every regiment were sent on a six-month course of physical training instruction in Aldershot, from which they returned to their regiments as qualified instructors. This led to a huge expansion of structured physical training and sport throughout the British Army. In 1866 Queen Victoria herself visited the School of Gymnastics at Aldershot and expressed her satisfaction with the results of the programme. Major Hammersley (then promoted to Lieutenant Colonel) and the Army Gymnastic Staff had by then become well established, and the introduction of structured physical training for Army recruits was clearly a success. MacLaren’s military training system received widespread approval by the military authorities and in 1868 his book, entitled: A Military System of Gymnastic Exercises for the Use of Instructors. was published and widely distributed throughout the Army. Thus began the introduction of the first structured programmes and trained Physical Training Instructors in the British military services. MacLaren was also a pioneer in the teaching of military fencing and in 1868 his detailed manual: ‘A Military System of Gymnastic Exercises and a System of Fencing’ was published and widely distributed throughout the Army for implementation. In 1868 Army regulations laid down a standard of fitness for a trained man to be able to: ‘Cover 1,000 or more yards of ground at a rapid pace and leave him in good wind and able to use his bayonet efficiently.’ In the 1870’s, military participation in fencing, football, boxing , rugby and other sports, led to a dramatic growth of regimental sport and huge crowds watched the large sporting tournaments, as well as gymnastic displays and tug-of-war competitions. The largest of these tournaments was The Royal Tournament, held each year with participants from across the armed services competing in military sporting events to raise funds for service charities. In 1880 the Royal Tournament was moved to the Agricultural Hall in London and became a major annual recruiting event for the British Armed Forces. 4

Prior to his return to England, in 1858, Archibald MacLaren had learned much of his physical training, and fencing, methodology from the early European pioneers of the time, particularly Franz Nachtegal of Denmark, and Pehr Henri Ling of Sweden. Subsequently, MacLaren based his exercise and fencing programmes on their proven and progressive methods but developed little innovation of his own. However, MacLaren was also an early pioneer of anthropometry, meticulously measuring and recording the physical improvements of his pupils following his instruction in his Oxford gymnasium. His exercise programmes followed the sound methodology of Ling’s Swedish system, as per below:MACLAREN’S MILITARY SYSTEM OF EXERCISES (1868):‘The exercises forming the courses of this system are arranged progressively, commencing with the most simple and initiatory, and terminating with the most arduous and severe; the former being such as will not over-task the powers of the weakest and most inexpert, and the latter such as will test and increase those of the most practised. The entire range constituting the system is performed with apparatus either moveable or fixed; The separate exercises on each machine are arranged in progressive order, terminating with the most difficult.’ (2) Thus:-SECTION I: Embraces apparatus, which give light and uniform employment to the entire body. SECTION II: Embraces all arrangements for the practice of Exercises of Progression, such as walking, running, leaping, and vaulting, which employ chiefly the lower limbs and lower regions of the trunk.SECTION III: Embraces all apparatus for exercises of rotation and oscillation, as the trapezium and parallel bars, giving employment to the whole of the trunk and upper limbs.SECTION IV: Embraces all climbing apparatus, as the ropes and poles, vertical and inclined, giving employment to the entire body, especially to the upper limbs and upper portion of the trunk. From these sections are formed the preliminary course of introductory exercises, and the four progressive courses which make up the system, as follows:-PRELIMINARY COURSE: Introductory Exercises with the Dumb Bells and Bar Bells: FIRST COURSE: Simple Exercises.Thus, the first course (on the fixed apparatus) is formed of the initiatory exercises on each machine, all of a simple and general character; SECOND COURSE: Exercises of medium difficulty.the second embraces the medium exercises on the same machines, requiring more energetic and dexterous action than the preceding; THIRD COURSE: Advanced Exercises.the third embraces the advanced exercises on the principal machines, calling for powerful local effort and endurance by repetition; FOURTH COURSE: Arduous Exercises.and the fourth consists of the most arduous exercises on the same machines.5

(1b) THE VICTORIAN ERA (1837 - 1901) - THE ROYAL NAVY: The post-Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny led to a national realisation that the great British Empire might not be capable of protecting its commercial interests abroad – the traditional role of the Royal Navy. The Navy had to compete with the Army for the best recruits, amongst a general population of impoverished youth, one third of which could not pass the initial medical tests. In 1860 HMS Warrior, a new steam-powered armoured frigate, was launched. It was one of the first armour-plated, iron-hulled warships, equipped with 40 guns. If sailors and marines no longer got their traditional exercise in the rigging, strong muscles were still needed to manage and move the heavy guns, ammunition and machinery around the lower decks. It was soon realised that it would be necessary to introduce some structured method of physical activity to be undertaken afloat. Consequently, structured gymnastic exercise programmes and sporting activities were introduced, especially for the young undernourished and unfit trainees. As the fear of war increased, large efforts were made in the Navy to attract sufficient numbers to man the Fleet and the Admiralty made reforms to improve the conditions afloat. Discipline was moderated, corporal punishment was abolished, diets improved, and uniforms were introduced. In 1882, the Admiralty placed a notice in several newspapers stating that ‘A large number of healthy, respectable boys.’ was required for the Royal Navy and the qualifying measurements, including height and chest girth, were lowered to attract more candidates.In the 1850’s The Greenwich Hospital School (GHS), under the Admiralty’s jurisdiction, trained the sons of naval or merchant seamen and marine officers to prepare for a naval career. To increase recruitment, pictures of its playing fields, gymnasium, and swimming pool were regularly featured in boys’ papers and by the close of the century, GHS students were regularly participating in sports such as rugby, cricket, football, athletics, gymnastics, and fencing.To improve training, in the mid-1880’s, the Admiralty set aside five old hulks (a ship that cannot go to sea) at locations around the country to train up to 3,500 boys, aged 15-17, in seamanship, gunnery and naval tradition, as well as improving conditions to attract future seamen. Steps to distract sailors from unwelcome ‘mischievousness’ ashore were also taken. Ships were provided with libraries and temperance was actively promoted. Sporting competitions were organised, both onboard ship and ashore, in an attempt to provide an alternative way of life. To improve the poor physique of the Victorian city dwellers, boys between 15-18 aboard the Navy’s training ships in Portsmouth and Plymouth received a more generous diet to spur on their growth. The effects of extra portions of bread, potatoes, treacle, and salt pork purportedly made them ‘The very best recruiter for the Navy that can be got.’ (3)Sporting activity had become recognised as an important part of naval life, not only to raise the levels of physical fitness, but also for keeping up good spirits and morale. It was felt that a healthy sailor was not only physically fit, but also psychologically strong. Consequently, promotional posters of the late-Victorian era depicted sailors engaged in rowing, running, football, cricket and tug-of-war. By the late 1880’s physical training and sport in the Royal Navy had become an important means of keeping men both fit and entertained when anchored in port. Many more opportunities for sport became available and by 1896 few ships did not have their own football teams. By the turn of the century, sport had become an important part of life for sailors in the Royal Navy. 6

(1c) THE VICTORIAN ERA (1837 - 1901) - THE ROYAL MARINES:Around 1861 a decision was made for the Royal Marines to move from their Woolwich Barracks to Deal, where all recruit training would henceforth be carried out, and by 1862 recruit training at Deal was in full swing and the Deal Barracks expanded accordingly. The Crimean War of (1853-1856) had revealed a serious lack of fitness, with around 40% of recruits being rejected as medically unfit for military service. The War Office concluded that the welfare of the soldiers, including some form of structured exercise, should be introduced into the military curriculum.The urgent need to improve the nation’s health and fitness also captured the interest of the general public and from the 1870’s onwards, following government legislation, schools across the country adopted Swedish gymnastics and drill training to the develop strong and healthy bodies that would then be capable of serving in the armed forces. At the same time, efforts were also made to improve the food, accommodation and leisure facilities for the Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) and Royal Marines Light Infantry (RMLI) recruits. The expanded Deal Barracks was to include a new gymnasium. This would almost certainly have been based upon Archibald MacLaren’s previous gymnasia recommendations to the Army. The original 1867 outline plan for the new Deal gymnasium was duly built and by 1871 it became fully operational. The details of the early training of Royal Marines (RM) Physical Training Instructors requires yet more research, although this would have been strongly influenced by the Army Gymnastic Staff in Aldershot. The Army Gymnastic Staff were now training commissioned officers to become future ‘Inspectors of Gymnasia, as well as training Non-Commissioned Officers to be able to conduct gymnastic (exercise) programmes, based upon MacLaren’s interpretation of Ling’s Swedish PT system. In 1868 Captain J. Straghan RM (having been passed as ‘Certified’ by the Army in Woolwich in March 1869) became the first Royal Marines ‘Inspector of Gymnasia’ and in 1871 he would have overseen the building of the new gymnasium at Deal. Captain Straghan held the appointment until 1876, retiring with the rank of Major ,and a continuous appointment of other gymnasia - qualified officers followed his departure. By the end of the 1870’s, regimental sport in the Royal Marines had become well-established and was a mandatory part of recruit training. The provision of the associated sports fields, both behind and in front of the gymnasium, would have played a critical role in facilitating this. A Royal Marines Depot athletics sports poster of August 1895 shows a wide variety of such sporting activities, together with good cash prizes.The teaching of swimming also became important for all Royal Marines recruits. In 1893 the battleships HMS Victoria and HMS Camperdown had collided near Tripoli during sea manoeuvres and HMS Victoria sank, with 358 of her crew drowned, including 68 Royal Marines from a detachment of 98 men. Following this disaster, the Deal Swimming Bath was built, and an order directed that all Royal Marines must learn to swim before passing out of initial training. The pool itself was originally tidal and was filled twice a day at each high tide. Swimming would be taught to recruits by those who could swim. In 1923 the first ‘Swimming & Recreational Training Instructors’ course was held and thereafter, every Royal Marines recruit had to pass a swimming test before passing out as a trained soldier. The Depot RM Deal, gymnasium would stand the test of time and would accommodate the physical and recreational training of thousands of Royal Marine recruits for the next 100 years, as well as establishing the RM School of Physical Training, which would train hundreds of Physical Training Instructors over the years, including many national and international sportsmen. 7

(2a) PRE - WW1 (1901 - 1914) - THE ARMY:During the South African war of 1899-1902 the British Army found the war far more difficult than anticipated. One of the factors was the general unfitness of the British soldiers for this type of conflict, with 40-60% of the (mainly deprived working-class) recruits, being rejected as unfit for military service. It was realised that if there was difficulty recruiting for a small-scale war, then it would be even more difficult to enlist a large number of able-bodied soldiers for a large-scale future war – especially against a strong and industrialised nation with a large and well-trained army, such as Germany. In 1902 the Army tried to make soldiering more attractive by introducing a short six-year service period, improving barrack conditions, and providing a better diet for the serving soldiers. Simultaneously, the huge rejection rate of the impoverished volunteers, led to the forming of the Government Committee on Physical Deterioration. Its 1904 report recommendations included medical inspections of all children in schools and the introduction of free school meals for the very poor. Also, with the obvious prospect of war, Swedish gymnastic exercises, and drill routines with wooden swords and rifles, were introduced into all state schools across the country. The Swedish (Ling) system of physical training had been introduced to the Army Gymnastic staff in Aldershot in 1906 by Swedish-trained Lieutenant Lankilde of the Danish Army. The Swedish PT system was then was officially adopted by the British Army in 1907 and a comprehensive training manual for instructors was prepared. Thus, medically based and progressive physical training was introduced into the British Army for the first time and was met with great approval by all concerned. The Army Manual of Physical Training, published in 1908, included all elements of Pehr Henri Ling’s Swedish PT system, along with instructions regarding foot-drills, vaulting, balancing, rope-climbing and games. True to Ling’s underlying philosophy, the 1908 manual also included detailed anatomical and physiological information for the instructors to learn and apply. The Ling Swedish PT system of physical training proved to be highly successful for the physical training of Army recruits and during the six-year period between 1908 and 1914 no major changes were made to this training system, something of a rarity in the Army. Simultaneously, for the first time, sport was officially recognised as an important part of physical training and the Manual of Physical Training, (1908 p.8) stated that: ‘The value of active games and sports to physical training cannot be over-estimated. Games and physical training should be looked on as complimentary to one another and a man's physical education can hardly be considered complete without the introduction of some form of active recreation.’ With a new era of sporting activity being introduced into the Army, when teaching sport to recruits, especially boxing, the Army instructors were careful to ensure that during any competitive games, experienced sportsmen should not be pitted against novices in a competition that could be unequal, and that ‘neither should a good man be ridiculed in front of a novice’. Sports were now considered to have a moral and social dimension and recruits were to taught how to play the game ‘In the proper spirit, fairly without fouling, going all out to win without resorting to cheating’ and to ‘play for your side and not for yourself.’By 1914 progressive physical training and sport was included as a regular part of training and most Army units had a gymnasium and playing fields. Consequently, with the greater organisation and encouragement of Army sport, it flourished, particularly in Football, Rugby, Cricket, Athletics and Boxing. The Army had firmly recognised that sport not only enhanced physical fitness but also built teamwork, regimental pride and the growth of esprit de corps. 8

