Learning Resource
2014
The
British
Armed
Forces
05: The British
Armed Forces
02: The Armed
Forces in our
history
22Operations: protecting our allies
& interests
24Deterrence: encouraging
diplomacy, preventing war
26 Stronger together: united with
allies and partners worldwide
28Assistance: building allies
& stability
30Support: search, rescue & backup
© Crown Copyright 2014
14 Winning freedom:
the importance of historic victories
16 Two World Wars:
the conflicts that shaped our world
18 Recent conflicts:
protecting the peace
03:The work of
the Armed Forces
today
© Crown Copyright 2014
34 Building Britain: the wider benefits
of defence
36Welfare: serving those who served
38Remembrance: sorrow, pride and hope
© Crown Copyright 2014
04 The role of the Armed Forces:
delivering at home and abroad
06 A just war?
Can it ever be right to fight?
08 Twice a citizen:
the Armed Forces in society
10Values: our ethos on the battlefield
and in the classroom
04: Consequences
of the work of the
Armed Forces
42 The Royal Navy: 1000 years on Britain’s frontline
44 The British Army: ready to serve, whatever is asked
46 The Royal Air Force: operating at the cutting edge
06:
Lesson ideas
50 Why do we have Armed Forces?
51 The Armed Forces in our history
52 The work of the Armed Forces today
53 Consequences of the work
of the Armed Forces
54 The British Armed Forces
© Crown Copyright 2014
01: Why do
we have Armed
Forces?
© Crown Copyright 2014
Contents
The British Armed Forces
Learning Resource 2014
The British Armed Forces Learning
Resource has been developed as
a learning resource for History,
English and Citizenship, for
Key Stages 1–4, as well as older
students. It is designed to help
teachers introduce students to the
work of the Armed Forces in Britain
and abroad, exploring their role,
history, current operations and
what it is like to work as part of
the Royal Navy, British Army
and Royal Air Force. It includes
background information, views
and different perspectives from
many longstanding members of
the Armed Forces and others who
have now transferred their skills
and expertise to new careers, at
all levels and from all walks of life.
Lesson ideas are given at the end
of the resource, discussing ideas
and themes around each topic.
This resource has been designed
as a fully interactive digital
publication, enabling you to click
through to each section from
the contents page and embeds
additional links to websites, audio
and video where relevant in each
page. The links are coded as follows:
Web link: clicking on this icon
takes you to the relevant
website
Video link: clicking on this
icon takes you to the relevant
YouTube link/page
Audio link: clicking on this
icon takes you to the relevant
podcast or audio link
The resource may be shared with
students and colleagues by simply
copying and pasting the URL into
an email and sending. The pages
can be printed individually or as a
whole document and a directory
of useful numbers and links to
websites for further information
are given on the last page.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Foreword
Foreword
Britain’s Armed Forces have an incredibly proud
history. For centuries they have defended the
people of these islands, at sea, on land and in
the air – fighting off invasion, protecting our
allies, safeguarding our trade and promoting
our interests and values.
S
ome of these battles are
famous. Trafalgar, Ypres, the
Battle of Britain and D-Day
are all rightly remembered for
shaping the world we live in. Most
people in the UK today will have
relatives who served in one of those
conflicts – and every single one of
us benefits from the freedom they
secured.
This teaching pack doesn’t just offer
an introduction to that proud past;
it explains why the Armed Forces
still matter now and in the future.
First, it shows the reach of Armed
Forces. Across the world today,
men and women are serving as
bravely as any in our history. Sailors
are on the seas defending our trade
from piracy. Soldiers are giving
our allies the training they need.
Airmen are coming to the aid of
victims in the most dangerous
conflict zones. And all of them
are working to defend us from
the biggest threat to our security:
terrorism. What’s more, they
are ambassadors at home and
abroad, from helping us to deliver
a peaceful Olympic Games to
extending our diplomatic impact.
Second, this pack demonstrates
the values our Armed Forces
embody. Their focus on duty,
service, integrity and teamwork –
these are the British values we hold
dearly. Reservists reflect these in
their workplaces. Cadets reflect
them in their schools. And around
the world, the Royal Navy, British
Army, Royal Air Force and Royal
Marines stand for freedom, fairness,
tolerance and responsibility.
Third, it shows just how much we
owe these men and women. There
is not a single person in this country
who is not a direct beneficiary of
their sacrifices and bravery. We are
in their debt; and we should be
profoundly grateful for what they do.
This pack is written by those who
understand the ethos of service
and sacrifice required of all those
who wear the Queen’s uniform. It is
structured to work with your studies
in citizenship and history, raising
questions and areas for discussion,
as well as linking to other resources
and publications. I hope this will
be the beginning of your interest in
Britain’s Armed Forces – the finest
and bravest in the world.
David Cameron
Prime Minister
01
© Sean Power
01: Why do
we have Armed
Forces?
The role of the
Armed Forces and
the responsibility of
the Ministry of Defence.
The Armed Forces in
society and the values
and ethics that set
them apart.
The role of the Armed Forces is set out by the
government and it is the responsibility of the
Ministry of Defence to deliver. This is done through
seven overarching jobs that we call Military Tasks.
Many of them overlap and are done at the same
time but to understand our place in the nation’s life
it is important to know each separately.
Air Chief Marshal
Sir Stuart Peach, Vice
Chief of the Defence
Staff, former Chief
of Joint Operations,
former Chief of
Defence Intelligence,
and first Commander
of the UK Joint
Forces Command
© Crown Copyright 2014
The Challenger 2 being tested to the limit as
it ploughs through the sands of the Omani
desert in the training area north of Thumbrait.
© Crow
HMS Edinburgh conducting maritime security
patrols around the British South Atlantic
Islands, including the Falklands and South
Georgia.
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right 20
14
© Crown Copyright 2014
Section 01: Why do we
have Armed Forces?
The role of the Armed
Forces: delivering for
Britain at home and
abroad
Military Tasks
01
The first of these is to provide strategic
intelligence. Whether
it is a ship or a submarine off an
enemy coast listening to their
communications, or an aircraft
scanning the ground for activity
and movement, or a soldier
studying terrorist groups; providing
that understanding of what is
going on in the world is vital if
our government is going to react
appropriately. Alongside other
parts of government we provide
the nation’s window on the world.
© Crown Copyright 2014
02
04
The Red Arrows provide a thrilling finale to the
Armed Forces Day National Event Plymouth.
Our second task is
the nuclear deterrent.
We list that separately
because it is our ultimate response
and the final guarantee that Britain
will never be an easy target. It takes
huge effort to be ready every minute
of every day but because we can
never provide a guaranteed picture
of the future, we must be constantly
prepared to act.
03
The third is the most
well known task, what
is sometimes called
defence of the realm. It is the
essential purpose of our Armed
Forces to make sure the British
people can live in peace.
04
This ties into our fourth
task – because we
are also here to help in
times of national emergency. The
police, ambulance and fire service
cannot be prepared for everything
on their own so, when needed, we
help. That may include supporting
the police if there is a terrorist
situation, such as the Iranian
Embassy siege in 1980, or helping
ministries with national issues such
as the foot and mouth outbreak in
2001 or the floods earlier this year.
05
Overseas our role is
diverse too because we
are not simply able to
fight wars but also to build alliances.
Our fifth role is to do just that.
To support British influence we
carry out many different activities:
from sending defence attachés
around the world, to training foreign
forces both abroad and in the UK.
We also have many Service personnel
demonstrating their skills with
groups like the Red Arrows or our
Military Bands. They too play their
part in promoting the UK.
06
Perhaps the most
sought after role from
our friends – friends
in the United Nations, the North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the
European Union or groups of like
minded countries – is our sixth task:
Section 01: Why do we
have Armed Forces?
to provide expeditionary capability.
Recently we have sent aircraft to
the Baltic and a battle group to
Poland to play their part in NATO
exercises to reassure our eastern
European friends that we will stand
with them. In 2000 we sent a task
force to Sierra Leone to drive
back the rebel army and allow the
government to re-establish control.
But this wasn’t enough without our
final task...
07
Together, these military tasks are
why we have the Armed Forces.
Everything we do is decided upon
by Parliament and changes when
required to meet the needs of the
British people. For us, the most
important thing is to be prepared
to react to whatever is needed;
wherever that may be.
Right: A Gunner from Kings Troop,
The Royal Horse Artillery, raises
the Union Jack during the London
Paralympics in 2012.
© Crown Copyright 2014
...Providing security for
stabilisation. Today’s
Armed Forces work
very closely with many parts of
government and none more so than,
the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office and the Department for
International Development.
Together we help countries rebuild
after war or disaster. Sometimes
we lend skills, such as our Royal
Engineers; sometimes we lend
strength to ensure those doing the
hard work are protected. We did
both in West Africa.
05
Image by Sergeant Dan Bardsley
© Crown Copyright 2014
Section 01: Why do we
have Armed Forces?
A just war?
Can it ever be right
to fight?
Imam Asim Hafiz,
Islamic Religious
Advisor to the
Armed Forces
War is the greatest failure of mankind. It is the
failure of politics, the failure of diplomacy, the
failure of our own humanity. But tragically, it is
all too often forced upon us. I am proud to serve
with the British Armed Forces because our forces
do not seek conflict, but they’re ready when it is,
tragically, necessary.
© Crown Copyright 2014
O
Soldiers under fire during Operation Oqab
Tsuka in Afghanistan. Operation Oqab
Tsuka was of vital importance providing a
hydro-electric turbine to the dam at Kajaki in
Helmand Province.
ur elected government
decides when that is.
Ordering our army, navy
or air force to fight is a terrible
responsibility so taking that
decision is something we must
consider deeply. In Britain the use
of our Armed Forces is not taken
lightly and our democracy ensures
that whatever the orders, the
people through their government
decide, never the Armed Forces
themselves.
Most religions understand that
force must sometimes be used in
an appropriate, moral and legal
manner. In Islam it can only be to
eliminate persecution, oppression
or injustice, to establish peace and
to protect the weak. Unsurprisingly,
that’s similar to Christianity or
Judaism. None allow terrorism
no matter what some say.
‘Just’ cause
© Sean Power
Only when there is a just cause, with
a proportionate response, conducted
as a last resort, targeted at the
enemy, not civilians, and carried
out under a competent authority
(meaning a legal government) with
the probability of success can a
war be considered ‘just’.
06
Soldiers on patrol in Helmand, Afghanistan
with young onlookers.
Quite rightly, many wish there were
no need for Armed Services today,
but the past century has taught
us that to protect ourselves from
invasion, persecution, repression
and injustice we must be able to
defend ourselves. And this century
has shown that an interconnected,
globalised world means international
terrorism can poison the minds of
our own citizens and we need to
stop it.
But it is not enough to have the
right to fight, the way you fight must
also be right; the rules of war matter
and breaking them is a crime. That
is what separates an army from
a rabble and makes our Armed
Forces the best in the world. I saw
first hand how troops behaved when
I served in Afghanistan building
bridges across communities and
working to bring peace. Our troops
were exemplary. I was proud to
serve with them as they helped the
Afghan people who have suffered
so long.
The best of a generation
The Servicemen and women are
the best of their generation because
they expect more of themselves.
The military demands values that are
noble but often forgotten: courage,
discipline, respect for others, integrity,
loyalty and selfless commitment.
In Afghanistan I saw these lived
with amazing devotion even in the
most difficult of circumstances.
They are Islamic and Christian values
too. To maintain such standards
requires our Armed Forces to train
hard. Not only to protect the UK but
for deployments around the world
which contribute to international
security, stability and peace – all
of which ensure the safety and
security of the UK and our allies.
Section 01: Why do we
have Armed Forces?
Soldiers working with communities
in Afghanistan.
© Sean Power
For me, the Armed Forces are as
much part of British society as the
NHS, the Police or the Fire Brigade.
Like the Armed Forces they make
Britain a safe and prosperous nation
for all her citizens. Without them,
the strong would be able to protect
themselves, the weak would be left
to suffer.
Though every conflict is because
we as human beings have failed,
looking around the world I am
proud to serve with the British
Armed Forces because they seek
peace and because the men and
women who serve understand that
only by respecting each other can
we limit the suffering war causes.
