What was life like for a British soldier serving in the Empire during peacetime?

by sharkbait784

Soldier's lives during wartime are pretty well documented but I'm curious as to what it would have been like the rest of the time. I'm more interested in recent history (so between the wars and post-WW2). Here's a few questions that come off the top of my head:

  • Was the army a popular choice (in the days of national service, this question would become "was staying in the army a popular choice after national service was completed")?
  • Would a soldier likely be sent all over the Empire, or would they be focussed on one area for the majority of their careers?
  • Were there any particular locations that were more or less desirable to go to?
  • How were relations with natives/local communities?
  • What sort of duties might occupy a soldier in peacetime?
  • What sort of activities would they typically get up to outside of working hours?
  • How were the local communities affected by the presence of such soldiers?

I appreciate the answers to these questions will vary wildly depending on the location, so feel free to focus on one area in your responses. Thanks!

mormengil

Here's Rudyard Kipling's commentary on peacetime life as a soldier:

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,

The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."

The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,

I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";

But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,

The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,

O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep

Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;

An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit

Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"

But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,

The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,

O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

"Tommy", by Rudyard Kipling

http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/2722/