(2b) PRE - WW1 (1901 - 1914) - THE ROYAL NAVY: Physical training and sport had been important in the Royal Navy since the late 1880’s, not only to maintain physical fitness but also to raise the spirits of the men and keep them distracted from the stresses and strains of naval life.Sport in the Royal Navy had evolved differently from the Army, because of serving on ships afloat. However, when ashore, sports such as boxing, hockey, cricket, and football were all very popular with seamen. Football had particular support because of the close contact with port cities like Plymouth and Portsmouth and by 1896 few ships did not have their own football teams. The Central Institute of Gymnastics in Stockholm (CIGS) was the home of the Swedish system of gymnastic exercise, pioneered in the 1880’s by Pehr Henrik Ling. Ling’s medically-based gymnastic exercise system had become well - established throughout the schools of Sweden and other European countries and was considered to be the very best method of physical training. With Ling’s Swedish PT system already established in the Army, In 1903 the Royal Navy obtained the services of a Mr. Broman, a third-year graduate of the Ling’s Institute, for six weeks to introduce the Swedish system of physical training into the Royal Navy.The structured development of properly structured physical training and sport in the Navy began in 1902, when the Admiralty decided it was necessary to have a central Royal Navy School of Physical Training in Portsmouth, for the purpose of training Officers and Petty Officers to be instructors.From 1903 onwards and until the commencement of the First World War, the Royal Navy School of Physical Training learned the Swedish PT system and then trained even more officers and men as instructors. Subsequently, the Swedish system of PT became well-established in both the Royal Navy and Royal Marines PT schools and was widely used during recruit training. With regard to sport, 1904 saw the forming of the Royal Navy Football League and fixtures were organised between ships, civilian teams and the Army. The Naval Rugby Club was formed in 1906 and from 1908 the Navy competed at cricket in an annual match against the Army. In 1905 The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty approved of distinguishing badges for Qualified Gymnastic Instructors, First and Second Class, who would thereafter be authorised to wear a specialist qualification badge of gold embroidered on blue cloth.In 1910 the Royal Navy Handbook of Physical Training (Vol.1) was published and became ‘The Bible’ for all Physical Training Officers and Instructors. This provided clear details of the Swedish exercise tables and how to conduct them. The handbook stated that ‘The object to be aimed at is the healthy and active efficiency of all men, and not that of a specialised few,’ and that ‘The training during these periods should be carefully and progressively carried out by Physical Training Instructors under the general superintendence of the Officer ordered to take charge of the Physical Training in the Fleet or Squadron.’ Thus, Swedish PT became firmly established in the Royal Navy. In addition to formal physical training, in 1910 the Royal Navy decided that every naval entry recruit should be able to swim and a swimming bath at Pitt Street, in Portsmouth, was built, along with a gymnasium and this was subsequently called the Royal Naval School of Physical Training, bringing them in line with the Army Gymnastic Staff, which had started some forty years earlier. However, despite the progress of physical training and sport in the Royal Navy during the early 1900’s, in 1914, at the commencement of hostilities, the Royal Navy Physical Training School at Portsmouth was closed, and the training of instructors ceased in favour of service at sea.9

(2c) PRE - WW1 (1901 - 1914) - THE ROYAL MARINES: As part of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines were very much governed by both the regulations and traditions of their parent service. Many Royal Navy officers did not understand the need for amphibious landings or fighting ashore. Every Marine had a place in a gun crew and as far as the Navy was concerned, they could not be spared for landing parties, and did not understand the need to practice their infantry skills ashore. Consequently, during the pre-World War One period Royal Marine detachments served in most battleships and cruisers of the fleet, providing their traditional roles of security for officers, ceremonial duties, boarding parties and the occasional small-scale landing ashore.All Royal Marines, having undergone six months of recruit training the, prior to joining a ship, also had to spend considerable time being trained as a Ship’s Gunner and from 1908 onwards when aboard HM ships, the Royal Marines traditionally manned the 'X' and 'Y’ gun turrets during battle stations. Despite the military failures of the early Boer War, Royal Marines training changed very little during the period leading up to World War One. Both the Royal Marines Artillery (‘The Blues’) and the Royal Marines Light Infantry (‘The Reds’) appeared to focus more upon drill inspections and parades, rather than learning and practicing new infantry tactics and skills. However, strict physical training took place in the gymnasium and mainly consisted of exercises with barbells, horse-box vaulting and bayonet drills, as well as route marches in battle kit. The important role of the Royal Marines PT Instructor became better recognised in 1905 when the Admiralty approved the wearing of gold embroidered on blue cloth Specialist Qualification (SQ) badges, to be worn by ‘Qualified Gymnastic Instructors, 1st and 2nd Class, whilst employed as such’.It appears that there was a dire shortage of suitable candidates at the time to become Physical Training and Recreational Instructors, because Boat Coxswains and Gunnery Sergeants were paid more than the physical trainers. After much discussion at very senior level progress was made to attract a better class of physical trainer and in 1907, some improvements were made.Royal Marines Physical Training Instructors were also to receive greater recognition in 1909, when they were able to serve on ships at sea, in lieu of Royal Navy Physical Training Instructors.In 1913, the pay rates were increased, and a Physical Training Instructor (Second Class) would then receive four pence per day and Physical Training Instructor (First Class) eight pence per day. The early physical training of both the Royal Marines Artillery recruits at Eastney Barracks in Portsmouth, and the Royal Marines Light Infantry at Deal, consisted of a very thorough and disciplined physical training programme, and photographs of the early 1900’s depict a very high-standard of their gymnasium class passouts, under the supervision of their fierce instructors. During this period, the Musician trainees of the (then) Royal Naval School of Music at Eastney Barracks were also subject to the same strict physical training regimes. Sport played a large part of military life of both the RMA and the RMLI during the 1900’s and many photographs of the period show a wide variety of sports participation and winning teams, especially in football. For example, in 1910, the RMLI football team were the winners of the very prestigious Army Cup, as well as the F.A. cup in that year. In those days football was so popular that such events attracted huge crowds of up to 100,000 spectators. By the time of the First World war, structured exercise and sports were both well-established in the Royal Marines and had reached a very high, almost professional, standard.10

(3a) WORLD WAR 1 (1914 - 1918) - THE ARMY: Great Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914 and by January 1915 Lord Kitchener’s Army recruiting campaign, promoted by his famous ‘Your Country Needs You’ poster, had encouraged over one million men to enlist to serve in the Army. Between 1908 and the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the physical training programmes, sport participation and games in the British Army had become well-established and by the start of the First World War in 1914 most Army installations had a gymnasium, with standard games and athletics fields. Despite the progress made, in early 1914 preparation for war became the top priority and there were immediate reductions in army sporting activities and the instructors serving on the Army Gymnastic staff in Aldershot were greatly reduced and sent back to their various regimental units. With Britain desperate to attract new recruits to join the army, sport was seen as a potential recruiting tool, especially at the huge Saturday afternoon civilian football league matches. Subsequently, an Army recruiting poster was designed to promote sport and to show that “The Army isn’t all work”.By August 1914, it had become obvious that it was not possible to continue fighting by relying on voluntary recruits and the Military Service Act was passed in January 1916 but, similar to the Boer War, over a quarter of new recruits were found to be unfit for military service.This posed a problem for the War Office because of the drastic reductions of the Army Gymnastic Staff, there were no qualified physical training staff available to conduct physical training for the 150,000 recruits arriving at the Army Depots around the country, prior to them being sent into battle. The War Office quickly reversed its earlier decision and one Major Wright, the Inspector of Gymnasia, managed to quickly gather a cadre of 80 PT Instructors at Aldershot and then created a shortened course of progressive exercise tables and route-marching, to prepare recruits for battle conditions. The new exercise tables, including simple drawings, were then published in Special Tables: Physical Training (1916). The Army Gymnastic Staff’s physical training and fencing instruction programmes were deemed to be of great importance. Consequently, in 1917, the Army Physical and Bayonet Training School moved to St. Pol, in France, to run short courses for junior officers and NCO’s, who would then return to their units as ‘Physical and Bayonet Training Instructors.’ Active service on the Western Front involved four years of trench warfare, with big areas of land between both the British and German trenches covered in barbed wire. Those brave enough to leave their trenches were met with rapid machine-gun fire. The losses were great, and for example, the Battle of the Somme resulted in more than 600,000 soldiers on each side being killed, wounded, or captured. Following a period in the trenches, rotating units were removed from front-line fighting to the rear of the battlefield for a brief respite, before returning to the trenches. During their time in the rear areas the soldiers received further daily military training, but there was also time for a wide variety of recreational activities, ranging from ‘hop, skip and jump’ competitions, to tug o’ war matches. Boxing and Football were very popular and easy to organise, as well as other sporting competitions and they played a very important part in building team spirit and esprit de corps. One famous example was on Christmas Eve, 1914, when men of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) heard the German troops in the trenches opposite singing carols and shouted messages were exchanged. On a short Christmas Day truce, both sides climbed out of their trenches and met in no man's land, exchanging gifts, taking photographs and then played football. On Boxing Day normal battle resumed.The Army leadership quickly realised that sport played an extremely important part in distracting the troops from the horrors of war and to relieve the long periods of boredom and by the end of 1916, sport in the Army had become an official part of Army policy. 11