The Imam was in Afghanistan
to highlight the importance
of religious and cultural
understanding, in his role as
Islamic Religious Advisor to
the Chief of the Defence Staff.
He engaged with troops of
different faiths and of all ranks
to promote better understanding
within the Forces. He also led
prayers in different locations
with Afghan soldiers, UK Muslim
soldiers and members of the
US Marine Corps.
Imam Asim Hafiz meets British and
Afghan troops in Shorabak, Helmand.
Image by Sergeant Dan Bardsley © Crown Copyright 2014
Imam Asim Hafiz undertook a
six-month tour of Afghanistan
in 2012, and has made many
additional visits, travelling to
British and Afghan bases in
Kabul and Helmand Province.
07
Section 01: Why do we
have Armed Forces?
Twice a citizen:
the Armed Forces
in society
© Crow
right 20
n Copy
14
Major General the
Duke of Westminster,
British Army Reservist from
1970 to 2012, Assistant Chief
of the Defence Staff, Reserve
Forces and Cadets, 2004 to
2007, Deputy Commander
Land Forces 2011 to 2012
Over the past century the Armed Forces of our
country have been the backbone of our national
life. Much of this was the unsung work of the
Regulars and Reserves. Men and women who
are, in the words of former Prime Minister Winston
Churchill, twice a citizen because they contribute
to both the civilian and military life of our nation.
W
© Crown Copyright 2014
hen war was declared in
1914 and again in 1939
Reservists formed the
skeleton around which the new
wartime army, navy and air force
were built. This allowed units to be
put into combat quickly and meant
the enemy could be held off.
A Royal Air Force Reservist stands in front of a
Chinook helicopter at a Reserves Career Day
in London.
The Military Ethos
Alternative Provision
Programme
08
Through the Military Ethos Alternative
Provision Programme delivered
by Challenger Troop, Commando
Joes, Cadet Vocational Qualification
Organisation, Knowsley Skills
Academy, SkillForce and The
Prince’s Trust, ex-Service men
and women are helping disengaged
and disadvantaged young people.
Their aim is to help pupils to
develop the traits we value in our
Services such as self-discipline,
self-confidence, respect and
leadership so they can thrive in
school and beyond. In 2014, over
50,000 pupils from over 500 schools
participated in the Programme
including over 1,200 pupils outside
the mainstream school system.
Reservists contribute as much
on every operation the military
undertakes today. In Afghanistan and
Iraq one in ten of the troops deployed
had given up civilian employment and
left the comforts of their homes and
family to serve our country. Tragically,
many made the ultimate sacrifice.
Those men and women were able to
do so because they are part of one
Royal Navy, one British Army and one
Royal Air Force. In all three Services
the Reservists are integrated into the
regular fighting units so that they are
able to serve and fight side by side.
They train together, learn together
and, when needed, deploy together.
This means that when they go back
to their civilian employment, whether
in an office or a school, the Reservists
are very much part of the Service they
joined. They take with them the ethos
of discipline, courage, respect for
others, selfless commitment, loyalty
and integrity that are essential to
running a successful fighting unit but
also that make any organisation
a better, more effective service.
I saw this many times over the 40
years I had the privilege of serving
in the Armed Forces. Time and again
I was struck by the strength of
character and personal determination
that enabled Reservists to give up
time at home and turn up to serve. As
Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff
for the Reserve Forces and Cadets
I was constantly told by employers
what a contribution Reservists made
to organisations across the country.
Nowhere is this more so than in
our schools. Through the Troops to
Teachers programme many men and
women are bringing their culture to
the classroom and beginning to deliver
impressive results. Combined with the
work of Cadet forces, both in schools
and in the community, this is already
beginning to change the ethos of
many colleges. Self-discipline and
self-respect go hand in hand to
build a better community and the
military can do much to boost both.
The Cadet movement is not
about recruiting, it is much more
important than that. It is about
helping young men and women
who may one day help to run our
country get the breadth of experience
they need to learn about our nation
and each other. Adventurous
training and team exercises are
no doubt fun, but more than that
they build strength of character,
teamwork and leadership that matter
more than ever. Of the 130,000
who are in the Cadets few will join
the Armed Forces but the nation will
still benefit because as they move
through life they will know what it
means to be a citizen, in every sense.
Section 01: Why do we
have Armed Forces?
Cadet Force
The Army Cadet Force made me.
It demanded more of me than I
asked of myself. It required me to
believe in myself, to value myself
and to know that with determination
I could succeed.
For me it was never about a career
in the Armed Forces. It was about
serving my community. But first I
had to learn the self-respect that
leads to respecting others.
Over the first years as a Cadet I
learnt more about myself than I did
at school; I did not start out as top
of the class, but by being a cadet I
developed the focus and self-belief to
out perform expectation by gaining
a degree. This made me determined
to share with others what I had
learnt as a Cadet.
As a Sergeant-Instructor I got that
chance. It was the first time I was
in a position where I could see the
influence I had on others. It taught
me about responsibility and duty.
Like many before me, and since,
being a Cadet was more than just
changing into a uniform, it was
about changing the way I thought
about myself and our society.
Since then I am very proud to still
be a part of the Cadet movement
because of the opportunities it
offers to all. Young girls and boys
coming from every background
become equal and part of one unit.
The uniform makes differences in
wealth or background disappear
and allows all to work together
without prejudice or stereotypes.
This, for me, was liberation, as it
continues to be for all Cadets today.
For the first time I was regarded for
who I was and what I did, not where
I came from.
Today, the values the
Cadets taught me –
selfless commitment,
courage, discipline,
integrity, loyalty,
respect for others,
adherence to law –
stay with me.
I hope one day my own children will
learn the same strength that comes
from an education in what it means
to be a citizen of our society, in fact,
what it means to be British. I am
convinced that the Cadet movement
creates young people who
are ready for work, and ready
for life.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Shaun Bailey,
Army Cadet Force
1983 to today,
youth worker,
government adviser
Sea Cadets marching in a procession of
military cadets and officers to Beckenham war
memorial on Remembrance Sunday.
Cadets at the Wiltshire Army Cadet Force Annual
Camp.
© Crown Copyright 2014
I was a member of the Army Cadet Force for over 14 years and have recently made
a welcome return after being invited to be an
honorary Colonel in the ACF. I have accepted this
honour, knowing the life changing experience my
membership of the Cadets provided me with
as a boy and a young man.
The Grob 109B motor glider, known as the
Vigilant T1, is used to give basic flying and
gliding training to air cadets.
Find out more by clicking on the links below.
Sea Cadet Corps
Royal Marine Cadets
Army Cadet Force
Air Training Corps
A day in the life of
the Sea Cadets
An introduction to the
Army Cadet Force
www.sea-cadets.org
www.sea-cadets.org/royal-marines-cadets
www.armycadets.com
www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwXZcW4jjVU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC__wbD83EI
&list=PL00E822841B8172D0
An introduction to the
Air Training Corps
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Diq2GxvyGUY
Cadet expansion
programme
www.combinedcadetforce.org.uk/
schools-expansion-programme/
09
Section 01: Why do we
have Armed Forces?
M
y job in the Royal Navy was
to provide atmospheric and
oceanographic data to our
Command Centre, helping to advise
on how the environment could give
us an advantage on operations.
It was demanding, tiring and fun.
We had to work fast and accurately
because others needed the
information. Operations, and lives,
depended on it.
Serving side by side
10
A flight deck crew member guides a Royal Air Force Chinook
helicopter on to the deck of HMS Bulwark.
© Crown Copyright 2014
That’s the thing about Service in
the Armed Forces, it expects a
lot of you, but gives you so much
too. For me it was about working
in a learning environment with the
chance to blossom as responsibility
and moral courage are expected
of everyone. The Royal Navy has
always employed people from
around the world. On Nelson’s
ship, at the battle of Trafalgar, men
from around the globe fought for
the freedoms we enjoy today.
Now women serve too. On my
ship differing ethnicities, religions,
genders, sexual orientations and
social backgrounds served side
by side and lived together for
months at a time. There was no
place for prejudice; no one would
have tolerated it.
There are few environments that
throw you together with people from
such a wide range of backgrounds.
It makes the Royal Navy a richer
place as we draw from each other’s
talents. This lesson in diversity,
Section 01: Why do we
have Armed Forces?
Values: our ethos
on the battlefield
& in the classroom
Emma Price served in
the Royal Navy from
2005 to 2012 and now
teaches at Gilesgate
Primary School in
County Durham
I also bring one more thing –
ethos. Because it is the ethos
of the Armed Forces that sets
us apart.
In the Royal Navy, Army and
RAF, leadership, pride and integrity
are demanded of everyone. They
underpin the self-respect needed
to value one another and to expect
the most from ourselves and
each other. That respect cannot
be taught but people can discover
it for themselves. That’s why a
vital part of basic training in the
Royal Navy is to find how to value
yourself as a professional and as
a person. In the classroom or the
warship, only self-respect can
push you to demand the highest
standards of pride in your work
and personal behavior.
Pride isn’t negative.
When mixed with
integrity it makes a
good team great
because everyone
makes the effort to be
better than they could
be alone.
Together that builds trust and
confidence. Pride in your work and
the integrity to face every situation
These values meant that in the
face of any challenge on ship I had
complete confidence in the whole
team, because the whole team
matters. It’s true that the captain is
important but everyone on board
has their part to play. Every member
of the crew needed to adapt and
overcome difficulties in stressful
situations. We trusted each other
and we were right to do so because
we each demanded the most
of ourselves.
The highest standards
In the classroom, the team is
made up of staff, parents and
students and, just as in the navy,
only by working together can we
provide a supporting, adaptable
and capable environment for
everyone. Both a teacher and sailor
must have the moral courage to
maintain the highest standards,
anything less lets down those
relying on us.
This sense of duty to constantly
raise standards has stayed with
me. My first loyalty was to the
Queen and my ship, today it is to
my students and the class because
the children I am trusted with are
our future leaders, they will run our
country and it is my duty to make
sure they are ready. The Royal Navy
taught me to demand the most
of myself or risk letting everyone
down. Never was this more true.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Our ethos
honestly creates the best relationship
between a teacher and student.
A Royal Navy gunner shares a joke with a
Royal Marine on board HMS Bulwark, sailing
from Plymouth.
To find out more about teaching following a
career in the Forces, click on the link below.
Troops to Teachers
Emma’s study week
www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/
troops-to-teachers
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKz_yEH9YC8
© Crown Copyright 2014
community and respect, along
with a life of experience, I try to
bring to the classroom.
A Royal Navy sailor is pictured at her work
position in the Operations Room on board
HMS Bulwark during Action Stations.
11
02: The Armed
Forces in our
history
The relevance of
historic victories and
the legacy of the First
and Second World
Wars. The impact of
recent conflicts and
how we ensure that
our allies and interests
are defended.
Section 02: The Armed
Forces in our history
Winning
freedom:
Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758–1805), victor of
the Battle of Trafalgar.
Further information can be found on the
following websites:
HMS Victory
National Army Museum
www.hms-victory.com
www.nam.ac.uk
Empire and Seapower
www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/
empire_seapower
Etching of Napolean Bonaparte (1769–1821),
Emperor of France.
14
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
(1769–1852), victor of the Battle of Waterloo.
The Duke of Wellington issuing orders at the Battle of Waterloo
(18 June 1815). Taken from a painting by A. Cooper R.A., this
engraving appears in “The Heroes of England: Stories of the
Lives of England’s Warriors by Land and Sea” printed in 1859.
F
Dan Snow,
Historian
or 400 years the British have
had no ambition to conquer
any of their neighbours on
the European mainland. The British
were building their empire further
afield: Ireland, North America, Asia,
and Africa. In Europe the British
have had simple priorities. First, to
trade with all the wealthy towns,
cities and provinces of Europe.
Second, to stop any single country
from getting too powerful and
threatening to interrupt that trade or
even invade Britain and replace our
government and constitution with
something that better suited them.
This British policy has been
remarkably successful, although
that success has often come at a
terrible price. Two hundred years
ago the British found themselves
at war with a military superpower,
France, under their Emperor, the
military genius, Napoleon Bonaparte.
