The Entertainments National Service Association was created by Basil Dean, with the first ENSA show being performed on 10th December 1939 at The Old Dean Camp in Camberley. The party included Frances Day and Arthur Riscoe. A week later another show including Beatrice Lillie, Annette Mills and Jack Warner was staged at the Hurlingham Club for the RASC.
The first overseas show given by ENSA was headed by Gracie Fields and took place on November 15th 1939 in front of the theatre in Douai, France. Gracie was the first of a long list of famous personalities, who performed for the Forces from Iceland to Rangoon.
These included: Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, John Geilgud, Ralph Richardson, Joyce Grenfell, George Formby, Edith Evans, Michael Wilding, Noel Coward, Margaret Rutherford, Gertrude Lawrence, Anna Neagle, Vera Lynn and Ivor Novello.
ENSA pulled down the curtain in July 1946 and was succeeded by CSE, Combined Services Entertainment.
The task of running this new organisation fell to Richard Stone, who was supported by Ian Carmichael. Many of the new CSE shows for Germany were routed through Hamburg, where they were looked after by Staff Sergeant Bryan Forbes and Lt. Roger Moore.
As well as providing a much-needed and welcome respite from the rigours of being stationed abroad, CSE has provided a showcase for many household names and up-and-coming performers. In the early years shows were a springboard for celebrities; over the years some of Britain's finest entertainers have travelled the world from Belize to Korea to brighten up the lives of service personnel - John Mills, Frankie Howerd, Bob Monkhouse, Dickie Henderson, Tony Hancock, Benny Hill, Matt Monro, Harry Secombe (the great stalwart of CSE), Ken Dodd, Ann Shelton, Dave Allen, Jimmy Tarbuck, Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee, Jasper Carrott, Jimmy Edwards, The Barron Knights, Joe Pasquale, Freddie Starr, Marty Wilde, Harry Worth, Acker Bilk, Joe Brown, Roy Hudd, Mike and Bernie Winters, Lena Zavaroni, Dick Emery, Max Bygraves, John Arlott, Sam Fox, to name but a few.
More recently CSE works with entertainers, sports personalities and models such as Nell McAndrew, Liberty X, Al Murray, Paul Zerdin, Michelle Marsh, Lucy Pinder, John Barnes, Jason Leonard, James Fox, Claire Sweeney, Ed Byrne, Paul Tonkinson, Gina Yashere, Chris Waddle, Neil Ruddock, Kyren Bracken, Geri Halliwell, Steps, Tony Hadley, The Stranglers, Caprice, Lucie Silvas, Sinead Quinn – the list is endless.
Used to working within military constraints and in every area of conflict, all aspects of production are catered for including selection and transportation of artistes, and state-of-the-art lighting and sound production. From top level, purpose built arena-style stages in the desert to the decks of ships to the backs of military trucks, there are no restrictions to CSE’s ability to provide live entertainment when and where it is needed most.
CSE, just like its predecessor ENSA, is one of the most well-known and loved aspects of military life.
