In August 1947, the British Army went foxhunting at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
In August 1947, the British Army went foxhunting at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. It was part of the British Berlin Tattoo put on to entertain Berliners and show off the capabilities of the British Army of the Rhine. Thousands of Germans watched military bands marching on the Maifeld, where polo matches and the dressage competition had taken place at the 1936 Olympic Games and the Nazis had held May Day rallies. The 16th/5th The Queen’s Royal Lancers re-enacted an 18th-century cavalry charge in full dress uniform and Scottish regiments performed Highland dances. A stagecoach was held up by highwaymen, and the foxhunting was performed by the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars and their foxhounds. There had been criticism in Britain. MP Stephen Swingler asked how many British Army of the Rhine man-hours and coal the tattoo was going to waste. The Secretary of State for War, Frederick Bellenger, replied that the tattoo...
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