WORLD WAR 1 (1914-1918) - THE ROYAL NAVY:Prior to World War 1 the value of physical training, recreation and sport in the Royal Navy was firmly established and accepted at senior officer level. Not only did sporting activity raise levels of physical fitness but it also played an important part in keeping up good morale amongst a ship’s company. Teaching new-entry naval recruits to swim was also very important and in 1910, having finally decided that every naval recruit should be able to swim the swimming bath at Pitt Street, in Portsmouth, was built, along with a gymnasium. This was subsequently called the Royal Naval School of Physical Training. The sound structure for physical and recreational training was then largely due to the efforts of the Royal Navy Physical Training Branch. However, at the start of war in 1914 the Physical Training School at Portsmouth was closed and most of the existing physical training instructors were sent to sea. World War I was predominantly a land war, fought on the battlefields of Europe, and although Britain had a large and powerful navy, there were relatively few naval battles during the war. The Navy’s main role in WW1 was to control the sea routes and provide a blockade to restrict the supply of food and raw materials that Germany badly needed in order to win the war. To the south, the Royal Navy controlled the English Channel. To the north the Navy British Grand Fleet, of some 30-40 modern battleships, and battlecruisers, were based at the port of Scapa Flow in the Scottish Orkney Islands. This was an important natural harbour that controlled access into and out of the North Sea. Those onboard the large number of ships that were anchored in the Scapa Flow Naval Base awaited a German Navy that never appeared, and boredom was a major problem. During the very cold winters, with the ships tied up for long periods ashore, there was little opportunity to enjoy any form of recreation.This changed in the Battle of Jutland on the 31st May 1916, the largest naval battle of the First World War, which involved 250 ships and around 100,000 men and cost the lives of 6,000 British and 2,500 German sailors. However, following this battle, Britain still controlled the sea, and Germany never again attempted a full-scale naval confrontation. Back at Scapa Flow, the sheer boredom of being continuously tied up ashore continued to be a problem. By the end of 1916 it was clear that even basic recreational activities on board, or even the limited sporting activities ashore, could play a very important part in maintaining good morale amongst the ships’ crews. In 1916, recognising the need to maintain the morale of the bored and restless ships’ crews, Admiral Jellicoe encouraged the development of very basic sports facilities at the naval base at Scapa Flow. As a result, a football ground was built on boggy ground, as well as a golf course for officers. A boxing ring was also erected on a canteen ship. Despite the harsh, cold, winters these provided a very welcome respite. In 1919 the post-war Royal Navy faced an increasingly militant lower-deck movement and sport was seen as a possible way to help maintain good order and discipline. Amongst senior officers it was felt that a scheme of ‘physical, recreational and morale training’ in the Royal Navy could help to improve discipline and the moral character of the naval Seamen. This initiative would be led by the Navy Physical Training Instructors, and in 1919, under Navy Regulation 4091, instructions were given that ‘The Physical Training Branch of the Navy will, in future, be known as the Physical and Recreational Training Branch (P.& R.T.) and Physical Training Instructors (P.T.I.'s) are in future to be designated Physical and Recreational Training Instructors (P. & R.T.‘s).’‘Cometh the hour, Cometh the Man’ and one Commander Coote, R.N., would lead this initiative. Cdr Coote had witnessed and was greatly impressed by the work of Colonel Campbell D.S.O. at the Physical and Bayonet Training School at St. Pol during the war and when he returned, he resolved to implement the new 'mind, body and spirit' approach in the Royal Navy. 12

(3c) WORLD WAR 1 (1914 - 1918) - THE ROYAL MARINES: During the First World War, as part of the Royal Navy, the majority of Royal Marines served mainly on board the ships of the fleet, in their traditional ship’s detachment role, and approximately 10,000 Royal Marines were patrolling at sea as part of Admiral Jellicos’ Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow. Admiral Jellicos’ Grand Fleet, consisted of 67 battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, as well as 80 destroyers. Most HM ships carried a Royal Marine detachment from the RMA and RMLI, totalling 93 RM officers, 39 warrant officers and 5,700 NCO’s and gunners. Those active on sea patrols had to survive the arduous conditions of the continuous Arctic and Atlantic Convoys with little respite. The Grand Fleet patiently laid in wait for an attack from the German Vice Admiral Reinhard Scheer’s High Seas Fleet. However, for 18 months the Grand Fleet saw little action, apart from the regular sweeps of the North Sea. On most ships, especially those serving in arduous conditions of the Arctic and Atlantic Convoys, the extreme climatic conditions and readiness for action made any form of recreation impossible.However, if circumstances allowed, the Royal Marines would find a space on deck for some physical exercise, as shown in the photograph below.Prior to the Battle of Jutland, for those onboard at the cold and isolated Scapa Flow, life was tedious and consisted of countless exercises and gun-drills at sea, and few opportunities for either recreational activities, or shore leave, for the sailors and Royal Marines on board the many ships.For the Royal Navy and Royal Marines on board the Grand Fleet, there was little time for sport, or recreation, because of the demands of war. However, the small, but very significant, initiative of Admiral Jellico to provide some form of sport to build morale would not be forgotten when the war ended. 13A physical exercise session taking place on the deck of HMS Gloucester.

(4a) POST - WW1 (1919 - 1939) - THE ARMY:In the late 1930s, facing a possible Second World War, recruitment once again became a major issue in the Army, especially as this could have dire consequences for the defence of Britain and the Empire.In 1933 the Financial Secretary to the War Office’s calculated that more than 52 per cent of potential Army recruits had been rejected on health, or physical, grounds.In 1934 It was estimated that an estimated ten million households in Britain were ‘underfed’ and with the long-term unemployed, three in ten households were subsisting below the poverty line. By 1938, with World War Two approaching, a shortfall of over 20,000 soldiers was predicted. It was with some alarm that the War Office realised that it may not have enough men to enlist who were physically capable of defending the nation. There was also an increase in the number of recorded desertions. As the Secretary of State for War commented, ‘This is a sure sign of dissatisfaction with the conditions of military service’. Other causes of the recruitment deficit appeared to be ‘the lack of attractiveness’ of Army service, and that the Army did not offer ‘a safe or satisfactory career’. A number of measures were taken in order to reduce the level of recruit rejections for medical reasons. One such initiative was the setting up of a ‘Recruit Physical Development Depot’, supervised by the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) and instructed by Army Physical Training staff. This initiative was designed to provide a basic course for the previously rejected recruits, in order to improve their health and to get them sufficiently fit for further military training and front-line service. The first experimental programme started in September 1936, with 33 previously rejected ’sub-standard’ recruits being sent to the Aldershot School of Physical Training, under the medical supervision of Captain Capon of the RAMC. Capt. Capon recorded that all the rejects ‘gave the impression of under-nourishment and lack of fresh air and exercise’. The instructors were also informed that the aim of the exercise programme should also ‘produce alertness of mind’ and ‘develop character’. (4)As well as progressive exercise and improved nutrition, six further key principles of the programme were to include: ‘a good environment’, ‘sound sleep’, ‘hard work’, ‘healthy recreation’, ‘good food’, and ‘contentment’. (5) These background elements were considered to be extremely important factors that would address the previous deficiencies of the recruits and help to prepare them for further training. The basic principles adopted at Aldershot would go on to form the first Recruits’ Physical Development Depot (RPDD) at Canterbury. Despite the success of the programme, at the outbreak of war, the Canterbury Depot was closed in order to provide some badly needed accommodation for the large number of ‘Hostilities Only’ recruits that had joined the Army at the outbreak of war. However, given the continuing huge scale of the deficiencies and the dire effect upon Army manpower, the RPDD’s were quickly re-instated as ‘Physical Development Centres’ (PDD’s). Between 1941-1943, three further PDD’s were opened in Kingston, Skegness and Hereford. These were then later combined into one main Physical Development Centre (PDC) at Chester, which remained open until 1949. The training period for the sub-standard recruits was established as three months duration and consisted mainly of introductory physical training and an enhanced diet. Each man received 4,738 calories daily, with the specific inclusion of butter, milk, salad and fruit in the daily menu. The programme proved a great success and at the end of the course, all but one of the 33 recruits starting the course were accepted for further military training by their chosen regiments.By the end of the Second World War, more than 12,000 previously sub-standard recruits had been sufficiently developed at a PDC and were then able to go on to further regimental training as a result. The success of the RPDD programme would enable an additional Army battalion to be raised each yearand provided a model programme for similar situations in the future. 14

(4b) POST - WW1 (1919 - 1939) - THE ROYAL NAVY: At the commencement of hostilities in 1914, the RN Physical Training School at Portsmouth was closed, so the supply of Physical Training instructors was cut off. However, the valuable lessons learned at Scapa Flow were still remembered. During this time, even brief participation in sport had played an important part in maintaining the high morale of sailors and keeping them distracted from the stresses and strains of naval life. In post-World War One, the Royal Navy was also experiencing an increasingly militant lower-deck movement and it was thought that sport might be a good alternative, by replacing the fear of punishment with encouraging an interest in sport. It was felt that a scheme of ‘physical, recreational and morale training’ could help to develop discipline, fighting capacity and the moral character of seamen.In 1919, With the renewed emphasis on physical training and recreation, under Navy Regulation 4091, the re-named Physical and Recreational Training Branch was revived in Portsmouth. The current Physical Training Instructors were also re-designated as Physical and Recreational Training Instructors (P. & R.T.‘s). Subsequently, a Physical and Recreational Conference was held from the 14th to 17th January 1919, in Portsmouth, which included both Royal Navy and Royal Marines Physical Training and Sports Officers. The aim of the conference was to put forward proposals for the future organisation and development of ‘Physical, Recreational and Morale Training of the Navy’, as well as forming a Navy Sports Control Board. Where the Army had led the way, the Navy quickly followed. A key pioneer of the new approach was one Commander Coote, R.N. who, during the war, had travelled to observe Col. Campbell’s Physical and Bayonet Training School at St. Pol, and he was very much impressed by the 'mind, body and spirit' approach being adopted by the Army. Also addressing the conference was Surgeon Commander Digby Bell R.N. who had served in the flagships of Sir John Jellicoe and Sir David Beatty. During the four and half years of war, he had combined his duties of a junior medical officer, with the position of adviser in physical training matters to the Commander-in-Chief. In his conference address he strongly supported Cdr. Coote’s vision.In his address, Surgeon. Commander Bell recounted in great detail the widespread ‘nervous strain and ghastly monotony, on the ships at Scapa Flow. He also emphasised that it was not so difficult to keep the 10% of keen sportsmen motivated, but the main challenge was how to motivate the larger 90% of the sailor population to participate in games and sport? It was felt that the large 90 per cent, who had never participated in sports and games, was principally because they had never had the opportunity to play, or that they may have been discouraged by their own inability to compete with the outstanding sporting talents of the 10% top Navy sportsmen. The conference agreed to find ways to encourage the uninterested 90% of the Navy population to take part in sports and games - and not just the 10% outstanding sportsmen that had hitherto been the case. The majority of the conference of RN and RM officers fully supported the new scheme of “Physical, Recreational and Morale Training”. In sport, the trainee sailors would be taught how to play the game ‘in the proper spirit, fairly, without fouling, going all out to win without resorting to cheating’ and to ‘play for your side and not for yourself.’(6)This would be delivered by the new P & RT Instructors, who would instruct the sailors who would be encouraged to participate in activities such as boat pulling, boxing, swimming, diving, water polo, athletics, bayonet fighting, fencing, and gymnastics. These new measures were then authorised and implemented, bringing in a new era of sporting activity to the Royal Navy and the 1930’s recruiting posters depicted young sun-tanned sailors playing sport in exotic locations around the world, a great recruiting tool - at least until the Second World War arrived. 15

