Suid-afrikaanse soldate en hul sport tydens die eerste wêreldoorlog

Abstract

For many service men in the period 1914-1918/19, sport was a distraction from the terrors of the war, provided essential amusement and served as a link between the front and the respective civilian homes of the service men. This wartime sport was based on two strong and converging traditions, the well-known obsession with sport among the British civilian masses and the sporting tradition adopted by the British forces since 1914. As Britain largely made use of a citizen army, they introduced many civilian customs to humanise the new life at the front. Sport did not benefit only the individual soldier, but also the army as a whole. Until then, sport had been pursued unofficially and widely, but then became formally integrated into the British military system. This article investigates the following questions: To what extent did the troops and prisoners of war experience a need to participate in sport under conditions of war? Which sports and games were played? What role did the relevant environments play in these activities? To what extent did the military authorities influence the sporting activities? Was sport an instrument of cultural and social change?

Key words: World War I; Sport; Britain; South Africa; Prisoners of war; Military.