Officers of 1st Battalion The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), representing the range of sports played by the unit, Cawnpore, 1936

Photograph, India, 1936.

The sheer range of sports on offer to soldiers during the British Army's long history is remarkable. The Army believed that sport prepared men for combat by increasing fitness, channelling aggression, and focusing the mind. Sport served to strengthen the ties between men, instilling discipline and readiness to serve a common cause. Yet some of these pursuits were not always accessible to the rank and file. At times there were also racial restrictions on who could compete against whom, and which sports were suitable for certain personnel.