(4c) POST - WW1 (1919 - 1939) - THE ROYAL MARINES: Post-war re-organisation saw the Royal Marines reduced in size from 55,000 (1918) to just 15,000 men. In 1922 the Treasury wanted a further reduction, with even the possible disbandment of the Corps and eventually a compromised establishment of 9,500 men was finally agreed upon. In an Admiralty Fleet Order of June 1923, the decision was taken to amalgamate the Royal Marines Artillery (RMA) and the Royal Marines Light Infantry (RMLI) Regiments to become simply ‘The Royal Marines’. With regard to the physical training of recruits, both the RMA and RMLI had previously established the highest standards of physical training for their new recruits, but henceforth, Royal Marines recruit training would take place at the Depot Royal Marines, in Deal, where, between 1868-1871 the new military gymnasium, based upon the design of Archibald MacLaren, had been built. In 1926 The Royal Marine P.& R.T. Instructors Allocation Complement showed that Royal Marine P & RT Instructors were distributed throughout all of the main H.M. ships and R.N. establishments. At Deal there was a P & RT staff of 4 x Staff Instructors, 6 x 1st Class Instructors and 10 x 2nd Class Instructors.During the 1919 conference on Royal Navy Sport and Recreation, the Royal Marines officers who had attended, generally supported the introduction of Cdr Coote’s new programme of ‘Physical, Recreational and Morale training’ but also had some demands of their own before such implementation was agreed.Bayonet-fighting had also been an essential part of Royal Marines training for many years, as they continuously experimented for the best ways to board ships and to repel boarders. Demonstrating such skills in front of the Lords of the Admiralty in 1811, their methods were met with much approval. Both before and during the second world war, bayonet training was considered to be a very important part of training for war. The British Army Bayonet Fighting Manual provided very detailed exercises for bayonet fighting and stated that: ‘In a bayonet assault all ranks go forward to kill or be killed, and only those who have developed skill and strength by constant training will be able to kill.’Whilst the Royal Marine Officers would generally support the 1919 Conference proposals, they also pointed out that a most important subject for Royal Marines was Bayonet Training and that it should be taught as part of the P & RT course and not an additional subject at the end, as it was done previously. The RM Officers also pointed out that, because of their experience of working directly with recruits, the training of Royal Marines P.T.I’s at Deal, ‘Had now been carried on for some three years and has proved most satisfactory.’ They pointed out that ‘In a three month’s course we have produced an Instructor more suitable for our own needs than was ever produced in six months’ courses before the war at the Royal Navy Physical Training School (in Portsmouth).’ (7)To further emphasise their Royal Marines independence the officers added: ‘They are actually trained to be Instructors on the raw material, i.e. Long Service Recruits. They instruct them in Physical Training, Physical Exercise, Bayonet Training and Boxing from the very start, under supervision. Such conditions prevail at no other Training Establishment in the country and to return to pre-war methods would lower the standard of both our P.T.I.’s and recruits to a very great extent.’ (8)They also recommended that ‘All gymnasia at present in existence require to be overhauled and brought up to date, and further that it is necessary to build new gymnasia to meet urgent requirements, and that this work should be commenced forthwith.’(9) Learning to swim was also very important. In February 1852, the steel-hulled steamship HMS Birkenhead had hit a reef off South Africa and sank with the tragic loss of some 450 soldiers, Marines and Sailors, through drowning. Following this tragedy, the Government then directed the building of swimming pools for all service establishments. In 1890, The Depot Royal Marines was granted money to dig out a swimming pool by hand and a cold salt-water pool was completed in 1898. Once the swimming pool was built every Royal Marine Recruit had to pass a swimming test before completing training. 16

An early photograph of the first Royal Marines “Swimming & Recreational Training Course” was taken in 1923. Following this, there are many sequential photographs of the qualified PT Instructor courses from the 1930’s onwards, all showing a collection of extremely fit and capable P & RT Instructors. The 1929 ‘Physical Exercise Tables for the Training of Royal Marine Recruits’ were contained in an Aide Memoire that provided clear lesson plans for eight Physical Training Tables, as well as Bayonet fighting, Sabre fencing, Boxing lessons, Wrestling, Athletics, Physical Training Tests, Field Tests, Indoor Obstacle Training Exercises and swimming, the latter being a requirement to pass out as a trained Marine. In the 1930’s the P & RT Instructor qualification courses were of a duration of six months, with an upgrading course of three months. Subjects such as fencing and boxing were the main sports in which the P & RT Instructors had to be particularly well qualified. Additionally, a large emphasis was placed upon class taking ability, as well as practical performance in agility, vaulting and gymnastic apparatus.The Physical & Recreational Training Instructor Course (P & RTI) examinations included: Physical Education Class-taking, PT Theory, Recreational Training, PT Practical, Medical Knowledge, Bayonet Fighting, Fencing (mainly Sabre), Boxing, Swimming, and ‘ Notebook.’ Each subject had a 60% pass mark to qualify, out of a total score of a maximum 1,330 possible points.Both in civilian and service life, the 1930’s saw a period of huge interest and growth in sports. In military training, bayonet fighting drills were taught by the Royal Marines P & RT Branch Instructors to all recruits, as a necessary skill for war, although rarely used in actual battle. Fencing, Boxing and Gymnastics were also a major focus at this time, with a dedicated Master of each sport, ‘when employed as such’, at the RM Gymnasium at Deal. Many PTI’s reached the highest levels of sporting skill, and some became outstanding national sportsmen of their time.For the great majority of Marines, Football was hugely popular, and Commanding Officers fully supported their unit teams, and they regarded winning as an extremely important part of their military status. Records show that the Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI) and the Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) were playing football very seriously in the early 1900’s and one of the biggest successes was in 1910, when the RMLI (then stationed in Gosport) won the Amateur Football Cup, beating South Bank (Middlesbrough) 2-1. In those days football matches could attract crowds of up to 100,000 spectators.In 1928, the United States Marine Corps wished to perpetuate the bond of friendship, which had existed between the two corps since the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1901, when the Royal Marines and the USMC had fought side by side. To commemorate this bond a USMC Challenge Trophy called The Tunney Cup was presented to the Royal Marines by Captain J.J. Tunney USMC, a highly skilled boxer, who was ranked in the 10 top Best Heavyweight boxers in the U.S. and was also the reigning World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Retired Sergeant Major Charles R. Francis USMC, was chosen to accompany the Trophy from America to England on board the S.S Leviathan. He had served side by side with the Royal Marines during the Boxer Rebellion and had been badly wounded. He was awarded the Navy Congressional Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism at Tientsin, China in 1900. Capt J.J. Tunney USMC presented General L. S. T. Halliday V.C., C.B., R.M., Adjutant General Royal Marines, with the trophy on the 15th December 1928, at Eastney Barracks in Portsmouth. This trophy was fiercely competed for every year thereafter until the present date. The Post - World War One period saw a great improvement in the structured and progressive physical training of recruits, as well as opening up a new era for both Royal Navy and Royal Marines sport, with Boxing, Bayonet-fighting and Fencing being prominent during this period. As masters of their sports, Royal Marines PT Instructors excelled in many sporting events right up until 1939, which marked the beginning of the Second World War. 17

(5a) WORLD WAR II (1939 - 1945) - THE ARMY:Such was the importance of physical fitness, that with the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 the number of Army Physical Training Corps instructors grew from an initial 280 instructors to a massive 900 instructors by January 1940. Their main training focus would include the initial Physical Training (PT) and Battle Physical Training (BPT) for recruits to prepare them for war. In February 1940, the War Office issued an abbreviated 70-page manual ‘Physical and Recreational Training (1940)’ to provide a progressive series of physical training tables for both new recruits and trained soldiers. Sport was also considered important, and the manual included guidance on the teaching of boxing, wrestling, cross-country running, tug of war, and other recreational sports. The section on ‘Fighting Fitness’ included the following guidance: ‘The soldier must be fit in body, mind and spirit. A tough spirit seldom inhabits a soft body. The body must first be hardened and will be strengthened through the agency of the body. Inaction destroys fitness. The prelude to battle is often a period of sea - transport, or a spell of hot or very cold weather, when a man will become inactive unless exercise is regular.’It added: ‘To be fit to fight, a soldier must be trained in resistance to exposure, fatigue, thirst, and hunger, as he may have to fight by day or night in the desert, the jungle or the mountains. He must be trained with imagination to face every possible hardship, and, through knowledge and practice, he must be given confidence in his ability to withstand the hardships of a campaign and to maintain his will to victory.’Between December 1944 and April 1947, the War Office issued a 12 - part series of highly detailed instructional pamphlets, within the manual of ‘Basic Battle and Physical Training’ which included the following topics: These instructional pamphlets provided clear guidance on all aspects of Basic Physical Training, Battle Physical Training, and Sport. They provided sound guidance for the progressive physical training, from basic recruit training, right up to the fighting man in battle, providing one of the best military physical training programmes in the world. However, in the 1940’s another and much higher level of military training would be required, with the evolution of the new commando units that were to be formed and trained at Achnacarry and a short summary of such Commando training follows.18

THE FORMING OF THE COMMANDO UNITS:Following an order from the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, In June 1940 the War Office authorised the creation of a new wartime raiding force for guerrilla-style operations against enemy targets. These were to be based upon Churchill’s own experiences during the Boer War of 1800-1902, when a small Boer volunteer force fought the British soldiers with great effect. Whilst the British soldiers used the traditional infantry columns of advancing lines, the Boer Kommandos, who knew their country intimately, were able to move quickly and lightly to ambush the British soldiers. Winston Churchill wanted to create a similar raiding force to carry out raids against the German occupied areas of Europe. This new force would consist of the best Army volunteers for the first British Commando units. Many of these men were sent into action almost immediately in Norway. Thus, in December 1941 a total of twelve Army Commando units were formed and training commenced at the Commando Depot, Achnacarry, the seat of the Cameron Clan, located 15 miles north of Fort William in the wild Highlands of Scotland.Only the very best soldiers were selected for commando training and the volunteers had to first pass the extremely demanding selection process. However, many were highly motivated and between 1942 -1945 more than 25,000 men had successfully passed the basic training course at Achnacarry.Much of the Battle Physical Training included basic strengthening and agility exercises, as well as learning the skills of tackling and overcoming obstacles. All the equipment and obstacles were home made at Achnacarry by the staff. Log exercises were also used to develop strength and teamwork. Cross-country marches also developed into 36-hour schemes, so that the trainees also learned how to sleep out in the harshest conditions and use natural materials to construct simple bivouacs. Speed marches were introduced from the beginning of training, starting with a first 5-mile speed march, on the second day of the course. Other weekly speed marches followed that would all end with an extremely demanding military task, such as the following: • 7 miles under 70 minutes followed by digging a defensive position.• 9 miles under 90 minutes, followed by firing practice.• 12 miles in under 130 minutes, followed by a drill parade on the square.• 15 miles under 170 minutes, followed by assault course and firing.Other training included speed-marching up and down Ben Nevis in the pouring rain, wearing heavy equipment, climbing mountains at night and then abseiling down cliffs with just a rope tied around their waists. During the Tarzan Course, which included the Toggle Bridge and Death Ride, live ammunition and hand-grenades were used to provide realistic battle conditions. The idea was that if the Commandos could survive Achnacarry, they could survive anything, and this was well-proven in actual operations.During their basic training the trainees lived in extremely tough conditions and were intentionally pushed to the point of exhaustion. Around 30 per cent dropped out before they received their coveted green beret and were returned to their units. Despite the great success of the Commando Training Depot at Achnacarry, by 1943, the intended small raids on the enemy coastline ceased, and the main Army planning and training was then focused on the planning for the large D-Day landings. Consequently, a decision was made to disband the Army Commandos and Achnacarry was closed on 31 March 1946.The task of maintaining the proud tradition that the Army Commandos had done so much to create was then passed to the Royal Marines to uphold.19

(5b) WORLD WAR II (1939 - 1945) - THE ROYAL NAVY:During World War II, The Royal Navy was critical to the country’s survival. Its main role was to keep the British sea-lanes open and to protect our merchant ships from the German U-boats. In 1940, if the shipping lanes were not kept open Britain would not get its essential raw materials, or the nation’s food supplies, that were badly needed for the country to survive the war.During the war, Germany’s very effective U-boats had already sunk many of HM ships, including the tragic loss of the Prince of Wales, Repulse and Hood, with a loss of over 50,000 sailors and marines lost in action and over 14,000 wounded. In return the Royal Navy did manage to sink the pride of the German Navy, the 52,600 - ton Battleship Bismarck. During the whole of World War II, across a stormy and vast ocean, the Royal Navy’s ships managed to keep the German ships from British shores, as well as operating in other regions across the world, including the Mediterranean and the Far East. During the Dunkirk Evacuation, that urgently took place between 26 May and 4 June 1940 in Northern France, The Royal Navy played a major role in the evacuation of more than 338,000 allied soldiers from Dunkirk, with the hastily assembled evacuation fleet of over 800 vessels.Most notably of all, on the 6th of June 1944, the Navy’s armada sailed to the D-Day shores and played a vital role in defeating Nazi Germany. Similar to World War One, and with a dire shortage of volunteers for military service, the National Services Act of 1939, was passed, which conscripted all men between the ages of 18 and 41 to serve their country during the war. With their new and modern ships, the Royal Navy needed to attract the most intelligent and very best recruits to serve on board. To its great advantage, the Navy’s 1930’s recruitment posters had already depicted healthy young sailors in exotic locations, enjoying sport and seeing the world. This had a good effect and by 1940 the Navy had attracted 16,000 men, far more men than it could handle, with another 80,000 potential sailors waiting, but with only 50 centres available for conducting the medical tests. Although the role of sport was accepted as being essential for good morale and team spirit, on most ships (especially those serving in the Arctic and Atlantic Convoys) during the war at sea there was very little time and few opportunities for recreation, or sport for the sailors. The images of young, sun-tanned, seamen were far from reality during the long voyages and turbulent seas aboard the ships during the Second World War. When the opportunity did arise for brief periods ashore, sporting activities were enjoyed to the full, but there were few facilities available. For example, football was extremely popular in the Navy, but at Greenock there were only six football pitches for the crews of 80 ships. As a result, many potential sportsmen took no part in any sporting activities and any spare time was spent in cinemas, the canteen bars, or just listening to the radio. During the second world war, apart from the occasional action, for the majority of a ship’s crew at sea, life was tedious and boring. This resulted in some serious cases of depression, clearly demonstrating that ‘All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy!’ (10)Although the Royal Navy recognised that physical exercise and recreation raised the spirits of the sailors, kept them entertained and distracted them from the stresses and strains of naval life at sea, during the Second World War it was always the case that duty came first.20

