A military training film emphasising the importance of keeping fit through exercise.

(Reel 1) L/S of queues for the Skylark boat in Southend, ice cream van, beaches, swimming, boys hurdling and sprinting. A couple walking on a common (Clapham?), boys playing football, man running for a bus. L/S of Chelsea playing football, country cricket game. L/S of 1936 Berlin Olympics. L/S of German bombers and troops. British troops at PT training, wrestling, stomach strengthening exercises, falling in parade. Battle PT eg. fully kitted infantry swimming across river, moving wounded men, supplies and ammunition without getting them wet. (Reel 2) Troops moving logs; anti-tank aircraft, shells used as weights, practicing manual loading of anti-aircraft guns, obstacle courses, unarmed combat. L/S of parachutes at Arnhem. L/S of D-day landings , invading Hitler's Europe. Post-war recruits. L/S of Athens gasworks, King David Hotel, Jerusalem; India, Delhi riots. CO telling recruits of importance of PT - the correct way to walk ("avoidance of foot inefficiency"); dorsal exercises; leaping barbed wire; medicine ball and discus exercises; swimming. (Reel 3) Wall climbing with ropes and harness; confidence courses. Recreational sports - boxing, netball, soccer, rugby and hockey. Movie-going. L/S of cricket and tennis. Unfit looking new recruits on parade. Field Marshal Montgomery speaking directly to camera about the importance of fitness in winning a war.

Notes

Technical: sound track very poor on Reel 2.