Lord Lovat's Scouts

Rare film of soldiers working out before heading to the battlefields.

This display of Swedish-style physical jerks was clearly intended to instil confidence in the British troops destined for the Front. The Lovat Scouts were a Scottish Highland regiment founded and commanded by Simon Joseph Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat, during the Second Boer War. The unit later split in two, and both regiments were active during WWI.

Swedish-style gymnastics had been incorporated into the British school curriculum in the late 19th century and later adapted for military training.