I'm a PhD candidate researching entertainment within the military and its impact on troop morale. I'm amazed by some of the stories I've uncovered and I'm sharing them here to raise awareness on this important aspect of military and social history.
My thesis is based on organised entertainment provided to the British Army during the Italian campaign (1943-1945). Entertainment played a central part in the experiences of servicemen during the Second World War and the British Army's policies towards this aspect of welfare reflect the importance placed on maintaining morale. Images of Vera Lynn, George Formby, and Tommy Trinder entertaining battle-weary troops have entered Britain's cultural memory and the mythology of the war. Whilst entertainment is often written about in the context of troop morale, few historians have explored this link in any detail. The topic of entertainment has been treated primarily in the context of social-history, but it can also help deepen our understanding of military history through the policies and experiences of citizen-soldiers serving within the British Army.
My research covers civilian-run organisations, such as Entertainment National Services Association (ENSA), military entertainers, such as concert parties and dance-bands, and how entertainment was prioritised and delivered to troops within the broader context of welfare.
I have worked with broadcast and media companies, like the BBC, Disney and Sky, all my career. I first became fascinated by troop entertainment after reading my Grandfather's diaries of his time in the RAF in East Africa and I was struck by the amount of time he spent at the cinema, going to concerts, and generally trying not to be bored! Like many, I grew up watching It Ain't Half Hot Mum and wanted to find out more about those characters and the tension between recreational activities and the discipline of the Armed Forces.
In 2024, I converted my dissertation for a Military History Research MA at the University of Buckingham to a PhD thesis so that I could research the topic of entertainment during the Italian Campaign in greater depth.