He conquered an empire that at
one stage covered most of Europe
from northern Portugal to Moscow.
He attempted to block British
trade with the continent. He even
gathered his army on the coast of
the English Channel and prepared
to invade Britain.
Trafalgar
The British Royal Navy shattered
his dreams of invasion. A series
of victories destroyed French
battleships and allowed the British
to bottle all the remaining French
ships up in harbour where they
rotted at their moorings. The most
famous of these victories was
fought in 1805 off Cape Trafalgar
in southern Spain. Here a fleet of
French and Spanish ships was
utterly destroyed by Vice Admiral
Horatio Nelson. Nelson’s navy was
the most sophisticated organisation
in the world at the time. Its ships
Section 02: The Armed
Forces in our history
The
importance
of historic
victories
were the most advanced objects in
existence. It was deeply professional
with exams, and promotion on
merit. Men from poor backgrounds
could rise up the ranks and become
senior officers. The crews were
experts, well trained, and properly
fed. They came from all over the
world, some forced to join, but
many were volunteers looking for
adventure and financial reward.
There were Malay sailors from
South East Asia, Afro-Caribbeans
who had joined in one of the many
British colonies on the other side
of the Atlantic. There were even
women and children on board.
Nelson’s fleet was a cosmopolitan,
floating city. The victory at Trafalgar
confirmed Britain’s domination
of the world’s oceans. It meant
Britain’s factories could confidently
export their products all over the
world and the government could
pursue policies such as the abolition
of the slave trade. In the generation
after Nelson, following the enlightened
decision to ban the slave trade by
the British parliament, the navy did
its best to interrupt the flow of slaves
from Africa to the Americas.
Waterloo
While Britain did most of the fighting
at sea, Britain’s many allies in
Europe resisted Napoleon on land.
They had little success. Britain
sent money and troops to help
on various fronts but for years
Napoleon seemed unstoppable.
Eventually in 1815 a coalition of
Germans, Austrians, Russians,
Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese,
Scandinavians, the British and
others were able to finally defeat
Napoleon. The decisive battle was
fought at Waterloo, in what is now
Belgium. Here an allied army led by
the British commander, the Duke of
Wellington, and the army of Prussia,
a state in what is now northern and
eastern Germany, linked up just in
time to defeat the French emperor.
Only one third of Wellington’s army
was from the UK, the rest of it was
from Germany, or Belgium and the
Netherlands.
Victories like Trafalgar and Waterloo
stopped French domination of
Europe. Britain would avoid a major
war in Europe until another nation
began to upset the balance of
power and threatened Britain’s age
old interests... it would be almost
exactly a century later.
15
© IWM (Q 743)
Section 02: The Armed
Forces in our history
Soldiers of the 10th Battalion, East Yorkshire
Regiment, marching to the trenches near
Doullens, 28 June 1916.
Two World
Wars: the
conflicts that
shaped our
world
© IWM (Q 70214)
Dan Snow
Historian
During a march past of Indian troops, a
woman pins flowers on to the tunic of one of
the soldiers.
Find out more by clicking on the links below.
Voices of WW1
WW1 Primary
www.iwm.org.uk/corporate/projects-
partnerships/voices-of-the-first-world-war
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/25827997
Thiepval
www.historial.org
WW2 Primary
The Holocaust Memorial
Day Trust
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/
world_war2/
www.hmd.org.uk
1914: Day by Day
www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/1914
How did so many soldiers survive the trenches?
© IWM (Q 4501)
www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z3kgjxs
16
A row of wounded British soldiers at a dressing
station near Aveluy Wood during The Battle of
Ancre Heights, November 1916.
The First World War
1914–1918
In 1914 Britain did not want war.
But Europe was plunged into a
conflict which Britain could not avoid.
Just as Napoleon’s mastery of the
continent had threatened Britain
a century before, so in 1914 the
prospect of militaristic Germany
controlling Europe was unacceptable.
A war started in the Balkans in July
1914 and spread as allies were
sucked in on either side. In August,
Germany invaded Belgium, a
neighbour that Britain had promised
to defend. Britain went to war to
protect Belgium and to stop Germany
dominating Europe. The First World
War had begun.
The British, French, Belgians and
others, fought the Germans along
a 400 mile front from the Channel
coast to Switzerland. It was a tragic
stalemate that lasted over three years.
Britain mobilised millions of men to
fight. Their place in factories and
the workforce was taken by women.
By doing jobs once considered
the exclusive preserve of men, they
transformed the way society viewed
the role of women.
Meanwhile fighting spread across the
world. Sea battles were fought from
the North Sea to the Pacific. British
armies invaded the Middle East with
huge numbers of troops from India,
while hundreds of thousands of
Africans served under German,
Belgian and British commanders in
the battle for East Africa. The British
army performed much better
than most people believe. There were
terrible failures, such as the first day
of the Battle of the Somme in July
1916, when 60,000 men were killed
or injured in just one day, for little
gain, but also dramatic successes.
The British were brilliant innovators
and experimented with the world’s
first tanks, ever faster and more
capable aeroplanes and innovative
ways of communicating. In 1918
the army won some of the biggest
and most impressive victories in its
history, driving the Germans back
until they sued for peace.
Although Britain won,
Belgium was free and
Germany defeated, it
did not feel like a victory.
Three quarters of a million Britons
were killed, and many more lived
with terrible injuries. Hundreds of
thousands of soldiers who fought
alongside the British from the Indian
subcontinent, Africa, Australasia, the
Caribbean and Canada were also
killed. Britain had almost bankrupted
itself. Huge numbers of ships from
the British merchant fleet had been
sunk. The men who had fought and
women who had worked for victory
demanded a bigger say in how the
country was run and millions of men
and women were given the vote.
Britain became a lot more democratic.
The Second World War
1939–1945
Sadly much of Europe did not, and,
only 20 years later, a new and even
greater threat arose in Germany.
The Second World War started when
Hitler invaded Poland and was even
larger and more dreadful than the
First. Millions were killed, wounded
and brutalised. Again, Britain fought
alongside allies from all the continents.
Polish and other Eastern European
airmen helped protect Britain from
German air attack, Canadians landed
beside the British on D-day to liberate
Europe, Indians and Africans fought
in Burma to drive out invaders from
Germany’s ally, Japan. While Indian
troops made up one in twenty of the
British Empire’s losses in the First War,
they accounted for a fifth of those killed
in the Second World War.
Both world wars saw the Western
liberal democracies, the British,
Americans and others, victorious.
Their success means that today the
majority of the world’s population
has civilian, not military, government,
can vote in meaningful elections
and, at least in theory, live by the
rule of law enforced by independent
judiciaries. A way of life developed
and exported by the British over
the centuries and successfully
defended by Britain and their allies
against competing ideologies and
worldviews in a series of wars, that
were terrible, but not pointless.
The British 2nd Army: Royal Marine Commandos
of Headquarters, 4th Special Service Brigade,
making their way from landing craft onto ‘Nan
Red’ Beach, JUNO Area, at St Aubin-sur-Mer at
about 9am on 6 June 1944.
© IWM (B 5218)
© IWM (E 4667)
A dictator, Adolf Hitler, had seized
the reins of power and dreamt of
conquering an empire and expelling
or killing the millions of Jewish,
and other minority, people that he
believed stood in his way.
Section 02: The Armed
Forces in our history
Sikh troops, training in the Western Desert, August 1941.
17
© IWM (FKD 2049)
Section 02: The Armed
Forces in our history
Naval Party 8901 with the Falkland Islands’
flag outside Government House, Port Stanley,
after the Argentine surrender.
Find out more by clicking on the link below.
The Falklands War
30 years on...
Recent
conflicts:
protecting
the peace
Since the Second World War the need for
Armed Forces has not disappeared. Though
the British mainland has remained peaceful,
they have had to play their part to ensure
that our allies and interests were defended.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCBTCtnMiyM
© Crown Copyright 2014
Paddy Ashdown,
Royal Marine, 1959
to 1972, leader of the
Liberal Democrats
1988 to 1999, High
Representative
for Bosnia and
Herzegovina from
2002 to 2006
U
Refugees from Kosovo cheer Warrior and
Stormer armoured personnel carriers of the
Irish Guards as they advance towards Pristina.
ntil the collapse of the
Soviet Union, most of our
attention was focused on
resisting the threat of Communism.
Thousands of troops lined up in
Germany and Norway as part of
NATO alongside allies from the
United States, Canada, Europe
and Turkey. Since then our Armed
Forces have been less engaged
in Europe (though the present
situation in Ukraine may change
that) and more engaged protecting
our interests and building peace
in other parts of the world.
© IWM (LAND 02 012 0844)
The Falklands War
18
The International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) is a NATO-led security mission in
Afghanistan, established by the United Nations
Secruity Council in 2001.
Perhaps the most memorable was
the Falklands War. In 1982 Britain
was preparing to cut the cost of
defence and reduce the size of the
Armed Forces. The message of
disarmament was heard around the
world, not least in the dictatorship
in Buenos Aires which claimed
ownership of the Falkland Islands.
In April, an Argentine force landed on
the islands and quickly captured the
Governor and the small detachment
of Royal Marines. Britain’s response
surprised many. Launching a task
force from 8,000 miles away to
reclaim the islands, the Armed
Forces demonstrated clearly that
Britain was prepared to defend our
interests and our allies. The courage
of the forces, not least my fellow
Royal Marines, became famous
around the world.
As the Romans said, if you seek
peace prepare for war. When the Cold
War ended and the Soviet military
archives were opened, it became
clear that this operation in the South
Atlantic contributed to ensuring that
the Soviet Union understood that
they could not defeat the West
militarily Tragically, by looking weak
we had encouraged our enemies to
think we would not fight and that led
to the death of more than a thousand
British and Argentine soldiers and the
wounding of almost 2,500 more.
Britain’s allies
Britain has supported allies in other
operations, including the Indonesian
Confrontation in the 1960s where
I served as a young Royal Marines
lieutenant. By supporting allies we
demonstrated we were willing to
fight for our interests and those of
our friends. That proved that we
were able to defend ourselves.
But we have not always been quick
to act. Following the break up of
the Soviet Union in 1990, other
former-Communist states began
to collapse. In 1992 Yugoslavia fell
apart. The old ethnic divisions that
had been covered up for a generation
became a civil war. For years
© IWM (FKD 856)
Section 02: The Armed
Forces in our history
A paratrooper of 2 PARA, The Parachute
Regiment during the Falklands War, 1982.
Europe and the United States
looked on. As the war got increasingly
vicious with abuses on all sides the
pressure to act grew stronger.
Eventually NATO agreed to intervene.
British soldiers fought courageously
alongside allies to divide the warring
parties and give a chance for peace.
By the time I arrived as High
Representative in 2002 NATO’s
Implementation Force (IFOR) was
giving the peacemakers the space
to talk and keeping at bay those
who preferred fighting to diplomacy.
In neighbouring Kosovo our forces
were at the front-line of another war
to create stability and peace in a
troubled nation. Some critics have
claimed we only engage where oil is
involved. But Kosovo proves them
wrong – we went to war then for
refugees – to get people who had
been driven out by a dictator, back
to their homes.
In the seventy years
since the last World
War the three Services
have engaged in many
operations to protect
the interests of the British
people and our allies.
The option to use force
is important if we are
to fulfil our duty to
protect our allies and
act when there is a
moral imperative.
19
03: The work of
the Armed Forces
today
© Crown Copyright 2014
The impact of 9/11
and what it means
for operations today.
Deterrence, assistance
and safeguarding
peace around the
world. The vital
emergency services
delivered in the UK.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Section 03: The work of the
Armed Forces today
Operations:
protecting
our allies
& interests
Royal Marines from Alpha Company, 40
Commando brace themselves against the
downdraft from an incoming Royal Air Force
Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Rebuild
© Crown Copyright 2014
© Sean Power
The next generation of Afghan policemen are
beginning their careers, having completed their
British-led training.
A medical officer helps the local Afghan
community.
