UK’s ‘Invictus’ style games

BRITAIN’S forces heroes are to be celebrated in the first ever UK games for our wounded, injured and sick veterans.

Inspired by the Invictus Games, the national event will focus entirely on the British forces.

Prime Minister Theresa May will announce the games today while attending Armed Forces Day in Llandudno.

IT’S time to salute our brave servicemen and women – because today is Armed Forces Day. More than 300 events are being held up and down the

CURRENTLY, there are around 81,5000 trained fulltime members of the British Army and just over 27,000 reservists. ACCORDING to the Ministry of Defence, it costs around £30,000 to train a soldier. The selection process costs £7,000, while basic training and the combat infantry course cost £23,000. IN 2005, the MoD issued soldiers special antimicrobial underwear that can be worn up to three months at a time without needing a change. JUNIOR officers in the Army, especially those from a privileged background, can be known as “Ruperts” by the other ranks. This comes from the children’s comic book character Rupert Bear who represented traditional public school values. DURING World War Two, British secret services helped prisoners escape from Nazi camps using Monopoly. A red dot on the Free Parking space indicated the box had German currency in the Monopoly money, a compass in the dog counter, a metal file in the board and maps hidden in hotel pieces.

country to mark the occasion.

We are proud to support our forces at the Daily Star, as NADINE LINGE looks at some fascinating facts about our troops.

THE average life expectancy in the trenches during World War One was about six weeks. THE Royal Navy has had a slang all of its own including babies’ heads (steak and kidney pudding), klebbies (foreign money), sun dodger (submariner) and fang-ferrier (dentist). DURING the Falklands War, HMS Sheffield was hit by an Argentinian anti-ship missile and slowly began to sink. As the sailors awaited rescue, they sang Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life from Monty Python’s Life Of Brian. During the first Gulf War, RAF pilots would often also sing it. CLEAN water was hard to get at sea so for hundreds of years, sailors would receive a daily ration of rum. THE RAF was founded in April 1918. It has always been known as the “junior service” because it was the last to be formed of the three major services THE first female RAF jet pilot was Flt Lieut Jo Salter in 1994. THE motto of the RAF is “Per Ardua Ad Astra”, Latin for “Through adversity to the stars”.