MILITARY bands played a crucial role in World War One, keeping up morale with their music and often doubling up as stretcher-bearers during battle.

Although the pastime of British PoWs putting on stage shows to keep up morale is commonly associated with the Second World War, these images show Tommies treading 20 years earlier.

Keeping up morale was a major challenge for the British Government. Without morale and hope, victory may not have been attainable, especially as it needed civilians to help the war effort.