Right, Tom Tugendhat, Conservative
candidate for Tonbridge and Malling,
Intelligence Corps, Territorial Army,
2000 to 2013
I
A Royal Marine crossing a waterfilled ditch
while on patrol. A Military Working Dog can
be seen jumping out of the other side.
22
Left, Dan Jarvis, Labour MP for Barnsley
Central, The Parachute Regiment, 1997
to 2011
n 2001 an attack on the United
States changed everything. On
9/11 two aircraft, hijacked by
Al Qaeda terrorists destroyed the
World Trade Centre in New York, a
third hit the Pentagon in Washington
DC and a fourth crashed into a field.
This act proved that in a globalised
world terrorism based anywhere
could become a threat everywhere.
React
For the United Kingdom and NATO
the attack on the United States
meant acting fast. For the first time
in its history the alliance agreed that
Article 5 – the agreement that an
attack on one is an attack on all
– should be invoked. NATO went
to war.
The initial stages of the conflict
went quickly. Allied with those inside
the country who rejected the Taliban
and all they stood for, the people
rose up to overthrow the regime. By
Christmas there was the beginning
of a government in Kabul, the king
who had been deposed in 1973
was back and the war looked won.
But as with many conflicts, looks
can be deceptive, NATO’s job was
only half done.
It wasn’t enough to simply remove
Al Qaeda or the Taliban government
that gave them sanctuary, the
country had to be prevented from
sinking back into lawlessness and
the environment that gave rise to
the violence in the first place. The
second part, the rebuilding, was
the hard part. Starting in the capital,
Kabul, British Forces played their
part throughout. First by securing
a road between the airport and the
city before later moving north to
secure the town of Mazar-e-Sharif.
Once the bulk of the country
was under the rule of the Afghan
government, with the support
of the NATO-led International
Security and Assistance Force
(ISAF), the real task of training and
development began.
By 2006 ISAF had expanded across
the country and Britain was ready to
deploy troops to Helmand alongside
the Afghan National Army and Afghan
National Police.
From the beginning the operation
was more violent than many had
predicted as people resisted the
arrival of the national government
and their British allies. After years
under the rule of drugs barons and
warlords the economy was largely
based on the production of opium
and the manufacture of drugs.
Indeed many Helmandis suffer from
addiction. This didn’t make life easy
either for the Afghan government or
the British Forces, their allies.
Section 03: The work of the
Armed Forces today
A soldier searching for improvised
explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan.
We met in Afghanistan,
while training a unit
of the Afghan security
forces. Along with many
others in different parts
of the country, we were
working to make a
difference in people’s
lives by providing them
with a force that could
protect them against
the Taliban.
Result
Britain’s actions today, along with
all those who served in Afghanistan,
have marked a new type of
warfare, not one of conquest but
of cooperation – we went to war
with the sole aim of guaranteeing
our national security and, to achieve
that, leaving Afghanistan a better
place.
© Sean Power
The courage of British soldiers,
marines, sailors and airmen has been
remarkable. Working alongside allies
from Afghanistan, the United States,
Denmark, Estonia and many other
countries we have built an Afghan
army and police force that is now
capable of defending the people
against many threats. The operation
was too big for Britain or the United
States alone but as part of NATO
we have been able to create the
infrastructure to allow the elected
government of Afghanistan to
establish order over the whole nation.
23
Section 03: The work of the
Armed Forces today
Deterrence:
encouraging
diplomacy,
preventing
war
Graffiti and greetings on one of the
remaining sections of the Berlin Wall, stating
‘The first holes in the Berlin Wall’.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Admiral of the Fleet
the Lord Boyce,
Submarine Captain,
Chief of Defence Staff
2001–2003
A soldier from the RAF Regiment on patrol
near Basrah Air Base, Iraq.
Find out more by clicking on the links below.
How to command a
nuclear sub
www.history.co.uk/shows/how-to-command-
a-nuclear-sub/articles/perisher-course
HMS Ambush in action
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQbbCk9HQaU
24
Aerial view of the former site of the World
Trade Center in New York.
T
he best way to win a war is
without firing a shot. Sadly
that’s not always possible,
but for Britain and her NATO allies
it was, in effect, the outcome of
the Cold War. After four decades of
confrontation, that ‘War’ ended with
the fall the Berlin Wall and the end
of the Soviet Union without conflict
across the Iron Curtain.
Peaceful settlement
That didn’t happen by accident.
Since the end of the Second World
War, Britain and NATO were in
confrontation with the Soviet Union
every day. As a young submariner
I was contributing to the Royal
Navy’s role of working to deter the
enemy from turning a Cold War into
a shooting war.
First as a member of the crew
then later as a submarine captain,
I trained with my fellow sailors to
be able to fight and win should the
worst happen. We were always
prepared to respond. Time and
again Soviet ships and submarines
entered our seas, looking for weak
points that could have allowed
them to think a military answer
would give them an easy victory.
We showed them it would not.
Along with the Army in Germany,
the Royal Marines in Norway and
the Royal Air Force in the air above
us, we were able to make clear to
the Soviet Union that aggression
that led to war would be disastrous.
That forced all parties to the
negotiating table and led to a
peaceful settlement.
Nuclear weapons
The UK’s nuclear deterrent
has been at sea for almost
50 years, constantly prepared
to respond if we were to come
under nuclear attack. By ensuring
any surprise Soviet strike would
be guaranteed to provoke an
appropriate retaliation, some
argue the West’s nuclear weapons
have saved millions of lives and
billions of pounds by preventing
major war from the 1960s to
the 1980s.
The cost of conflict
Deterrence has worked, but not
everywhere. On two occasions
we looked weak and others took
the opportunity to challenge us.
The first was in 1982 when
Argentine forces invaded the
Falkland Islands thinking we
wouldn’t react. Although Britain
was able to retake the Islands, that
mistake cost both sides nearly a
thousand lives. The second was
in 1991 when Iraq thought we
would not defend Kuwait. That
miscalculation cost some 35,000
dead, most of them Iraqi.
Section 03: The work of the
Armed Forces today
Ambush, the second of the Royal Navy’s potent new Astute
Class attack submarines, sails into Her Majesty’s Naval
Base Clyde to begin sea trials. The seven Astute Class
boats planned for the Royal Navy are the most advanced
and powerful attack submarines Britain has ever sent to
sea. They feature the latest nuclear-powered technology,
which means they never need to be refuelled and can
comfortably circumnavigate the world submerged.
Safeguarding peace
Britain prepares for war because we
want peace. That’s why we keep our
Armed Forces ready – and deterrence
is just that. It is being ready to
respond should we need to by
making sure we are well trained
and well equipped and thereby
persuading others that it would be
too costly to attack.
Some say the secret to diplomacy
is to speak softly and carry a big
stick. That stick is the military, and
it has played a key part in ensuring
British people have been largely
at peace without the threat of
invasion since 1945. That is
successful deterrence.
© Crown Copyright 2014
One might ask today, “attack by
whom?” But the way the world
works means we cannot always
predict what threats we will face
five or ten years ahead, let alone
the 80 years that is the expected
life of, say, the new aircraft carriers.
We didn’t foresee the 9/11 attacks
even a week in advance. Today our
ships, people and planes are still
ready to respond. As Russia is
stirring up trouble in Ukraine, we
have deployed troops and aircraft
to train with NATO allies in Poland
and the Baltic States. This should
reassure our friends that we stand
with them and, we hope, deter
Russia from testing our resolve.
25
Alliances are what make Great Britain strong.
Over the past century we have built up a network
of friendships and partnerships that multiply
our influence by joining with others. They have
prevented war and promoted our interests.
None more so than NATO.
O 2014
© NATO 2014
Section 03: The work of the
Armed Forces today
Stronger together:
united with allies and
partners worldwide
© Crown Copyright 2014
© NAT
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh
Rasmussen at the Headquarters of Allied
Command Operations (SHAPE).
A Chinese Haifan II helicopter being marshalled
onto the flight deck of HMS Cornwall by the
ship’s Flight Deck Officer. Members of the
Chinese Public Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)
were visiting the Type 22 frigate to discuss
anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.
To find out more click on the links below.
North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation
www.nato.int
What to do in the
classroom when NATO
comes to Wales
news.tes.co.uk/b/tes-professional/2014/06/03/
what-to-do-in-the-classroom-when-nato-comes
-to-wales.aspx
International partnerships
www.youtube.com/watch?v=55GtdFpsHv8&list
=UU0c1gOh_U3TaONypVyMWvdg
26
UN peacekeeping
www.un.org/en/peacekeeping
Lord Robertson
of Port Ellen,
Labour MP 1978 to 1999,
Secretary of State for
Defence 1997 to 1999,
NATO Secretary
General 1999 to 2004
North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation (NATO)
The North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation was founded after
the end of the Second World War
to ensure that never again would a
country think they could conquer
Europe one country at a time. In
the previous fifty years that had
happened twice as each time the
invader thought they could control
the pace of the conflict and could
manage to slice off manageable
parts. They could not and the
ensuing whirlwind engulfed us all.
outbreak of the Second World War
could be repeated if we are not alert.
That is why this year’s NATO
Conference in Wales is vital. As
we withdraw from Afghanistan and
rebalance in the post-9/11 world,
there is much to discuss to ensure
that NATO remains relevant and
powerful. Because for us power
is not about conquest but defending
our freedoms and those of our
friends and partners.
Since its foundation in
1950 NATO has kept the
peace in Europe. Now,
with 28 member states
and partners for peace
around the world, it is
just as important as
ever in the struggle to
prevent war.
Strength in partnership
No country is strong enough alone so
by banding together we make it plain
that we not allow leaders to lie to their
people that they can take make
small attacks on our friends without
repercussions. NATO makes it clear
to all that any war with a member
state is total and therefore must at
all costs be avoided.
Today this message is as important
as ever. On the borders of our
alliance, nations are encouraging
nationalism and fomenting conflict
and the conditions which caused the
NATO Summit, Wales 2014 logo.
Section 03: The work of the
Armed Forces today
A Royal Marine of Zulu Company,
45 Commando during an amphibious
landing from various landing craft as part
of the winter deployment to Norway.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Northern Norway played host to a huge NATO
force of 20000 soldiers, sailors, marines and
airmen from 14 countries.
27
© Crown Copyright 2014
Section 03: The work of the
Armed Forces today
Sierra Leone
The British Armed Forces have an
extraordinary reputation. Around
the world our allies want to train
with us, our friends want to learn
from us and our enemies want to
avoid us. This puts the Royal Navy,
British Army and Royal Air Force
in a unique position of influence. It
is one that we can, and do, use to
great effect. As commander of the
operation that ended the civil war in
Sierra Leone, I saw this first hand.
In 2000 I was sent to Freetown,
Sierra Leone where a civil war had
been raging for nearly a decade.
The brutal Revolutionary United
Front had sowed terror throughout
the land by butchering innocent
civilians and leaving them with
limbs cut off. It was a war that for
too long the international community
had chosen to ignore. But following
on from the lessons of Srebrenica
and elsewhere, the British
Government was less willing to
turn a blind eye to such abuses
and I was empowered to act.
28
An international naval exercise including the Royal Navy, the
Royal Navy of Oman and the Royal Air Force of Oman, undertaken
to exchange expertise and practice various disciplines at sea.
Our stand in Sierra Leone did much
for us as a nation and for our friends
in the region. For the first time in a
generation British soldiers, sailors
and airmen were seen as partners
and friends to be relied on in a time
of emergency. By defending the
civilian population and helping end
the violence, Britain was able to
become the partner of choice for
many in the region.
For me this is at the heart of what
the British Armed Forces are about.
When I think of the Royal Navy,
British Army and Royal Air Force,
I don’t think of fighting but of building
because our work with partners and
allies around the world is about that
– building trust, building
stability, and building
nations.
One of the longest standing
engagements of the British is in
Oman. The Arab kingdom lying
along the Indian Ocean disproves
the lie that we can never work with
Muslim nations. On the contrary, we
have been instrumental in ensuring
the stability of one of the most
successful nations in the region.
That commitment is recognised
by others.
In Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar and the
United Arab Emirates, the same
is true. British influence has done
much to help keep the Arab world
peaceful and the contribution
is welcomed.