(5c) WORLD WAR II (1939 - 1945) - THE ROYAL MARINES: During World War Two, the Royal Marines, once again, lived up to their traditional motto: 'Per Mare, Per Terram’ ('By Sea, By Land’) demonstrating their dual roles of being equally capable of operating on board ships and ashore.However, during the beginning of the war in 1940-1941, as part of the Royal Navy serving on board HM ships and despite their infantry fighting skills, the majority of Royal Marines would find themselves at sea on North Sea patrols, carrying out ship security duties and manning the guns of the battleships, battle cruisers and cruisers of the fleet. On land, the Royal Marines were involved in fighting in various parts of the world, including action at the Capture of Madagascar, also in Crete, Malaya, Singapore and Tobruk. In 1943 Royal Marines Commandos also fought in Sicily, and Salerno in Italy, with a large number of casualties. In 1941, the Chief of Combined Operations, Lord Louis Mountbatten wanted to create more Commandos to be trained in order to replace those who had already been lost in the war.The Royal Navy preferred to have the Royal Marines serving on board their HM Ships, to protect the coastal batteries and to provide ongoing service with the Fleet. Lord Mountbatten persisted and finally succeeded in getting men from the Royal Marine Division to retrain as commandos.Although the first RM Commando trainees were not the most highly selected, they were allocated to a training troop at Deal and put through a rigorous programme of physical training, weapon training, boat training, long-distance marches, rock climbing, tactics and battlefield exercises. The early Commando actions were not entirely successful and in August 1942, the abortive Dieppe raid by 40 Commando was an early experience of a Royal Marines Commando operating as part of a larger raiding force, which, although strategically useful, was a tactical disaster. Also in 1942, the Infantry Battalions of the Royal Marine Division were re-organised to join with the Army Commandos, to form the Special Service Brigade, later to be re-named the Commando Brigade.Nine different Royal Marine Commando units were raised during the war, numbering from 40 Commando through to 48 Commando and afterwards the newly formed Commando units then fought in various operations across the world.On the 6th June 1944 (D-Day) 17,000 Royal Marines participated in the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy This involved four commando units in the initial assault: 41, 45, 47 & 48 Commandos, with 46 commando in reserve as a follow-up.Much has already been written about the arduous commando training at Achnacarry, where the early commandos were often pushed to the point of exhaustion. In the summer of 1942 and as a recognition of their passing the tough commando tests, the consideration of a common headdress for the many different army regiments was proposed and the colour of green was finally agreed. An official request for the provision of the new green berets was then requested and signed by Lord Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations, dated 1st May 1942. In his letter request to the Under Secretary of State for War he wrote: ‘I have been much struck by the intense desire on the part of all officers and men with whom I have spoken to have a distinctive form of headdress and consider that it would make the greatest difference to esprit de corps.’ This request was granted and subsequently all those who passed all of the commando tests were awarded the coveted green beret, which continues to this day within the Royal Marines and attached Army Units and Naval personnel who have passed the Commando Course tests to the same Achnacarry Commando test standards. 21

For those Royal Marines who have either passed their Commando Course, or served at Lympstone, many will not be aware of the part that the Dalditch Camp, on Woodbury Common, (close to the current Endurance Course) played during the second World War. In the summer of 1941, in preparation for the Second World War, a camp with 378 Nissen huts and camp facilities was quickly built for the training of wartime recruits at the Dalditch Camp, in Budleigh Salterton, near Exmouth. The Dalditch Camp became the Royal Marines Infantry Training Centre (RMITC) and played a vital role during the build-up for the D-Day landings in June 1944.The Dalditch Training Camp was an isolated small military village, complete with a combined gymnasium/church, cinema, drying rooms, mess halls and a N.A.A.F.I. canteen. More importantly, it also provided training facilities for advanced weapon training, with many rifle ranges, and an anti-tank range. The training included how to use flame-throwers, mortars and hand-grenades, as well as hand-to-hand and close quarter combat, which was detailed in the Royal Marines Applied Physical Training Handbook (1945). In 1943 the wartime training was extended from six to eight weeks, and in 1944 was further expanded to 18 weeks. Sport also played an important part in training at the Dalditch Camp and football and cricket teams were formed. In June 1944, the RMITC football team were the Football League Champions, as well as becoming the ‘Tunney Cup’ winners, beating Plymouth 5-0. A public sports day was also held at the nearby Exmouth, which was also repeated the following year. The military training at Dalditch was extremely valuable for the wartime Royal Marines and at its peak the Dalditch Camp housed around 8,000 troops in training. However, at the end of the war and having fulfilled its purpose, in October 1945, the camp was closed by the War Department. After the war, Commando training continued at the Infantry Training Centre Royal Marines (ITCRM) at Lympstone (near Dalditch). Before even being considered for commando training Royal Marine recruits had first to complete their preliminary 12 weeks training at the Depot RM, Deal. After passing the strict medical tests, signing up and then being attested and taking ‘The King’s Shilling’, the recruits at Deal would be issued with their full clothing and kit, as well as being taught how to wear and clean it, especially their rifles – which they would learn to fire on the nearby Kingsdown Range. The strict recruit training regime of drill, physical training, and weapon training at Deal would prepare the recruits well for the following infantry and commando training. This was initially conducted at Towyn in North Wales, then at Bickleigh Camp near Plymouth, and finally at the Infantry Training Centre (ITCRM) at Lympstone, where it still remains today as the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM). The task of maintaining the proud tradition that the Army Commandos had done so much to create was permanently passed on to the Royal Marines. By the time the Second World War over, all recruits completed commando training and the cherished green beret became a permanent part of service within the Royal Marines for the years to come. 22

ROYAL MARINES PHYSICAL TRAINING AND SPORT IN THE 1940’s: Following the Second World War and five years of poverty and poor nutrition, physical training for new recruits had to take into account the poor physical and medical state of many recruits. Although many new recruits had previously played sports before joining up, few had received three square meals a day, or had any form of structured physical exercise programmes prior to joining the Royal Marines. Thus, the Physical Training Instructor’s Manual stated: ‘All Training is progressive, and lessons in physical training must be arranged in accordance with the capabilities of the recruits for whom they are intended, gradually increasing in difficulty, or severity, from week to week.’ The initial 12 weeks of recruit training at the Depot RM Deal provided the recruits with good nutrition, regular meals and a carefully structured Swedish exercise programme to gradually strengthen the weak bodies of the young men, possibly for the first times in their lives. This would turn the weakest recruits into fit and disciplined young men, well prepared for the hard training to follow at the Infantry Training Centre Royal Marines at Lympstone in Devon. In addition to regular physical training, sports and recreation also played a large part in developing the young recruits. The physical training guidelines at this time stated that “The value of active games and sports as adjuncts to physical training cannot be over-estimated. Games and physical training should be looked upon as complementary to one another and a man’s physical education can hardly be considered as quite complete without the introduction of some form of active recreation.” In the 1940’s the main sports subjects taught at Deal focussed upon Boxing, Fencing, Athletics, Swimming and Recreational Training. For the PT Instructors, additional 2–3-week sports coaching courses were held at the RM PT School in Deal to train them specifically in Boxing, Fencing, Bayonet Fighting and Judo. The Physical and Recreational Instructor Course syllabus of the mid-1940’s differed from the 1930’s course by including more sports subjects. As well as examinations for the basic course subjects of P.T. Class Taking, P.T. Practical, Apparatus, Close Combat, P.E,. Class Taking, P.T. Paper, Battle Training Class Taking, Swimming and ‘Notebook’, the syllabus now also included Fencing, Boxing, Recreational Training and Athletics. Bayonet fighting continued to be popular as a military sport and many Royal Marines PT Instructors became prominent in the annual Royal Tournament bayonet-fighting competitions. This annual military event began in 1888 to promote skill at arms, and to raise money for soldiers’ widows. Despite the superior numbers of the Army, Navy and RAF, Royal Marine PTI’s regularly won the top Royal Tournament individual and team trophies for Bayonet Fighting and Fencing. This had the effect of greatly raising the standard of fencing in the PT Branch. During the 1930’s and 1940’s many PTI’s then went on to represent the corps at National and International level. For example, Sgt Joe Field RM won many national fencing awards and coached the British Olympic Team for the 1936 games in Berlin. In Boxing, Recruit Tommy Lenham (later to become a PTI and Major RM) showed great promise and won many prestigious boxing trophies. He later became a member of the 1936 Imperial Services Boxing Association Team and in 1937 he boxed for England. In Las Vegas he achieved fame by ‘jumping ship’ and then winning the very prestigious ‘Golden Gloves’ Award. Tommy also won an England Rugby Cap, and his many trophies are still displayed at the Gymnasium at CTCRM. Such was the emphasis and encouragement of Corps sport that many others would also reach both national and international levels. At the heart of this success was the high standards of the Physical Training Branch Instructors. 23

(6a) POST - WORLD WAR II (1946 - 1971) - THE ARMY: After the Second World War the Army Physical Training Instructors Advanced Course reverted from the wartime six weeks training to a more realistic three-months duration, with the Assistant Instructors completing a six-week course. Largely because of the efforts of the Army Physical Training Instructors, military fitness and sports were a very important factor in keeping the morale of the troops high. Nevertheless, at the cessation of the war in 1946 and with demobilisation, the number of Army Physical Training Instructors was drastically reduced by almost half. For the basic introductory physical training of Army recruits, the Swedish tables of progressive exercise were still used to good effect. The normal pre-war exercise sessions would be for a class of around 30-40 recruits. However, with the shortage of APTC instructors, it was not unusual for one instructor to conduct a table of exercises for as many as 100-200 people, often in the open and without gymnastic apparatus. Nevertheless, the Swedish exercise tables were very effective. With the forming of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) in 1945, sport and recreational activities became increasingly important, to cope with the boredom of soldiers at the various locations, including many desolate parts of the world.With both the Cold War and the Malayan Emergency approaching, the British post-war government realised that the armed forces needed to be much larger than voluntary recruitment could provide. This resulted in the National Service Act of 1948 being passed by Parliament and all healthy males, 17 to 21 years old, were required to serve in the armed forces for 18 months and 4 years on the reserve list. In 1950, during the Korean War (1950-53), this was increased to two years duration. During the 1950’s national servicemen took part in various military operations across the world in Suez, Malaya, Korea, Cyprus and Kenya. The call-ups formally ended on 31 December 1960, and the last conscripted servicemen were discharged in 1963. In 1958, Physical Training in the Army, was published by the War Office for the guidance of PT instructors. This covered a wide range of military fitness and sports topics, including:(1) Principles of Instruction and Application of Training.(2) Recruit’s Physical Training.(3) Boys Physical training.(4) Battle Physical Training.(5-7) Allied Subjects (swimming, unarmed combat, boxing, wrestling, and various recreational activities including athletics, football, basketball, gymnastics and fencing).(8) Anatomy, Physiology and Body Mechanics for P.T. Instructors.Later, an additional pamphlet (9) Remedial Training was added. This was particularly important, as there was now a requirement for suitably qualified APTC instructors to also become Remedial Gymnasts (R.G.’s). The training took place at the newly formed Joint Services Medical Rehabilitation Unit (JSMRU) based at Chessington, Surrey, which was administered by the RAF. The 1958 pamphlets contained much valuable information, sound theory, clear guidelines and detailed line drawings, thus providing an excellent resource for instructors. The pamphlets have stood the test of time and the content is still as relevant today. Sport in the Army was greatly encouraged and became very well organised, mainly through the support provided by the Army Sport Control Board (ASCB), originally formed in 1918, and the regulatory body for over 40 different Army sports. In 1959,the ASCB produced its hardcover manual of “Games and Sports in the Army (1959)” which covered all aspects of the rules and organisation of Army sport that was widely distributed. 24

