The Army Cadet Force can trace its beginnings to 1859 when there was a threat of invasion by the French.

History was to repeat itself in 1940 during the Second World War when the Home Guard was formed to help counter a threatened invasion by the German Army.

In 1860 at least eight schools had formed Volunteer Companies for their senior boys and masters and a number of Volunteer units had started their own Cadet Companies.

In 1863 the opportunity for all boys to join the cadets was recognised.

The cadet movement continued, however, because many social workers and teachers saw in it great value as an organization for the benefit of boys, particularly bearing in mind the appalling conditions in which so many of them lived.

Among these pioneer workers was Miss Octavia Hill who had done a great deal to establish the National Trust,  She realised that cadet training was important for character training and although she was certainly not a militarist, she formed the Southwark Cadet Company in order to introduce the boys of the slums of that area to the virtues of order, cleanliness, teamwork and self-reliance.

After the conversion of the Volunteers of the Territorial Army (TA) by Lord Haldane in 1907, Public Schools and Universities were asked to produce units of the Officer Training Corps and other Cadet Corps were formed into school units and “open” units for boys who had left school.

In 1908 the Volunteers became the Territorial Army and in 1910 became the Territorial Cadet Force (TCF)

In the First World War a big expansion of the Territorial Cadet Force took place and the War Office reassumed responsibility for its administration up until 1923 when the Territorial Association again took over.

In 1930 the Government ceased to recognize the Cadet Force and withdrew financial support from it.  Everything had to be provided by privately raised money and even the wearing of Regimental Badges and buttons was forbidden.

A body known as the British National Cadet Association (BNCA) was formed with the aim of getting official recognition restored.  By 1932 the BNCA had control of the Cadet Force.

With the rise of Hitler in the 1930s, acceptance and recognition of the TCF was fully restored and the organisation was renamed the Army Cadet Force.

At the end of the war in 1945, the BNCA changed its name to the Army Cadet Force Association (ACFA).

In 1950 the cadet Forces medal was granted to officers and instructors of the Cadet movement for long and efficient service.

In 1957 the Cadet Training Centre (CTC) at Frimley (Surrey) was founded.

In 1960 the Army Cadet Movement celebrated its centenary. As part of the celebrations the Duke of Edinburgh presented his Banner to the ACF.

In 1968 Cadet Training Teams were established in order to supplement the work done by the staff at the CTC, Frimley Park.

The 1970s saw the old wartime A & B Certificate replaces by the Army Proficiency Certificates which provides challenging training up to four star level.

The early 1980s saw the biggest change of them all when, at long last, girls were allowed to join the Cadet Movement.

Today about one third of all ACF detachments and CCF contingents’ members are female.

Today there are approximately 45,000 cadets spread throughout the UK’s 1,700 ACF Detachments

UNIFORMS

In the nineteenth century cadets wore the uniform of the Volunteer Units to which they were affiliated.

From 1914 to 1942 cadets wore First World War style uniforms with peaked caps & puttees.

In 1942 a free beret, battle dress and gaiters were issued.

Cadets attire has continued to change and today cadets were the same combat kit that is issued to Regular & TA soldiers.

SKILL AT ARM (WEAPONS)

Modernisation meant a change in skill-at-arms training:

Out went the Lee Enfield Rifle and the Bren/Light Machine Gun (LMG).

In 1968 the L98 Cadet Rifle was adapted especially for the Cadet Forces, along with the Cadet Target Rifle for competitive shooting.

Cadets are also taught to fire the Light Support Weapon  (LSW).

So, there you have the history of the ACF.

  Hope you found it interesting

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the end of the war in 1945