Across Africa we work well with
others. In Kenya and South Africa
we have forces who have done
much to shape the destinies of
those countries which, while not
perfect, have achieved more than
many in terms of economic growth
and stability. In others the request
for our help is growing.
Working to secure
a better world
In my time as Chief of the Defence
Staff I would often observe that if
I could bottle the Armed Forces
and sell them around the world I
would be a millionaire because they
embody exactly what emerging
nations want and need: discipline,
integrity, hard work, compassion
and the ability to get the best from
teams. But most of all it is that British
soldiers, sailors and airmen will
fight. In combat they are second to
none and that is why our training
teams are asked for from Freetown
to Brunei and in many places
in between.
It is also why I reformed
the Armed Forces to
ensure we could satisfy
more of those requests.
In training others we
help not only them but
ourselves. As we build
well-disciplined security
forces we are growing
trust and partners as
well as the bedrock to
a stable state.
That cannot be replaced with any
amount of aid money. Today’s
British Armed Forces sit alongside
our development aid to ensure a
better world. Across the globe they
complement each other.
© IWM (UKLC 2000 085 006 005)
Trust & stability
View of Freetown, Sierra Leone. In the foreground,
parts of the biggest slum of Freetown, Kroo Bay.
In the background the modern city.
A soldier of 2 Royal Anglian Regiment, lets
a local child peer through the sight of his
SA80 rifle whilst on patrol during Operation
BASILICA, 2000.
Find out more by clicking on the links below.
Army Reservists in
Cyprus
www.youtube.com/watch?v=04Nq2R0seuc&
list =UUUFdrH02-ueNtM_h7Dr03Xw
Humanitarian Assistance
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGryBpXdesc
&list=UU0c1gOh_U3TaONypVyMWvdg
© Crown Copyright 2014
014
right 2
n Copy
© Crow
General the
Lord Richards of
Herstmonceux,
Commander of the
British Forces in
Sierra Leone, 2000,
Chief of the Defence
Staff, 2010 to 2013
Section 03: The work of the
Armed Forces today
Assistance:
building allies
& stability
A member of the International Military
Assistance Training Team Sierra Leone and
the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces
shaking hands.
29
© Crown Copyright 2014
Section 03: The work of the
Armed Forces today
Support:
search, rescue
& backup
General Sir Nick Parker,
commander of Britain’s
military contribution to
the Olympics
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer
approaches a suspect device in full protective
equipment.
© Crown Copyright 2014
I
© Crown Copyright 2014
A Royal Air Force winchman practices deck
landings at sea from a Search and Rescue
Helicopter.
30
The RAF provides high-tech support to relief
efforts in flood-affected parts of the UK, such
as in Somerset in 2013/2014, sending up a
sophisticated surveillance aircraft to create a
unique picture of the situation on the ground.
n Britain we have an unusual
relationship with our Armed
Forces. Unlike many other
Western democracies, we have an
institutional reluctance to use the
Armed Forces at home. As an island
nation the Royal Navy has always
been held in high regard, since
it has defended our shores and
trade routes; the Army on the other
hand has a more complex place in
society; the threat of invasion has
been limited, certainly in comparison
to our continental neighbours, and
the Army has generally been used
overseas.
In the 18th and 19th centuries a
significant proportion of soldiers
were recruited from deprived
backgrounds seeking a new life
and often viewed by the public at
large as disagreeable characters.
When they returned home they
were not always welcomed into
communities with great affection.
Events such as the Peterloo
“Massacre” in 1819, when cavalry
were ordered to charge into a crowd
of over 60,000 in Manchester who
were protesting about Parliamentary
representation, have embedded
themselves into national attitudes
and established a cultural reluctance
to the use of the military at home.
In Britain the Police, the Emergency
Services and the Local Authority are
the primary means to protect the
public at home, and only in extremes
should the Armed Forces be used
to provide support.
Military Aid to the
Civil Authorities
Still, there are always going to be
occasions when the capabilities in
the Armed Forces are needed to
provide support in peacetime. This
is referred to as Military Aid to the
Civil Authorities (MACA) and falls
into three categories of assistance:
to Government Departments, the
Civil Power, and the Community.
Central Government
The military can be ordered by
Central Government to assist in
the maintenance of services and
supplies that are essential to life
and the health and safety of the
community. In recent years examples
are the military response to the
firefighters’ dispute in 2002 and the
preparations that were made to
deliver fuel during the tanker drivers’
dispute in 2012. Great care should
also be taken to limit the use of
the military to sustaining essential
services and to avoid becoming
a tool of Government to promote
particular policies. In certain
circumstances, such as the Home
Office’s issue over venue security
for the London Olympics, there
may be a requirement for a rapid
deployment of large numbers of
troops to take on a simple but vital
task with a hard deadline.
Civil Power
Aid to the Civil Power requires
specialist military assistance (armed
if necessary) in its maintenance of
law, order and public safety. This
© Crown Copyright 2014
Section 03: The work of the
Armed Forces today
Service personnel and Olympic volunteers clap
the Olympians and Paralympians who had taken
part in the ‘Our Greatest Team Parade’ in London.
includes capabilities such as bomb
disposal, air-sea rescue, or counter
terrorism. During the London
Olympics the Royal Navy and Royal
Marines provided maritime security
at Weymouth and on the Thames,
and the Royal Air Force and the
Army provided air defence around
the Olympic Stadium.
Support to the Civil Community is
the provision of unarmed military
assistance to prevent or deal with
the aftermath of a natural disaster or
a major incident. Examples include
the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak
and the flooding in Gloucestershire
in 2007. This generally uncontroversial
support, has been reduced over
recent years by an increased priority
on resilience within Local Authorities
although there will always be a
need for the Armed Forces to react
to help the communities they serve
in dealing with the unexpected.
Right: Royal Marine Rigid Raiders,
Offshore Raiding Craft and Police
Rigid Inflatable Boats form up for
a photograph at the conclusion of
Operation Olympics, the security mission
for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Civil Community
31
The importance of
alliances, trade and
future security.
The vital work of the
Service charities and
the significance of
Remembrance.
© Crown Copyright 2014
04: Consequences
of the work of the
Armed Forces
The most important purpose of the Armed Forces
is keeping the United Kingdom safe. Strong Armed
Forces deter enemies from attacking the UK and
our citizens abroad and give us peace at home. In
Europe, it is only through hard work and dedication
that we have kept the peace for almost 70 years.
Our own history and today’s headlines teach us that
peace cannot be taken for granted.
The Rt Hon Michael
Fallon MP Secretary
of State for Defence
© Crown Copyright 2014
As part of the MOD’s full-spectrum military
capability, the department is set to recruit
hundreds of computer experts as cyber
reservists to help defend the UK’s national
security, working at the cutting-edge of the
nation’s cyber defences.
34
A British sniper from 5 SCOTS (centre) and French
snipers of the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute
Regiment train together at Exercise Boar’s
Head, Otterburn Training Area, Northumberland.
The exercise was part of the continuing
relationship between French and British Army
units following the signing of the Defence and
Security Co-operation Treaty by Prime Minister
David Cameron and French President Nicolas
Sarkozy in November 2010.
© Crow
© Crown Copyright 2014
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14
Section 04: Consequences of
the work of the Armed Forces
Building Britain:
the wider benefits
of defence
A reputation for
excellence
We succeed because we have
built strong partnerships with
countries in Europe and around
the world who share our values.
The reputation for excellence of
the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air
Force goes a long way to persuading
others that we are worth having
as partners.
That reputation encourages others
to join our ranks and also means
that we are often called upon to
help work and train with other
nations’ Armed Forces. That
strengthens our relationship with
the rest of the world and boosts
the UK’s reputation and trade.
Industry and innovation
Defence goes wider than just the
men and women of our Forces.
It includes our nation’s scientists,
engineers and industries, who
produce the equipment our Forces
need today and in the future. Most
obviously this can be seen in the
aircraft, ships and other military
equipment supplied to our Forces
– which can also be sold to our
allies, boosting British industry
and jobs. Some of the greatest
innovations are less noticeable but
can be world class. For example,
medical treatment has taken a leap
forward because of the lessons
learned and the new techniques
and equipment used by our military
medics in Afghanistan. Though
every injury is a tragedy it is
remarkable how many lives and
limbs are now saved not only on
the battlefield, but also in civilian
populations in the UK and around
the world because of innovations
pioneered by military doctors.
Delivering value
Keeping our Armed Forces ready
for these tasks cannot be done
on the cheap. Overall we spend
on defence each year about a
third of the money we spend
on education. That is around
2 percent of everything we produce
in the United Kingdom, known
as our Gross Domestic Product
or GDP. But our Forces give us
excellent value for money –
including the benefits of what
the men and women in our Forces
achieve not just while they are
serving but when they return to
civilian life.
Every year we take in thousands
of young men and women and
help them grow. Some stay only
a few years, others for a lifetime,
but however long they stay they
leave with an ethos that is rightly
valued across the country and
the world.
Section 04: Consequences of
the work of the Armed Forces
Medical Emergency Response Teams (MERTs) working in
Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, are on call 24 hours
a day and seven days a week, ready to respond to any injuries
that UK and coalition troops may suffer on the front line.
Proof of this can be seen in the
success cadets have in finding their
first job when they mention that
they are in one of Britain’s largest
youth movements. Being a cadet
helps young people develop
important life skills such as
leadership and self-reliance whilst
increasing their self-confidence so
they can reach their full potential.
Headteachers report time and again
that having a Combined Cadet
Force in the school is good not just
for the cadets, but for the whole
school. Employers regularly say
ex-Service men and women and
Reservists bring benefits to the
whole of their community. Because
throughout our society, the military
ethos is a golden thread that can
be an example of what is best
about our nation and helps it
improve everything it touches.
© Crown Copyright 2014
The constant drive to improve and
the ability to adapt to any situation
is what makes our Forces some of
the best in the world. That mind-set,
often called the “can do” attitude,
enables them to deliver in the most
difficult situations. It is also vital to
British industry and many ex-soldiers,
sailors and airmen and women go
on to have very successful civilian
careers. Because another unseen
benefit of the military is what it
provides to wider society – selfdisciplined, self-starting, adaptable
individuals who are able to make
change happen.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Drive and performance
A soldier from the 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s
Regiment, (left) known as the ‘Lions of England’ and a soldier of
the Estonian Land Forces are pictured side by side in Afghanistan.
The two countries are serving together in Afghanistan as part
of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
35
© The Royal British Legion
Section 04: Consequences of
the work of the Armed Forces
Welfare:
serving those
who served
Vice Admiral,
Peter Wilkinson
National President,
The Royal British
Legion
Service charities fund care homes across
the UK including Galanos House, one of the
Legion’s six care homes.
© The Royal British Legion
I
© The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion has supported the
Burnell family by carrying out renovations to
their home to help their seriously ill son.
36
The Battle Back Centre (Lilleshall), dedicated
to the rehabilitation of members of the Armed
Forces.
t is a huge privilege to be
National President of The Royal
British Legion, to represent
veterans and their families as my
predecessors have done since 1921.
I am extremely proud of the welfare
work undertaken by Service charities;
knowing the difference it has made
to so many people’s lives. It is very
humbling to hear stories of how staff
and volunteers have helped so many
individuals over the years. The pride
in our Armed Forces is tangible and
the support of the nation, I know,
is heartfelt and shows itself each
November when millions buy a
poppy or attend a Remembrance
service to declare publicly that they
stand in support of those who serve.
I was always aware of this strength
of feeling when I was in the Royal
Navy but to be given the chance
to help harness those strong
emotions and turn them into
assistance for those who need it
most, was an opportunity that I
could not turn down.
This year is the start of the Centenary
of the First World War and over the
next four years we will remember
the sacrifice of the nearly one million
British Service men and women
who died. It is also important to
remember that many more came
home, many with terrible physical
and psychological wounds, just as
most who have recently served in
Iraq and Afghanistan have returned.
In the aftermath of the First World
War there was an unprecedented
effort to support the needs of the
living. That need is as great today
as it was nearly 100 years ago.