ARMY NATIONAL SERVICE AND SPORT:National service had attracted many top sportsmen, who would eventually find themselves serving in the Army Physical Training Corps (APTC). This could lead to them competing at a national and international level. Such talented individuals would also lay a large part in training others an raising the standard of their particular sport, through the sharing their expertise on the Army sports courses. In the 1950/1960’s one of the many sports where the staff of the APTC excelled was gymnastics and Between 1956 and 1964, several APTC Staff were regularly ranked among the top 100 gymnasts in the world. This provided great inspiration for those gymnasts wanting to reach the highest levels. Such success was exemplified by such sportsmen as Nik Stuart, who, having represented his regiment in boxing (undefeated) then took up high-diving and pole-vaulting, before taking an interest in gymnastics. In 1948 he transferred to the APTC and decided to make the Army his career. He became a gymnastics legend during the 1950’s and 1960’s.Nik Stuart then became the British Men’s Gymnastics Champion for nine consecutive years, from 1956 to 1964, and he represented Great Britain in both the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. While teaching gymnastic courses at Aldershot, he inspired and coached many aspiring gymnasts, from all three services, so that they also could learn new gymnastic techniques and also excel in the sport. In 1962 he was awarded an MBE by HM The Queen Many PT Instructors from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines also attended the Aldershot ‘Gymnastic Long Course’ of six months, typically returning as senior Staff Training Instructors. Their abilities and coaching encouraged a high standard of gymnastics of the PT Instructor qualification courses. However, for service sport to grow and thrive it needed to encourage the 90% of non-participants, and not just the 10% of the top sportsmen who would always excel at the top level of their sport. 25

(6b) POST - WORLD WAR II (1946 - 1971) - THE ROYAL NAVY: Although good progress was made in the development of progressive Swedish PT exercise programmes, and sporting activities, in the Royal Navy prior to World War II, this had come to an abrupt halt throughout 1939-1945 because of the requirements of wartime service at sea. However, following cessation of the Second World War, a complete overhaul of Royal Navy sport commenced, with the forming of the Royal Navy Sports Control Board and the efforts made to encourage the participation of sailors who did not normally take part in sport. Participation in Navy sport in the post-war period was greatly encouraged at senior office level, as well as the provision of a wide variety of sports courses and competitions organised by the Portsmouth Royal Navy and the Deal, Royal Marines, Physical Training Branches. The re-established Royal Navy PT School, once again, continued to train hundreds of highly qualified and talented Physical Training Instructors, who had to pass very demanding courses to become qualified and wear the coveted blue crossed-clubs badge on their blue-edged singlets. All PTI’s were issued with the Royal Navy Physical & Recreational Training Handbook (Volume 1) (1955), which laid down the methodology for conducting physical training in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines (Vol 1). This contained the complete range of 12 different Swedish PT Tables, with detailed instructions, terminology, photographs and photographs of the exact exercises to be completed and all of the tables had to be thoroughly memorised by all PT Instructors. Pehr Henrik Ling’s method of Swedish PT was held in very high esteem during this period and in the Vol. 1, Chapter 1 (Introduction, Para 3) states: “Physical Training in the Royal Navy is based on the Swedish system. There are other methods which have proved equally effective, but these do not come within the scope of this book. The Swedish system was evolved in a hard school of experience extending over many years and, by virtue of its ordered method of instruction, is best suited to the Service.” A thorough knowledge of the theory and application of the Swedish PT tables was the absolute requirement for every qualifying PTI and remained so for many years. The Vol 1 also contained the essential principles of being a good PT Instructor, with clear guidelines for each of the required class-taking attributes, consisting of: Knowledge, Interest, Manner, Patience, Personal Appearance, Instructional Ability and Enthusiasm (KIMPPIE). No qualifier would pass the PT Qualifying course if they did not have these qualities. Keeping to these simple principles greatly helped to ensure a very high level of PT Instructor throughout the years.In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, the Royal Navy moved away from the rigidity of the Swedish PT tables and also embraced ‘Free Activity’ tables as another form of keeping trainees fit. This method combined exercise with sporting skills and was designed to provide a self- motivation form of physical training and a Volume 2 was produced for this purpose. At the same time, the Circuit Training method of getting fit was widely introduced, with a number of specific exercises carried out in sequence against the clock. This period also saw the introduction of the new stand-alone ‘Multi-Gym’ in many Royal Navy establishments There was always a close relationship between the RN and RM PT Schools and RM PT Instructors were regularly seconded to serve at Pitt Street and a (one page) section on Battle Physical Training was added to the Vol.1 for the benefit of Royal Marine PT Instructors. In the 1960’s many initiatives took place to further embrace sport and, in addition to Physical Training, the Royal Navy PT Instructor (1st Class), would now also be required to have nine separate sports qualifications, as either a coach, referee, umpire, or official, in the various games and sports then available throughout the Royal Navy. 26

As a result of the great emphasis now placed upon sport during the 1950’s and 1960’s, the RN PT School at Pitt Street became a mecca for a very wide range of sports qualification courses. The sports qualifications obtained were not only of the Royal Navy Sports Association standard, but often met the national sports association standards as well. An example of the wide range of the Royal Navy sports courses available in the early 1960’s is provided at Annexe A.The production of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Sports Association Handbook was also published and circulated to all ships and establishments. This contained the up-to-date guidelines on the organisation and rules of over 40 sports and became the ‘Sports Bible’ for all PTI’s. During the 1950’s – 1970’sport thrived throughout the Royal Navy, especially because of the intense competition between the three main Commands of Plymouth, Portsmouth, and the Naval Air Command. in 1961 the Royal Marines joined them, for the first time, as a separate command. For the Portsmouth Command (as well as the Royal Marines at Eastney Barracks) it was extremely convenient to have the nearby R.N. Sports Stadium at Pitt Street available for the various RN Football Cup finals, athletic competitions and sports coaching courses. Swimming, water-polo, diving competitions and coaching courses were also held at the Royal Navy PT School swimming pool, which had become a centre for all Royal Navy aquatic sports.Throughout its history, the Royal Navy Physical Training Branch at Pitt Street, produced hundreds of highly qualified Physical Training Instructors, as well as a similar number of sports coaches and officials. As a result, following the Second World War, sport and recreation flourished throughout the Royal Navy. Cdr. Coote’s vision of encouraging the greater 90% of sailors to take part in sport and recreation was fully embraced during the post-war period of the 1950’s and 1970’s, when sport participation was at its peak. The Royal Navy’s original 1930’s recruitment poster, depicting a young, fit and sun-tanned sailor in an exotic location could, once again, become a major recruiting tool for the Navy. In 1971 the Royal Navy School of Physical Training, situated in Pitt Street, Portsmouth, was re-commissioned as HMS Temeraire. Following this, In June 1988, a new sports complex was completed in Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, and HMS Temeraire, moved to its new location. The new HMS Temeraire then housed the Royal Navy School of Physical Training, a Fleet Recreation Centre and the staff of Captain Naval Physical Development, to became the new centre of Naval sport. Cdr. Coote would have been very pleased to see how sport in the Royal Navy had flourished following the 1919 conference..27

ANNEXE A: AN EXAMPLE OF PT INSTRUCTOR SPORTS SPECIALISATIONS REQUIRED (1962):28

(6c) POST - WORLD WAR II (1945 - 1971) - THE ROYAL MARINES: Throughout the Second World War the Royal Marines had continued to operate their own PT School at Deal and consequently had a large bank of highly trained and experienced Physical Training Instructors available to conduct basic physical training, as well as organising and encouraging sport. The post-war period allowed the continuation of the fine standards already achieved. In the 1950’s, in addition to the theory and practice of Swedish PT, Recreational Training Class Taking was introduced into the PTI’s qualifying syllabus, with an emphasis on Gymnastics (Vaulting, Agility, Parallel Bars, Horizontal Bar) Athletics, Boxing, Fencing, Gymnastics, Judo and Swimming. Many outstanding PT Branch Corps gymnasts and sportsmen emerged as a result. The primary purpose of the PT Branch was the physical training of recruits to develop them to a high enough standard to pass out and then go to ITCRM Lympstone for further infantry and commando training, however, sport still played an important role in the PTI’s daily life at Deal. The RM PT Branch, was responsible for the organisation of all of the many sports events held throughout the year. This included the many unit PTI’s stationed in Commando Units abroad. Thus, there was a big emphasis on passing the many sports coaching and officiating examinations during the 16-week PT2 Qualifying Course to prepare them for this important role. During the 1950’s, the general encouragement for Royal Marines PTI’s to be good at Swedish PT Class-taking and gymnastics, but also as sports coaches, resulted in a very high standard of a Royal Marines PTI. The course main requirements for a PT Second Class (PT2) Instructor in the 1951 are shown below: 1951 (RMRO 205) SPECIALIST QUALIFICATIONS – PHYSICAL TRAINERS (PT): ‘General: There is a requirement in all Royal Marines units and establishment and in certain HM Ships and Royal Naval establishments for NCOs, with a specialist knowledge of P & RT and with a particular knowledge of Athletics, Boxing, Fencing, Judo and Swimming.’In 1951 the requirements to become a Qualified Physical Training Instructor, 2nd Class ( PT2) were:(i) To be able to teach and exercise, under supervision, Basic and Battle Physical Training, DailyPhysical Exercises and Recreational Training.(ii) To be able to teach elementary principles of athletics, boxing, fencing, judo and swimming.(iii) Be a probationary referee in Association Football and Rugby Football, or Hockey, or Water Polo.(iv) To have reached the required standard in apparatus work and agility.A Physical Training Instructor 1st Class (PT1) and a Staff Physical Training Instructor (SPTI) were required to achieve even higher levels of sports qualifications than the above. In 1956, the recognition of the Royal Marines PT Branch, as distinct from being part of the Royal Navy PT Branch, was further enhanced when, under instruction B.R. 93 (51), the former RN. blue-edged PT vests were authorised to be replaced by the R.M. red-edged PT vests, and the PT2, PTI, and Staff PTI badges were confirmed as the red crossed clubs on a white background.From 1956 onwards all PT Instructors were strongly encouraged by the PT Branch to organise, coach and officiate a wide spectrum of sports, particularly in Athletics, Boxing, Fencing, Gymnastics, Judo and Swimming. Additionally, every PTI had to pass the Royal Lifesaving Bronze Medallion and be able to teach swimming to recruits, organise Swimming Galas and also officiate in Water-Polo matches. The Royal Navy PT School in Portsmouth, with its associated swimming, soccer and athletics facilities, became a major sports training centre for many Royal Marines PTI’s, who attended the wide range of sports coaching and officiating courses that were widely available at Pitt Street. 29

