The History of the Army Cadet Force
The ACF can trace its beginnings to 1859 when there was a threat of invasion by the French. The British Army was still heavily involved abroad after the Indian mutiny and there were very few units in this country. The Volunteers were formed to repel the possible invasion. 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.

After the conversion of the Volunteers to the Territorial Army in 1908, 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 that had left school. The title "Cadet Force" was introduced and the administration taken over by the newly formed Territorial Associations.

In the First World War a big expansion of the Cadet Force took place and the War Office reassumed responsibility for its administration up until 1923, when the Territorial Associations again took over. In 1930 the Government ceased to recognise the Cadet Force and withdrew financial support from it. A body known as the British National Cadet Association (BNCA) was formed with the aim of getting official recognition restored.

During the Second World War, another expansion of the Cadet Force took place. In January 1942, the War Office took over the organisation, equipment and accommodation, and increased grants and free uniforms were authorised. The BNCA continued to deal with such matters as sport, competition shooting, the general welfare of Cadets and many other aspects of cadet work. The BNCA became the Army Cadet Force Accociation (ACFA) in 1945 and continues to be responsible for those aspects of cadte training and activities which are not the direct concern of the MOD,

As a result of reccomendations made by a government committee in 1957, the Cadet Training Centre at Frimley Park, Surrey was opened in 1959. This centre provides courses for Officers and Adult Instructors of the ACF & CCF and also leadership courses for Senior Cadets.

The centenary of the ACF was celebrated in 1960. The chief event was the presentation of a Banner to the Force by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at a ceremony at the Tower of London. There are now more than 40,000 cadets in some 1,600 detachments throughout the UK. The organisation continues to grow and play its part as the Army's own voluantry youth movement.