Service charities
The Royal British Legion is the UK’s
largest Armed Forces charity and
together with our fellow Service
charities – including Combat Stress,
Help for Heroes, SSAFA, ABF The
Soldier’s Charity, Blind Veterans UK,
and many others – we provide
practical, emotional and financial
support to all members of the British
Armed Forces past and present, and
their families. Half of those helped are
below retirement age. Whether it is
families coping with the loss of a loved
one, recovery centres for injured
personnel, help at home or residential
care, or money and careers advice,
Service charities are here to help.
Millions of people in the UK are eligible
to access the welfare services offered
by Service charities and we all help
those most in need to remain active
members of society. We are
committed across the sector to going
that extra mile for those men and
women who have done so themselves
in the service of our nation.
The Military Covenant
We cannot do it alone. The successful
rehabilitation and reintegration of
Service personnel depends upon an
understanding and supportive nation.
We call this the Military Covenant.
The Covenant was written into law
and along with the Community
Covenants ensures that Service
personnel and their families are not
put at a disadvantage as a result of
their chosen career and also bring
the military and civilian communities
closer together.
The next four years are undoubtedly
a time for us all to reflect on past
events and for us in Service charities to
take the opportunity to make ourselves
ready to support the Service community
for the next hundred years to the best
of our ability. After all – our soldiers,
sailors, airmen and women – and their
families, deserve nothing less.
The Royal British Legion
SSAFA Forces Help
As one of the UK’s largest charities, The Royal
British Legion exists to help the Armed Forces
Community with flexible and wide-ranging
support services. It is also the national custodian
of Remembrance, and is responsible for the
Poppy Appeal, the Festival of Remembrance
and the march past the Cenotaph each year.
SSAFA was established in 1885, by Major
James Gildea who appealed for support to look
after families when the Second Expeditionary
Force set sail for Egypt. Through two World
Wars and every subsequent conflict, SSAFA
has supported millions of Service families,
wherever and whenever their help is needed.
www.britishlegion.org.uk
Helpline: 0808 802 8080
www.ssafa.org.uk
Forcesline: 0800 731 4880
Help for Heroes
ABF The Soldier’s Charity
The Confederation of Service Charities, COBSEO,
is the umbrella organisation for all Service
charities. They provide essential practical,
emotional and financial support to all members
of the British Armed Forces past and present.
Established in 2007, Help for Heroes has
grown swiftly to provide vital support and
aid to the Services. Working alongside other
Service charities, they deliver individual
support, rehousing and employment
opportunities, mental and physical rehabilitation
and long term support for all veterans.
The Soldiers’ Charity began as the Army
Benevolent Fund in 1944, supporting veterans
of the Second World War. Today the conflicts
may be different but their commitment stands
firm – to support all soldiers, former soldiers and
their families whenever they are in need.
www.cobseo.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7811 3224
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
Telephone: 01980 846459
www.soldierscharity.org
Telephone: 020 7901 8900
The Not Forgotten
Association
Combat Stress
Blind Veterans UK
The Association have remained much the same
as they were when it was formed in 1920: to
provide leisure and recreation for the benefit
of serving and ex-Service personnel who are
wounded or have sustained permanent injuries.
Combat Stress has over 95 years experience
helping UK Veterans with psychological injuries
to rebuild their lives. They help those who suffer
from mental ill-health, whether depression,
anxiety or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
with a unique range of specialist treatment
and welfare support.
Blind Veterans UK believe that no one who has
served our country should battle blindness alone
and help veterans recover their independence
and discover life beyond sight loss. They are
here to help with lifelong practical and emotional
support for all veterans, regardless of when they
served or what caused their sight loss.
www.nfassociation.org
Telephone: 020 7730 2400
www.combatstress.org.uk
Helpline: 0800 138 1619
www.blindveterans.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7723 5021
The Confederation of
Service Charities
Section 04: Consequences of
the work of the Armed Forces
Millions of people in
the UK are eligible to
access the welfare services
offered by Service charities
and help those most in need
to remain active members
of society. We are committed
across the sector to going
that extra mile for those
men and women who have
done so themselves in
the service of our nation.
37
Section 04: Consequences of
the work of the Armed Forces
Wooden crosses and paper poppies
planted in a Field of Remembrance.
L/Cpl David Hart,
Kabul 2004.
David served in the
Territorial Army
1995–2007 and now
teaches in Devon
What is Remembrance?
38
© The Royal British Legion
It’s a question I have often asked
myself. As a young army cadet it
was an annual parade remembering
the sacrifices of those from my
hometown who died during the
World Wars. Seeing veterans had
more impact than Hollywood, their
determination to honour comrades,
their laughter and their restrained
emotion. When I joined the reserve
forces it was a moment for those
lost from my county but now with
friends at risk, both regular and
reserve, in the Balkans and Northern
Ireland. On operations in Northern
Ireland remembrance was the
places others had fallen, their names
on a board above the weaponloading bay, the place you visit
before and after a patrol. The space
for more names forcing empathy
with the guys recorded there, and
their families and friends, not listed.
In 2003 Remembrance was
anticipation. 11 November was
our last gathering before flying to
Afghanistan to conduct peacekeeping
operations. Since 28 January 2004
Remembrance is Kit. Why him? Why
not me? What if? It is Dave losing
An extract from For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon
© Crown Copyright 2014
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Section 04: Consequences of
the work of the Armed Forces
Remembrance:
sorrow, pride
& hope
The poppy, a symbol of Remembrance
and hope.
Find out more by clicking on the links below.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Royal British Legion
www.cwgc.org
Remembrance is running a
marathon with other injured
veterans through New York, the
starting point for our wars. Or
along the coast of Normandy
watched by D-day veterans,
carrying the memories of their
fallen comrades besides our own.
It is approaching each day
determined to make the world
a better place. It is looking into
the eyes of the pupils I teach
and believing that the act of
remembrance will inspire them
to put others before self, to be
courageous, hard working, and
tenacious. But above all that they
understand their actions, questioning,
decisions and choices may prevent
the need for future wars.
© The Royal British Legion
Remembrance is January at a
graveyard in Bedfordshire swapping
memories, trading insults, catching
up on a decade’s gossip, laughing,
smiling and blaming it on the rain.
All along hoping he would approve
of what we have done with the time
he never had. Hoping we won’t
receive another phone call, that we
might see peace and that it was
all worth it. It is also knowing we
would do it all again if we could,
and being thankful we have the
luxury of that choice.
www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance
“Your sacrifice will never be forgotten”.
A wreath of Remembrance.
© The Royal British Legion
Since 2005 Remembrance is
Chris, George, Tommo, the three
Marks and the familiar if unknown
faces of the others returning
through Wootton Bassett. It is the
injured, physically and mentally,
and the battles they still face.
It is the love, comradeship,
determination, understanding,
education, generosity, optimism
and humour that will help us heal.
It is marching past the Cenotaph
remembering as a nation, amongst
others who have worn a uniform
to serve their country. It is knowing
the recognition from the public
belongs deservedly to the empty
ranks, not us. Remembrance is
the next operation, thankful for
the skill of my surgeons.
Members of the Armed Forces during a
Festival of Remembrance.
© The Royal British Legion
his eye, Paul losing his hearing, our
interpreter breaking his leg and
Daz’s quick actions saving my life,
and the rest of the guys remaining
when I was taken away. It is the
German and French medical teams
who fought to save me and the
hospitals in Kabul, Koblenz and
Birmingham that put me back
together. It is The Red Cross,
Headley Court, and my unit,
The Royal British Legion, the
Army Benevolent Fund, Help for
Heroes, Care for Casualties, the
NHS and The Not Forgotten
Association helping rehabilitate
me. Most importantly it is the
impact on my family and friends,
assessing what I had gained not
what I had lost, looking at who I
could be not who I was.
Remembrance is all
these things to me.
Veterans remembering the D-Day landings.
39
© Crown Copyright 2014
05:
The British
Armed Forces
What it means to
be part of the Royal
Navy, British Army
and Royal Air Force.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Section 05:
The British Armed Forces
The Royal
Navy:
1000 years
on Britain’s
frontline
A Royal Naval Reservist diver from Royal Navy
Reserve Unit Dalriada conducting continuation
training at the Defence Diving School, Horsea
Island, Portsmouth.
Find out more by clicking on the links below.
The Royal Navy
The Royal Navy’s
Facebook page
Commando – the training
of a Royal Marine
14
www.royalnavy.mod.uk
The Navy’s Youtube channel
H
© Crown Copyright 2014
www.youtube.com/user/RoyalNavyOfficial
© Crown Copyright 2014
HMS Queen Elizabeth following her naming
ceremony conducted at Rosyth Dockyard.
42
Sailors onboard Type 42 destroyer HMS York.
n Copy
right 20
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYF-qDopam0
&list=PL1B8C32E97662A26F
© Crow
www.facebook.com/royalnavy
Admiral Sir George
Zambellas, First Sea
Lord and Chief of
Naval Staff and
former Navy Pilot
ow far is your school from
the sea? In the UK, it can’t
be more than 70 miles.
Compare this to China where the
nearest coastline could be as much
as 1,500 miles away. We are an
island nation, so our geography
means we have a close connection
to the sea. The same is also true of
the things we buy. Almost everything
you have has come by sea. Including
the iPad I’m typing this on.
Our history
Our history also makes us a maritime
nation. Since the time of King Alfred
the Great, the Navy has helped to
protect both our borders and our
national interests abroad. Admiral
Nelson is, of course, one of the most
famous, popular and heroic figures
in our nation’s history. His victory at
the Battle of Trafalgar prevented
Napoleon from launching an invasion
across The Channel. It also meant
that ‘Britannia ruled the waves’ for
over a century afterwards. This ‘big
win’ played a key part in the British
Empire becoming the biggest the
world has ever known – now
flourishing as the Commonwealth.
This history has helped to make
us an outward-looking nation,
that wants to be influential in
the world, including its lead in
promoting freedom, tolerance and
human rights. Your Royal Navy
supports these national ambitions,
including help around the world
when natural disaster strikes.
Sea trade
So, our nation’s fortunes are
dependent upon the sea. To prove
this point, think about the origin of
the presents which sit under our
Christmas trees. Most toys are
made in Asia, and the labels on
many of our clothes will read
“Made in China” or “Made in India”.
How do those items get to the UK?
Not by air.
So you need the Royal Navy as
much today as yesterday, helping
to protect the web of sea trading
routes that criss-cross the world’s
oceans. Why bother? The reason
is that if a country uses force to
stop or delay ships passing through
its neighbouring waters, or cuts
internet cables that run under the
sea, it can damage our economy
at home, upsetting trading markets
and leading to higher prices for the
fuel in our cars or the clothes we
wear. The country, our businesses
and our families are made poorer.
Safer oceans
The world’s oceans are not just
used as trading superhighways.
The vastness of the sea makes it
a potential hiding place for criminal
activity, like smuggling illegal drugs,
people or weapons for use in
Section 05:
The British Armed Forces
Royal Marines watch over a suspected pirate
dhow during operations near Yemen.
terrorist attacks. And although
21st century pirates may not fly
the ‘skull and crossbones’, they
remain just as much of a menace
to shipping unless they’re stopped.
One of the Royal Navy’s roles is as
a policeman, patrolling the oceans
and helping to catch criminals and
terrorists before their actions can
harm us at home in the UK.
A world-class team
So, as it has done for
centuries, today’s Royal
Navy – your Navy – is
helping to keep the
seas of the world safe,
protecting our nation’s
interests and solving
problems before they
reach our shores and
affect us here at home.
© Crown Copyright 2014
What if a country is tempted to use its
naval forces to bully or fight the UK?
Working jointly with the Army, the RAF
and our friends across the globe, we
can defend ourselves – and win. We
have the best ships, submarines and
aircraft in the world, not forgetting the
Royal Marines, our specialist ‘sea
soldiers’. This year the largest ship
ever built for the Royal Navy, HMS
Queen Elizabeth, took to the water.
And we have among the best trained
and most respected sailors and
marines in the world, physically fit,
and including women who have
served at sea since 1990.
43
© IWM (OP TELIC 03 010 009 065)
Section 05:
The British Armed Forces
The British
Army:
ready to serve,
whatever is
asked
© Crown Copyright 2014
14
right 20
© Crow
Engineers from 39 Armoured Engineer Squadron
cross a bridge during construction over the
Nahr-e Bughra canal in Afghanistan.