Most of these Royal Navy sports courses were also recognised by the various national sports bodies as a nationally recognised qualification. It was not unusual for a PTI to be extremely well-qualified and be able to coach and officiate in several different sports to a very high standard. In the 1950’s – 1960’s Gymnastics in the PT Branch was an important subject for the PT2 qualifying courses. For the advanced RM PTI gymnasts, the Gymnastic Long Course at the APTC gymnasium at Aldershot was available, under the coaching of the international gymnast, Nik Stuart. This greatly raised the standard of the RM gymnastics and had the effect of requiring a high standard of gymnastic performance being expected on the PT Qualifying courses at Deal. Similar high standards in sport were also achieved in other sports. For example, Deal PTI, Sgt. ‘Big John’ Savage was one of the Corps' best sportsmen of the early 1950’s. Not only was he a Corps Boxing Champion and a Combined Services Basketball player, but in Athletics he earned 24 International vests for the Shot; 22 vests for the Discus; 3 vests for the Javelin and 1 vest for the hammer. John was a British Empire Gold Medallist in 1954 and he also held the British and Empire record (Shot) from 1950-1956, and the Discus from 1950-1952. Fencing was a prominent sport for RM PT Instructors in the 1950’s and the (below) group of PTI’s (C/Sgts. Holland, Hurst, Anderson, QMS Thompson and Capt. Neaves RM) won most of the major prizes in the 1951 Royal Tournament. Along with many other PTI’s Capt. Bob Thompson RM was another great fencer who won many fencing trophies and represented Northern Ireland in the 1958 British Empire Games in Cardiff. C/Sgt. PTI, Bob Anderson, was a most prominent fencer in the early 1950’s, winning many medals and trophies at both National and International level. Between 1951-1954 he won the foil and sabre competitions in the Combined Services Championships every year, and he had 103 foil bouts at the Royal Tournament, without losing a single bout.Bob Anderson also won two gold and three silver medals in the British Empire (now Commonwealth) Games in Auckland N.Z. in 1950, and he competed in the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952. He became the Senior National Fencing Coach of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and coached the British Fencing Team for six different Olympics from 1956 to 1976. Later, he also became the President of the British Academy of Fencing, a great achievement. Given the above brief summary of just some of the sports achievements above, It can be concluded that the 1950’s was a very successful decade for sports coaching and performance in the PT Branch and the Corps in general.THE 1951 ROYAL TOURNAMENT:Fencing was a prominent sport for RM PT Instructors in the 1950’s and this group of PTI’s won most of the major prizes in the 1951 Royal Tournament. (L to R): C/Sgts. Holland, Hurst, and Anderson, QMS Thompson & Capt. Neaves RM.30

THE RM PT SCHOOL IN THE 1960/1970’S: In the 1960’s and 1970’s the potential PT2 ‘Qualifier’ completed a thorough training and examination PT course of sixteen weeks and the PT1 Re-qualifier a course of eleven weeks. The Staff PT Instructor was no longer required to do a SPTI course but was made a probationary SPTI for three months and then upgraded if his knowledge and personal performance was considered to be of a suitably high standard. The PT Officer did nearly six months training. The subjects on which the PT Qualifier were required to pass out successfully included: PT Theory, PT Practical, Medical Studies, Gymnastics, Class Taking, Cricket, Hockey, Football, Rugby, Basketball, Minor Games, Athletics, Swimming and Lifesaving, Judo, and General Duties. For the sports subjects the qualifier was expected to pass examinations in both coaching and officiating.For the Royal Marine PTI’s at Deal, in addition to being excellent class-takers, sports coaching became a normal daily activity, with a continuous stream of Recruits, Junior Marines and Junior Musicians to practice their coaching skills on. There was regular sport on at least two afternoons a week, as well as evening activities and sports matches on Saturday afternoons. In the 1960’s the PT Course sports subjects stayed, more or less, the same as in the 1950’s, except that the Gymnastics High Box was also included in the syllabus. Although still an extremely popular sport in the corps at the time, football was dropped, Gymnastics remained particularly strong with PT Branch gymnasts forming a formidable Corps Gymnastics Team to take part in competitions. Rugby also became very strong during this period, as did Judo, which was encouraged at Corps level and as a result had a very strong Corps Judo Team of Black Belts that competed in many competitions, including representation at the British National Championships level.Similar moves to embrace sport in the Royal Navy took place during this decade and the Royal Navy PT Instructor (1st Class) in addition to Physical Training, would be now be required to have nine separate sports qualifications (as either a coach, referee, umpire, or official) in the various games and sports now available throughout the Royal Navy. On the 31st March 1961, the Royal Marines gained full Command status in Royal Navy Sport Competitions. As a separate (and the smallest) RN Sports Command, this emphasised the need to raise the standard of Corps sportsmen in order to compete with the numerically larger RN Commands of Portsmouth, Plymouth and the Naval Air Command in Yeovilton. Portsmouth, with the RN School of PT and sports stadium located at Pitt Street, became the geographical centre for much Navy sport. On the 17th May 1962 the Corps Sports Office moved from the PT Branch in Deal to the Royal Marines Barracks in Eastney, and Major Alvey RM assumed the title of both the Inspector of Physical Training and the RM Command Sports Secretary.In the early 1970’s, under Major Jeff Beadle MC MBE RM and a small team of PTI’s, the Corps Sports Office at RMB Eastney was responsible for encouraging Corps sport and they also produced regular copies of ‘The Sportsman’, which contained a regular and comprehensive summary of Corps sport activity, and was circulated to all RM Units, at home and abroad. The Gymnasium at the Royal Marines Barracks in Eastney became a focal point for Corps sportsmen to train to the highest level becoming a sporting ‘Centre of Excellence’, particularly for Corps Boxing, Fencing, Football, Rugby and Athletics. As a result, many outstanding Corps Sportsmen trained at Eastney and reached the highest competitive level in many sports.With the establishment of the Corps Sports Office in RMB Eastney, interest in Corps sport in the 1960’s and 1970’s grew enormously, and the number of PTI’s qualifying as sports coaches and officiating qualifications greatly increased. Many of them reached the highest levels of sport representation, including many at international level. The 1960’s and 1970’s were very successful decades for corps sport. 31

THE 1970’S AND BEYOND – SOME OBSERVATIONS: During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the combined knowledge and experience of the previous years of physical and recreational training of RM Recruits at Deal was well tried and tested. The progressive Swedish PT tables, which included balance-beam, vaulting and ropes, combined with running and speed marches, gradually developed the recruits to a very high standard of both discipline and fitness prior to going on to Lympstone. This was achieved with few injuries and high retention rates.In the late 1960’s the OCPT at Deal, Capt. Ron Priddle RM, decided to devise a new physical training programme for the recruits at Deal, which was largely based upon the Army method of Battle Physical Training. Following much debate and experimentation this was introduced into recruit training and the well-tried and tested Swedish PT system was abandoned. Following the decision to close the Royal Marines Barracks at Deal in 1978 (which had located there since 1861) the PT Branch moved to the new Gymnasium facility at CTCRM Lympstone, in Devon. In addition to the experiment of Capt. Priddle RM, various further physical training methods were also introduced, often leading to early injuries and recruits not being able to complete their training. Eventually, in the mid-1970’s, a shortened form of Swedish PT was brought back into the curriculum at CTCRM. By then, many PT Instructors had not been taught how to conduct Swedish PT and had to be re-trained, causing much confusion and requiring much time and effort to achieve. The history of military physical training clearly demonstrates the great importance of starting with a carefully structured and progressive physical training programme, good nutrition, sufficient rest, as well as occasional sport and recreation to provide some fun, build teamwork and to raise spirits. We should perhaps be reminded that during recruitment for two World Wars, between 40-60% of recruits were rejected because of poor health and fitness. In today’s sedentary world the same level of unfitness is alarmingly similar and should be a great cause of concern for the future of the Britain’s Armed Forces, especially with regard to the highly physical RM Commando training.During the early Victorian Age, the progressive physical training of recruits was based upon a remarkably sound knowledge of human physiology and development, as shown in the instructional manuals. Despite all of the modern advances of a technological age, physiology has not changed. Despite budget-cuts and reduced training time, the physiological development of the human body cannot be rushed. The early physical development of recruits, in preparation for the hard physical demands of military training, cannot be achieved in a short period of time without premature injury. For the physically under-developed and medically-rejected recruits during the Second World War and Tucked away in history, Captain Capon’s WW2 Physical Development Depots (1936–1939) offered a good solution for physically weak recruits, with his successful Physical Development Programme. Capt. Capon’s programme clearly showed that the adequate preparation of weak bodies for military service requires a physical preparation period of at least 12-weeks duration, good nutrition, adequate rest and some fun and recreation. Six further key principles of Capt. Capon's programme included: ‘a good environment’, ‘sound sleep’, ‘hard work’, ‘healthy recreation’, ‘good food’, and ‘contentment’. During the 1950’s -1970’s, these principles were also embedded in the 12-weeks of recruit training at the Depot RM, Deal, which prepared new recruits with good nutrition, a high standard of discipline, physical fitness and weapon training, in preparation for the harder training to follow at CTCRM. In today’s intensive recruit training process and profit-led contract catering, we might revisit the past and question whether Captain Capon’s key principles of developing weak recruits still exist today, and why so many recruits suffer premature injury and leave the service prematurely. It might be beneficial to consider whether some of the past lessons of history, especially with regard to early physical training, enhanced nutrition and a ‘fun’ element, may offer some potential solutions to today’s recruitment, physical development and retention problems of the Royal Marines.32

33100 YEARS OF MILITARY FITNESS & SPORT (1871-1971) - SOME LESSONS LEARNED:• In WW1 and WW2 between 40-60% of recruits were rejected as being unfit for military service,due to poverty, poor nutrition and low levels of fitness, resulting in a shortage of militaryvolunteers. The same situation appears to be prevalent in our modern and sedentary age.• Today’s most recruits will have received very little physical training during their school years,follow unhealthy nutritional habits, and few will have seriously participated in sport. This is poorpreparation for commando training and will, inevitably, result in premature injury for many.• Today’s combination of military budget cuts, reduced training time, high-intensity physicaltraining, and poor nutrition (now provided by profit-led contract catering) may all be importantcontributory factors for low-glycogen energy levels, overworked joints and muscles, high injurylevels, and an early exit from service life.• Throughout military peacetime history, a 12-week early physical development training periodwas considered to be the best preparation for the advanced infantry training to follow. Today’stechnological programme planners may not fully understand the important part that basicphysiology and nutrition play in the early physical development of weaker recruits.• Participation in sport and recreational activity has also been shown throughout history to bea very important factor in the recruitment and retention of recruits, as well as raisingesprit de corps, but there appears to be little time for this in today’s intensive training.• This is not a criticism of current training, but rather a gentle reminder of what history has taughtus in the past may, perhaps, provide us with some important food for thought for the future.(Peter Brown, 2023.) “IT’S TIME FOR PT” – THE DEPOT RM, DEAL, IN THE 1960’S. (Photo: Basil Kidd).

