Soldier

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Soldier gallery

This gallery reveals what it's really like to serve as a soldier. From joining up as a new recruit to coming home, it examines a wide range of soldiers' experiences through their own words and often surprisingly personal possessions.

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

The Army’s impact on sport

The British Army has established many of the sports we know and love today and helped to spread them throughout the world.

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The Wipers Times: The soldiers’ paper

Full of the dark humour typical of soldiers at war, 'The Wipers Times' was one of the finest of many trench publications produced on the Western Front.

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The original bulletproof vest?

During the First World War, Private Stephen Palmer was sent an Oxo tin that ended up saving his life. Here, we take a closer look at his story, along with some other unconventional life-saving possessions.

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Purrfect pals and pets for soldiers

Animals have always provided companionship to soldiers on the front line, either serving as a distraction from the trials of war or sharing the hardship and danger of combat.

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‘Bronco’ Lane: Everest adventurer

Adventure training is an important part of life in the modern British Army, but it comes with its own risks. Major 'Bronco' Lane lost more than he bargained for on an expedition to Mount Everest in 1976.

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