General Sir Peter Wall,
Chief of the General
Staff and Royal
Engineer
n Copy
© Crown Copyright 2014
British forces prepare for operations in Kuwait.
Male and female soldiers serving in the Desert of
Kuwait protect their faces during a sandstorm.
A Coldstream Guard bears the Regimental
Colours prior to the start of the ceremonial season.
Find out more by clicking on the links below.
The British Army
www.army.mod.uk/
Training
www.army.mod.uk/
training_education/24475.aspx
Reserves
www.army.mod.uk/join/20080.aspx
The Army’s Facebook
page
www.facebook.com/britisharmy
The Army’s YouTube
Channel
www.youtube.com/user/armyweb
44
The Army, Regular
and Reserve
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-sb6_GxPyM
The job of the Army is to defend the
UK and its interests.
There is a lot of information available
about the Army. There is an Army
facebook page, a Youtube channel
and a website – see the links.
You can also go to your local careers
office and personally speak to
a soldier.
Teamwork
The Army is made up of lots of
different regiments which do different
jobs on the battlefield. The infantry
are the backbone of the force. They
use Warrior fighting vehicles, or go
on foot, by parachute or by helicopter.
They are supported by Challenger
tanks, and Apache attack helicopters.
Other regiments provide artillery guns,
bridges, bomb disposal, intelligence
on the enemy, radios and computers,
logistics and drivers, medics and
doctors, search dogs and many
other important functions. The Army
always fights as a team.
The people at the top of the Army
are generals with long service and
experience. Most soldiers in the
Army are young men and women.
Anybody in the country who can
pass the entry tests can join. We
will recruit anybody who has what it
takes to be a soldier, whatever their
religion or ethnic background. You
can be full time or part time. Before
you join the Army as an adult, you
can be an Army Cadet and find out
what life as soldier is like. Even if
you don’t join you can learn many
interesting and important skills.
An active lifestyle
The Army provides an outdoor
and active life. Fitness is important,
and soldiers receive a lot of help to
get and stay fit. They also have the
opportunity to play and compete in
many different sports. We spend a
lot of money on training soldiers to
receive many different qualifications
in a wide variety of trades. They
are paid fairly well compared to
civilians.
The Army spends a lot of time
training all over the world, from
jungle to desert in every continent,
and it is always challenging and
fun. The training is high quality and
often involves our Allies and friends
from many other nations in NATO,
Europe and elsewhere.
Winning wars
Every now and then, the Army is
called on by the government to go
on operations and sometimes to
fight a war. The Army’s success in
fighting is what gives it such a good
name both in Britain and overseas.
The regiments in the Army are very
Section 05:
The British Armed Forces
A soldier of The King’s Royal Hussars on patrol during
Operation Zmaray Luma near Lashkar Gah in Afghanistan.
proud of their history and traditions,
and this helps the Army win wars
today.
Preventing wars
However, most of the time the Army
is used by the government to deal
with emergencies, to prevent war
and to bring peace. Sometimes this
means going to foreign countries,
but it is also used inside Britain to
help during periods of crisis. This
could be providing assistance during
floods, security during the Olympics,
or help to local communities.
The Army is ready to serve the
country today to do whatever the
government asks. It can be used at
a moment’s notice overseas or at
home to make Britain a safer place.
Life in the Army is always exciting
and challenging. You will make lots
of friends. Later on you will be able
to get a good job if you have done
well in the Army.
The British Army –
a professional force,
resolving crises abroad,
serving the nation at
home and securing
Britain in an unceratin
world.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Whether you are interested in joining
the Army or not it is important that
you understand it and what it is for.
It has important jobs to do and it will
always need your support.
45
© Crown Copyright 2014
Section 05:
The British Armed Forces
The Royal
Air Force:
operating at
the cutting
edge
© Crown Copyright 2014
© Crow
right 20
n Copy
14
Vital supplies being loaded onto a C-17 from
99 Squadron in support of the International
relief effort following Typhoon Haiyan in the
Philippines.
The Royal Air Force’s Battle of Britain
Memorial Flight, based at RAF Coningsby,
Lincolnshire. The Spitfire is seen in the
foreground, and the Hawker Hurricane in
the background.
Find out more by clicking on the links below.
History of the RAF
Women in the RAF
The Battle of Britain
www.raf.mod.uk/history/shorthistory
oftheroyalairforce.cfm
www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-
exhibitions/women-of-the-air-force.aspx
www.bbc.co.uk/history/battle_of_britain
Ethos, values and standards
www.raf.mod.uk/role/ethosvaluesstandards.cfm
The RAF’s Facebook
page
Air Chief Marshal
Sir Andrew Pulford,
Chief of the Air Staff
and former Wessex
and Chinook pilot
T
oday’s Royal Air Force looks
very different from the Service
formed on 1 April 1918 in the
violence of the First World War. But
in many ways it hasn’t changed at
all. Though it seems strange when
we see the old photographs, those
pilots and ground crew were
innovators. Our ancestors were at
the forefront of both technology and
the development of war in the air.
The Battle of Britain
At barely twenty years old the RAF
came into its own in defence of the
nation. Following the collapse of
France at the start of the Second
World War, the famous Spitfire and
Hurricane fighters flown by young
men from Britain, the Empire
and even from Poland and
Czechoslovakia, kept the might of
the German air force at bay and
with it, pushed back the threat of
invasion. Their victory, the Battle of
Britain in 1940, was our first major
success in the Second World War.
www.facebook.com/royalairforce
The RAF’s Youtube channel
www.youtube.com/user/royalairforce
46
The RAF’s newest transport plane
www.youtube.com/watch?v=63nMAdHFIJA
But the Battle of Britain wasn’t
just fought in the air. Working with
scientists the RAF was able to stay
ahead of the enemy. Radar, for
example, was developed in secret
and allowed our fighters to intercept
German bombers quickly and
without wasting precious fuel.
That effort and so many more like
it required pilot, engineer, ground
crew and scientist to work together.
Connected
Today that link with technology is
stronger than ever. The men and
women of the RAF, and our aircraft,
operate at the cutting edge, and
are ready every minute of every day
to spot possible threats and react.
Around the world the RAF gathers
information, moves people and
supplies, including humanitarian aid
in countries hit by disasters, and
defends our interests. All of this
requires us to work very closely
with the Royal Navy and British
Army, and our allies.
The Chinook helicopter, has been
on the front line of many operations
around the world. In Afghanistan,
for example, it has been used to
transport troops and freight around
the battlefield. It is even a mobile
surgery for picking up wounded
Service men and women and
transport them to hospital. It is
joined by the Puma, a smaller
helicopter which can move troops
or carry smaller loads.
The forefront of
technology
Technology continues to change
and the Spitfire may be long-gone
but in its place is the Typhoon fighter
jet which can perform many jobs at
the same time – defend Britain from
attack, support soldiers and sailors
on the ground and at sea, and
gather information. It will soon be
© Crown Copyright 2014
Section 05:
The British Armed Forces
joined by the new Lightning II which
has stealth built into the design
so it is harder to see on radar. To
keep operations going overseas,
Hercules, Voyager and C-17
transport aircraft can move hundreds
of people and tonnes of equipment
or emergency aid worldwide.
Technology has also improved
remotely-piloted aircraft – where
pilots are on the ground and control
the aircraft through satellites –
which can fly for hours to observe
and even attack targets. We are not
just about aircraft. RAF specialists
track threats in space and in
cyberspace; both of which are vital
for our economy and freedom.
The RAF has one of
the most versatile and
powerful fleets of
aircraft in the world.
But the most important
thing about the Service
is its people.
The RAF today
Today’s Royal Air Force recruits from
all walks of life. Young people join to
learn skills and have opportunities
that couldn’t be matched in civilian
life. Thousands of men and women
on the ground, from engineers to
firefighters, work around the clock
to make sure the RAF is ready to
protect Britain any time day or
night. Just as we have done for
nearly one hundred years.
A Chinook helicopter from18 (B) Squadron
practising cargo lifting in the desert during
Exercise Vortex Warrior.
47
06:
Lesson ideas
© Crown Copyright 2014
Activities and topics
for lessons and
learning based on
the themes introduced
in this resource.
Section 06: Lesson ideas
For younger students
• What do you think the Armed Forces are for?
• What does ‘protect’ mean? Sometimes protect means doing something you might not agree with; sometimes right and wrong might look different to some people depending on where they are in the argument. Think of a time when this might happen and write about the viewpoint of different people in the situation.
• Why do the Armed Forces have uniforms? Look at the pictures of
the people in the Armed Forces, do they all look the same? What
is different about them? Annotate the picture to show the purpose of the uniform.
Section 01:
Why do we
have Armed
Forces?
Group discussion
• What legacy do you think the Armed Forces have?
• Where have you seen the Armed Forces?
• Could we survive without the Armed Forces?
• Discuss how the Armed Forces are These questions relate to the first
section of this resource on pages
2–11. Useful websites and links
to audio and video can be found
throughout the section.
• What values are important in the classroom? Do they overlap with the Armed Forces?
• What war do you think you would have For older students
•The Armed Forces are trained and •What is the most important thing to you • Compare the battle strategy of defending
a castle and defending Rorke’s Drift. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the defenders of Rorke’s Drift, seven of them to soldiers of the 2nd/24th Foot – the most ever received in a single action by one regiment. Compare the battle
strategy of defending a castle and Our ability to detect and defend against
defending Rorke’s Drift.
cyber attacks is crucial to our national
© Crown Copyright 2014
and how would you protect it? Consider Royal Air Force Reservists from 606 (Chiltern)
Squadron based at RAF Benson are pictured
how many people would be needed to taking part in a training weekend at base.
protect a country. Compare and contrast
Elizabeth I’s defence of England in 1588 with the defence of Britain in 1940.
security.
What does bravery mean to you?
•The Armed Forces don’t just fight wars. 50
They have helped people in need across the world, and in the UK. What types of things do you think the Armed
Forces could help with and how?
© Crown Copyright 2014
•What would you do if you were in the Armed Forces and found yourself in
a war that you disagreed with? Consider deserters in the First World War and conscientious objectors in
the Second World War after conscription
was introduced. Look at the balance of evidence and write a persuasive argument for or against fighting in a war.
fought in and why? Can a war be just? Consider for example if you would have
fought in the Second World War to
save Jews from concentration camps
or in 1990 to save Sarajevo from destruction. How hard is it to protect, defend and serve?
© Crown Copyright 2014
equipped to go all over the globe, this is called their expeditionary capability. Research where British Forces have been deployed in the last 200 years. What are the challenges, things like disease, infection, food, and basic needs cause?
•The Victoria Cross is awarded for bravery. commanded. Do you think elected leaders or generals should make the decision on whether or not to send troops to fight or help people?
Army Reserve recruits of Somme Platoon, Basic
Company, Army Training Unit (West
Midlands) learn the principles of personal
camouflage and concealment during
Trained Soldier (Alpha) Course.
Follow-up activities
• Design a map of the globe showing all the different countries in which British Forces have served.
• Come up with a set of values that your class could live by. Why are they important to you? Are they similar to those that the Armed Forces live and work by?
the past and pictures of soldiers today. What is different about them? Are any things still the same?
• Have any of your family ever been in the Armed Forces?
Section 02:
The Armed
Forces in our
history
is conscription? Write about or present what it is to be forced – what other examples of ‘forced’ are there? Is it always wrong or can it be right?
• Consider war poetry from two contrasting wars or conflicts. Write a short poem of your own to describe how you might feel.
and Waterloo change?
• What did the First and Second World Wars change at home?
• What technology has changed since the wars? What inventions exist only because of war or military technology more generally?
• Consider the concept of ‘forced’ – what Group discussion
• What did the victories in Trafalgar These questions relate to the
second section of this resource on
pages 12–19. Useful websites and
links to audio and video can be
found throughout the section.
• How do you think the older students Section 06: Lesson ideas
For younger students
• Look at the pictures of soldiers from in this school would react today to
being enlisted? Has our society changed so that this is no longer possible?