MILITARY FITNESS AND SPORT POSTERS POSTERS: (POSTER 1): MACLAREN AND THE FIRST ARMY GYMASIUM.(POSTER 2): PHYSICAL TRAINING IN THE ROYAL NAVY.(POSTER 3): THE ROYAL MARINES PT SCHOOL AT DEAL.(POSTER 4): THE PT INSTRUCTOR’S CROSSED - CLUBS BADGE.(POSTER 5): THE EARLY ROYAL MARINES PT INSTRUCTORS.(POSTER 6): ROYAL MARINES DEAL - ATHLETICS POSTER (1895).(POSTER 7): BAYONET FIGHTING IN THE ROYAL MARINES.(POSTER 8): PEHR HENRIK LING AND SWEDISH PT. (POSTER 9): PT2 INSTRUCTOR COURSE SYLLABI (1930’S-1970’S). (POSTER 10): MILITARY SPORTS RECRUITING POSTERS.34

The above picture appeared in the Illustrated London News of 5 November 1859, and shows Archibald MacLaren’s first purpose - built gymnasium in Oxford, which was designed for gymnastic exercises and fencing lessons. Below: An early military exercise session, with barbells, ropes and gymnastic apparatus: In the 1860’s Scottish Archibald MacLaren was tasked by the War Office to design the first military gymnasia and structured gymnastic (exercise) programmes for the British Army. Based upon his own design and proven methodology the first military purpose-built gymnasia were then built in many Army garrisons at home and abroad, including the Royal Marines gymnasium at Deal in 1871. (1) MACLAREN AND THE FIRST ARMY GYMASIUM:(Right): The British Army’s first gymnasium, built to MacLaren’s design at Aldershot in 1868. Soon after, another eight military gymnasia were built to Maclaren’s design.(Below): The first Army Gymnastic Instructors, who trained at MacLaren’s Oxford gymnasium in 1860, which included fencing. 35

(2) PHYSICAL TRAINING IN THE ROYAL NAVY:From the days of Victorian sailing ships, through two World Wars and up to the present time, the Royal Navy Physical Training Branch produced hundreds of highly qualified Physical Training Instructors (photo: bottom right) as well as a similar number of sports coaches and officials. As a result, in the period following the Second World war, Sport and Recreation flourished in the Royal Navy. Throughout its long history sporting activity had long been recognised as an important part of naval life, keeping up good spirits and morale, both onboard and ashore.Cutlass drill in the 1880s – note the bare feet, still normal at this timeA Naval Brigade quelling rioting in Alexandria in 1882. Much of the Royal Navy’s active service in this era consisted of interventions onshore.Above: The RN PT School gymnasium at Pitt Street and (below) the swimming pool. In June 1988 this was closed and moved to Burnaby Road, Portsmouth.Vaulting on the deck of HMS Revenge.36

(Above Left): The original 1867 plan for the first gymnasium for the Royal Marines in Deal.(Above Right): The first Royal Marines Swimming & Recreational Instructor Course at Deal.(Below Left): The Royal Marines PT School at Deal as it looked in the 1960’s. (Below Right): The rear of the gymnasium, looking over the sports playing fields. (3) THE ROYAL MARINES PT SCHOOL AT DEAL.In the early days, the Royal Marine Depot in Deal was initially established to train recruits for the Royal Marines Light Infantry, whilst recruits for the Royal Marines Artillery were then trained at the Royal Marines Barracks in Eastney. In 1861 the decision was made to conduct all initial recruit training at the Depot, Royal Marines, in Deal. By 1862, with the corps strength at around 18,000, and recruit training at Deal was in full swing and the Deal Barracks expanded accordingly. This led to the expansion of the Deal South Barracks and the plans included a gymnasium, which would have been almost certainly based upon Archibald MacLaren’s previous recommendations. The original outline plan for the new gymnasium was dated 1867 and was opened in 1871, finally closing in 1987 with the move to CTCRM, Lympstone. By the end of the 1870’s, regimental sport in the Royal Marines had become well-established as a mandatory part of recruit training. The provision of the associated sports fields, both in front and behind the gymnasium would have played a critical role in facilitating this. In 1868 Captain J. Straghan RM was seconded and trained by the Army in Woolwich and having been passed as “Certified” in March 1869, he became the first Royal Marines “Inspector of Gymnasia” and would therefore oversee the opening of the Deal Gymnasium in 1871.Captain Straghan held the appointment until 1876, retiring with the rank of Major. 37

The use of Indian clubs for exercise became very popular in the early Victorian period, both in military and civilian circles. While the Army Physical Training Instructors wear the crossed-swords emblem on their vests, both the Royal Navy and Royal Marines are awarded their hard-earned crossed –clubs badge when they finally pass their examinations and become qualified as a PTI. When the crossed - clubs emblem was first authorised is unclear but would almost certainly have evolved from the early 1800’s when the Indian club exercises, used for decades in India, were introduced to the British Army and became a mainstay of physical training – albeit with lighter clubs than those used by the Indians, who had used much heavier clubs for decades. Maclaren’s 1862 army training manual advocated training with Indian clubs alongside dumbbells and barbells.The Indian club exercises were widely used throughout the early Victorian period and became symbolic of early structured exercise. While, in 1888, the Army Gymnastic Staff Instructors were authorised to wear the crossed-swords emblem above their chevrons, both the Royal Navy and Royal Marines wore a crossed-clubs badge on their PT vests when they became qualified. All of the three service PT Branches shared the same motto: ‘Mens Sana in Corpore Sano’ - Latin for ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body.‘ This motto still remains over 100 years later.(4) THE PT INSTRUCTOR’S CROSSED-CLUBS BADGE: 38

The physical training of Royal Marines has always been a high priority, leading to the highest standards of physical excellence, achieved through discipline, courage and the progressive and thorough training of every Royal Marine Recruit at Deal for over 100 years. (5) EARLY ROYAL MARINES PT INSTRUCTORS: 39

40(6) ROYAL MARINES DEAL ATHLETICS POSTER (1895)

(7) BAYONET FIGHTING IN THE ROYAL MARINES:Photos below: (Top Left) RM bayonet training on board ship. (Below left) WW2 bayonet training. (Centre photo) A Royal Marines Bayonet Champion. (Right: above and below) An RM Bayonet Display Team, training in front of the Officer’s Mess, Depot RM, Deal, in preparation for the 1936 Royal Tournament military display by the Royal Marines.. Bayonet-fighting was an important part of the early 1800’s Royal Marines training as they were frequently called upon to board enemy ships , or to repel boarders. As a result, they continuously experimented for the best ways to do this and in 1811 they demonstrated their skills in front of the Lords of the Admiralty, which met with much approval.Bayonet training was considered paramount both before and during the Second World War and very detailed movements and skills were learned and practiced by the British Armed Forces. Thus, bayonet fighting became a prominent part of a Royal Marine’s training, and many Royal Marines PT Instructors became prominent in bayonet-fighting competitions, such as the Royal Tournament. This annual military event began in 1880 to promote skill-at-arms and to raise money for soldiers’ widows. Except the war years, the Royal Tournament was held every year for 120 years, from 1880-1999, when it closed.The Inter-Services Triangular fencing competition was fiercely contested amongst all of the services and consisted of separate foil, epee, sabre and bayonet competitions, until 1957 when the bayonet competition was dropped. Before this, the competition was mainly dominated by the Royal Marines.There are so many prominent Royal Marines champions in both fencing and bayonet-fighting competitions of the 1930’s- 1960’s that it would be impossible to list them all. However, there are many RM PTI’s who are still remembered for their fine sporting achievements of this period.41

(8) PEHR HENRIK LING AND SWEDISH PT:Pehr Henrik Ling(Above): Pehr Henrik Ling’s Swedish PT exercise tables, as practised in Sweden. (Below): With some trepidation new recruits form up and prepare for their daily PT session in the 1960’s. They would soon be instructed in progressive Swedish PT tables, to emerge as very fit and strong young men. Following 12 weeks of training and passing out, they would all go on to complete more arduous commando training and they would then go to the Infantry Training Centre Royal Marines (ITCRM) at Lympstone to complete training and earn their coveted green beret. Such was the progressive training programme that very few of the recruits failed to achieve this.Recruits getting ready for their PT session.The Swedish system of gymnastic exercise was created in the early 1800’s by Pehr Henrik Ling – “The Father of Gymnastics” (1776 – 1839) and was then further developed by him for the rest of his life, becoming well - established in both schools and in the military. Swedish PT proved to be highly successful for the physical training of British Army recruits and during the six-year period between 1908 and 1914 no major changes were made to this training system, which was something of a rarity in Army training.From 1903 onwards and until the commencement of the First World War, the staff officers of the Royal Navy School of Physical Training learned the Swedish PT system, and then trained more officers and men as instructors. The Swedish PT system became well-established in both the Royal Navy and Royal Marinesand was used during recruit training to improve posture, build muscular strength, learn to balance, teach vaulting and how to climb ropes. It was used continuously until the early 1970’s. 42

Qualifying P.R.T.I. Course (1940’s)Subject: PointsP.T. Class Taking 200P.T. Practical 50Fencing 80Swimming 40Medical 50Boxing 50Apparatus 150Recreational Training 50Close Combat 50P.E. Class Taking 60P.T. Paper 100B.T. Class Taking 60Note-Book 30Athletics 130Total Points: 1,000Qualifying P.R.T.I. Course (1970’s)Subject: PointsSwedish Class Taking 100Group Activity 100Vaulting 50Parallel Bars 50Horizontal bar 50Agility 50P.T. Theory 100Major Games 50Minor Games 50General Duties 50Medical 50Swimming 100Athletics 100PT Practical 50Course Mark 50Total Points: 1,000Qualifying P.R.T.I. Course (1930’s)Subject: PointsP.T. Class Taking 200P.T. Practical 100B.T. Class Taking 100B.T. Practical 100P.E. Class Taking 50First Aid 50Boxing 100Bayonet Fencing 100Sabre 100Swimming 50Apparatus 50Written Paper 100Vaulting 50Note-Book 50Athletics 130Total Points: 1,330Qualifying P.T.2 Course (1960’s)Subject: Points:P.T. Practical 50P.T. Class Taking 150R.T. Class Taking 50Vaulting 50Agility 50Parallel Bars 50Horizontal Bar 50High Box 50Swimming 50Athletics 50Boxing 50Fencing 50Games Paper 100Medical Paper 50P.T. Paper 100Course Report 50Total Points: 1,000Qualifying P.T.2 Course (1950’s)Subject: Points:P.T. Practical 50P.T. Class Taking 200P.E. Class Taking 30R.T. Class Taking 30Vaulting 50Agility 50Parallel Bars 50Horizontal Bar 50Swimming 50Athletics 50Boxing 50Fencing 50Football 20Medical 20Paper 100Paper 2 100Course Record 50Total Points: 1,000(9) RM PT2 INSTRUCTOR COURSE SYLLABI (1930-1970’S): 43

(10) MILITARY SPORTS RECRUITING POSTERS:Between 1908 and the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, sport and games in the British Army had become well-established and by the start of the First World War most Army installations had a gymnasium, along with standard games and athletics fields. In 1914, with Britain desperate to attract new recruits to join the army, sport was seen as a potential recruiting tool, especially at the huge Saturday afternoon civilian football league matches. Subsequently, an Army recruiting poster was designed to promote sport and to show that “The Army isn’t all work”.Sport had long been recognised as an important part of Royal Navy life, not only to raise the levels of physical fitness, but also for keeping up good spirits and morale. It was felt that a healthy sailor was not only physically fit, but also psychologically strong. In the 1930’s, Royal Navy recruiting posters depicted young, sun-tanned, sailors playing sport in exotic locations around the world – something that the impoverished youth of that period could only dream of. Millions of recruitment posters were printed for both the Army and the Royal Navy, urging different groups to join up - and they proved to be a powerful recruiting tool. Tens of thousands of new Army recruits rushed to sign up. On the 3rd September 1914, more young men joined than on any other day of war - a huge number of 33,204 of new recruits. 44

QUOTATION REFERENCES:1. The Duke of Wellington was said to have remarked that ‘The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.’ However, the earliest version of this quotation (recorded in 1856), was seemingly to have been uttered by the Duke when revisiting Eton, is 'It is here that the battle of Waterloo was won!’2. In 1862, the British War Office published MacLaren’s highly detailed instruction manual, entitled “A Military System of Gymnastic Exercises for the Use of Instructors.” This was distributed for use throughout the British Army. In 1864 he also wrote “A System of Fencing for the Use of Instructors in the Army” for the War Office, which was published to be adopted in all military gymnasia. 3. Elise Juzda Smith, Raising Boys for the Navy: Health, Welfare, and the British Sea Services, 1870-1905, Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Volume 76, Issue 1, January 2021, Pages 53–77,4. Paul Davenport (2014) Captain Capon's Cure—Food, Fitness and the British Army’s Physical Development Depots, 1936–1939, In Contemporary British History, 28:3, 253-273, DOI: 10.1080/13619462.2014.930347.5. Ibid. 6. ‘Physical and Recreational Training of Royal Navy:’ (Admiralty Report of 23 January 1919.).8. Ibid.9. Ibid.10. ‘All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy!’ (Proverb).‘Nations have passed away and left no traces, and history gives the naked cause of it - one single simple reason in all cases; They fell because their peoples were not fit.’ (Rudyard Kipling). 45

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