• What was life like on HMS Victory? What were the biggest problems for those living on board? What were the best parts?
• Could you design a uniform for someone in the Armed Forces to wear?
• Look at the picture of the Battle of Trafalgar. What is different about the ships in the Royal Navy today? Why have they changed?
• How would you feel if you were forced to serve in the Armed Forces? How do you think young men in the First and Second World Wars felt?
HMS Victory stands today as the world’s
have changed much since 1914? How have they changed?
•What can you find out about the conflicts the Armed Forces have been involved in for the last 30 years? Have the reasons changed from the past?
© IWM (H 39070)
For older students
oldest commissioned warship.
•Do you think conflicts around the world •Conscription – what does that mean and has it happened in this country? Where does that still apply in terms of national service or conscription in Four ‘stick’ commanders of 22nd Independent
other countries? How are those Armed Parachute Company, British 6th Airborne
Division, synchronising their watches at about
Forces deployed?
has this changed over time? Compare Nelson’s Navy with that of today. Write about the expectations of a 16-year-old then and now, this could be as a diary.
11pm on 5 June 1944 , the night before D-Day .
© IWM (A 1699)
•Consider the age and sex of soldiers – Follow-up activities
• Annotate a map to show where Nelson and Wellington fought. Write a diary of the journey to get there from the home base.
• Study the changing role of women from the beginning of the First World War to today, both in civilian life and in the Armed Forces. Draw a timeline to show the main events or changes.
• Visit an art exhibition or gallery. War has been captured and reported on through many art media such as oil painting and photography. How has this changed over time? Consider the images that have the greatest impact on you and why you think that is. What emotive words could you use to describe the images?
•Learn and recite a poem by one of the First World War poets and explain what it means to you. Write another verse.
•Look at propaganda posters. What
are they designed to do and what
were the main messages they were trying to get across? What persuasive
words and images are used? Design your own propaganda poster.
A Women’s Royal Navy Service signaller at a
Naval station in 1940.
51
Forces in your community?
• Have you ever seen a rescue helicopter? Who do you think they might help?
• What do you think might stop a person Group discussion
• What do the Armed Forces help do in your community?
• What skills are important for sailors, soldiers and airmen and women?
• What do we need allies for today?
What can we do for them and they do for us?
hurting another person? Is this what the Armed Forces do?
• Design a poster explaining what the • What are allies? To win your battle you need to have a good team – who would be on your team and why?
For older students
•What has changed since 1914 about the work of the Armed Forces?
•What countries has Britain supported in the past 30 years? What are allies and why do we need them?
•What happens when allegiances change – Russia for example? How have they changed and evolved and what does this mean for other alliances?
•What was the Entente Cordiale? Why did we ally with the French and go to war with the Germans? Who were our other allies?
•What benefit can the British Armed Forces bring to allies?
These questions relate to the third
section of this resource on pages
20–31. Useful websites and links to
audio and video can be found
throughout the section.
© Crown Copyright 2014
they, what do they do, where are they, why do they exist?
• Who would you ally with and why?
A Sea King helicopter based at RAF Valley,
Wales approaches a vessel during a RAF
Search and Rescue (SAR) training exercise.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Armed Forces are doing to help stop flooding in your community.
• What does NATO stand for? Who are 52
Section 03:
The work of
the Armed
Forces today
Follow-up activities
• Identify communities around the world that have been helped by the British Armed Forces. What troops and skills did the Armed Forces bring?
• On a world map annotate the countries we are allies with, divide them between NATO, Commonwealth, EU and others. Why and how have these alliances developed?
• Consider the importance of everyone
A Mastiff 3 Protected Patrol Vehicle in
Helmand, Afghanistan. Mastiff is a heavily
armoured, 6 x six-wheel-drive patrol vehicle
which carries eight troops, plus two crew.
© Crown Copyright 2014
Section 06: Lesson ideas
For younger students
• Where have you seen the Armed Floodwater is pumped into the River Parrett
at the Saltmoor Pumping Station near
Burrowbridge in Somerset.
in the chain, and in the team. Everything from the right kit to the right food, and the right information are important. Devise a plan for how to go to war. Include how you will get there, what equipment and people you will need.
for their country. What could you give up for one day?
• What is a charity? What military charities are there near where you live?
• The poppy represents Remembrance. What is it designed to help you remember?
Section 04:
Consequences
of the work
of the Armed
Forces
amazing things, overcoming great problems. What is something that you are scared of or find hard? What could you do to get better at it?
• Write a letter to a member of the Armed Forces serving overseas – what would you say to them?
• How could you do something brave • Discuss the charities that support veterans. Do they deserve more support than other people who have injuries?
• What do you think soldiers need after These questions relate to the
fourth section of this resource on
pages 32–39. Useful websites and
links to audio and video can be
found throughout the section.
war? Leaving the Armed Forces can be challenging – what is there to help them (consider physical, emotional, practical and mental health services).
• What wider benefits does the UK get from the Armed Forces?
© Crown Copyright 2014
• Some veterans are wounded and do as many words that come to mind when you think of the Armed Forces.
• What do you remember on Remembrance Sunday? Write a poem about Remembrance.
Group discussion
• On a big piece of paper write down Section 06: Lesson ideas
For younger students
• The Armed Forces give up a great deal today?
• Look at a picture of a First World War battlefield. Write down as many words as you can that could describe it.
Why do you think it is important?
•What does courage mean to you?
•Do you think we should remember? Present an argument to demonstrate your viewpoint.
© Crown Copyright 2014
For older students
•What is the Military Covenant?
Soldiers from The Parachute Regiment jump
onto the same Landing Zone as used by Paras
on the D-Day landings in Normandy, France
during the Second World War. The event was
one of many to commemorate the 60th
Anniversary of Operation Overlord and D-Day.
Follow-up activities
• Find out about veterans’ centres near your school.
• What do charities do? Find local representatives, such as The Royal British Legion, to talk to children.
• Come up with an advertising campaign to raise awareness of veterans’ issues. What are the top
three things you would focus on?
•Remembrance is not just about those who have died. What things can we learn from people who have served in the Armed Forces?
© Crown Copyright 2014
A soldier holds out a poppy whilst on
Service in Afghanistan.
Veterans march past the Cenotaph in
London on Remembrance Sunday.
53
Section 06: Lesson ideas
For younger students
• What are the different roles of the three Services? Compare and contrast what things are the same across the Armed Forces and what things are different. Draw a Venn diagram to explain it.
Section 05:
The British
Armed Forces
Armed Forces could be doing? How should they do them?
Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force?
ships and aircraft can you list?
• How can you recognise the different uniforms? What do they mean?
• Draw a picture of a sailor, a soldier • What technology have we got from military sources? Where should we hope to get more ideas from in the future?
These questions relate to the fifth
section of this resource on pages
40–47. Useful websites and links to
audio and video can be found
throughout the section.
• What are the different ways in which
the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force organise themselves? Why do they do it differently?
© Crown Copyright 2014
and an airman or woman.
For older students
•How do the three Services work A convoy of Warrior infantry fighting vehicles
(IFVs) of Right Flank, The Scots Guards,
patrolling near Afghan Villages north of
Musa Qala in Helmand Province.
© Crown Copyright 2014
together?
•What different skills do they all require? What similar skills do they all require?
•What do people do after the Armed Forces?
•How are the different Services organised?
•What roles can men and women both •Where do the British Armed Forces Reservists from the Royal Navy, British Army
and Royal Air Force.
© Crown Copyright 2014
do in the Armed Forces?
recruit?
•Pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain
and in the Berlin airlift took massive risks and in the Battle of Britain were very likely to be killed or captured. Are drones the same thing? Is it a fair fight? Should it be?
54
better organised? Write a piece of
persuasive text to convince the Armed Forces of your suggested change.
• What other roles do you think the • Does anyone you know serve in the • What kind of Armed Forces vehicles, Group discussion
• How could the Armed Forces be A Royal Navy officer onboard a warship
at sea.
Follow-up activities
• What Armed Forces units are near your school?
• Draw a map of the Commonwealth countries whose members can join the British Armed Forces.
• Find out what training is available in the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.
Service personnel
are heroes but they
are not superheroes,
they are ordinary men
and women who have
chosen to defend the
rights of their nation
and others. What they
have done and continue
to do should be used
for inspiration.
Dan Flanagan
Royal Artillery Reservist, injured in training,
after Teach First now teaching pupils with
behavioural problems and learning
difficulties in an academy in Oldham.
Photographs and images used
with the kind permission of:
The Ministry of Defence
The Royal British Legion
Sean Power
Trustees of the Imperial War
Museum, London
Produced and edited by:
Tom Tugendhat
Designed by
Brand+Soul, www.brandandsoul.co.uk
With a special
thanks to:
Hardip Begol
Alison Davies
Dan Flanagan
Jess Freeman
Bryony Hamilton
David Hart
Helen Hill
Tom Hughes
Gary Martin
Helen Noel
Cheryl Shorter
Julia Coleman
Delyth Mathieson
And thank you to the
following organisations:
Royal Navy
British Army
Royal Air Force
Department for Education
Teach First
Troops to Teachers
A
ABF The Soldiers
Charity
www.soldierscharity.org
020 7901 8900
Army Cadets
www.armycadets.com
B
Bletchley Park
www.bletchleypark.org.uk
01908 272664
Blind Veterans UK
www.blindveterans.org.uk
020 7723 5021
British Army
www.army.mod.uk
H
R
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
01980 846459
www.remembrancetravel.org.uk
020 3207 2321
The Holocaust Memorial
Day Trust
Royal Air Force
Help for Heroes
www.hmd.org.uk
020 7785 7029
HMS Belfast
www.iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast
020 7940 6300
HMS Victory
www.hms-victory.com
02392 727582
I
Imperial War Museum
Bruce Castle Museum
www.iwm.org.uk
020 7416 5000
www.haringey.gov.uk/
brucecastlemuseum.htm
020 8808 8772
L
C
Churchill War Rooms
www.iwm.org.uk/visits/
churchill-war-rooms
020 7930 6961
The London Jewish
Cultural Centre
The Confederation of
Service Charities
www.cobseo.org.uk
020 7811 3224/5
The Curzon Institute
www.ww1commonwealth
contribution.org
G
The Gallipoli
Association
www.gallopoli-association.org
The Gurkha Museum
www.thegurkhamuseum.co.uk
01962 828536
The Royal Air Force
Museum
www.rafmuseum.org.uk
020 8205 2266
The Royal British Legion
www.britishlegion.org.uk
Helpline: 0808 802 8080
Royal Navy
www.royalnavy.mod.uk
S
Sea Cadets Corp
SSAFA Forces Help
The National Archives
National Army Museum
www.cwgc.org
01628 634221
www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets
N
www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk
020 7566 4141
Commonwealth War
Graves Commission
Royal Air Force
Air Cadets
www.sea-cadets.org
020 7654 7000
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
020 8876 3444
www.combatstress.org.uk
020 7723 5021
www.raf.mod.uk
0845 605 5555/0333 202 7770
www.theholocaustexplained.org
Citizenship Foundation
Combat Stress
Remembrance Travel
www.national-army-museum.ac.uk
020 7730 0717
National Memorial
Arboretum
www.thenma.org.uk
01283 792333
North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation (NATO)
www.nato.int
The Not Forgotten
Association
www.nfassociation.org
020 7730 2400
P
Poppy Appeal
www.britishlegion.org.uk
01622 717172
The Poppy Factory
www.poppyfactory.org
020 8940 3305
Poppy Scotland
www.poppyscotland.org.uk
0131 557 2782
www.ssafa.org.uk
General: 020 7403 8783
T
Thiepval Visitors’ Centre
www.historial.org
00 33 (0)3 22 83 54 14
Troops to Teachers
www.education.gov.uk/get-intoteaching/troops-to-teachers
U
United Nations
www.un.org/en
V
Veterans UK
www.veterans-uk.info
Helpline: 0808 1914 218
W
Wiener Library
www.wienerlibrary.co.uk
020 7636 7247
WW1 Centenary
Battlefield Tours
Programme
www.centenarybattlefieldtours.org
020 7331 5156