Head of army warns Brits to prepare to ‘play a part’ in defending country in ‘very dangerous time’

General Sir Roly Walker has told the general public that sacrifices are needed to see off threats from the enemy.

The army Chief of the General staff spoke to an assembly of 700 soldiers from the Catterick Garrison, and in a video shared by British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS), he sent a message to Brits up and down the country.

“You didn't know this, but our nation is going to need you," he said.

“There was a time that our nation didn't want to think of a time when it would need its soldiers to fight in a war.

“Indeed, very soon, the political leaders of this country will start to have a frank conversation with the citizens of this country about just what is going on and where the risk lies.”

General Sir Roly Walker says sacrifices are needed (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Sir Walker went on to say that ‘our citizens have got to consent to sacrifices to prioritise defence and security’.

“And then they are going to ask those citizens, for whom we are not necessarily at the front of their mind, that they too need to play a part in the defence and security of this country,” he added.

“They need to understand what we do for them. They need to consent to allow us to do that. Which means sacrifices by them.

“And ultimately we are going to need them to back us, to back you to do the one thing that you do that nobody else gets to do and that is to take the fight to the enemy.”

Almost half of the public said they would not go to war for the UK (Getty Stock Images)

It comes after half of the public say under no circumstances they would go to war for the UK, according to a new poll.

48 percent of voters said they would not join the army, despite the ongoing threat from the likes of Russia, China and Iran.

Ipsos said the figure is unchanged from last year's poll, as 36 percent, this year, said there were circumstances in which they would fight, up one percent from previous.

Hamish Mundell, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said there were questions about ‘Britain’s willingness to fight and make sacrifices’, but added the Ipsos poll did not suggest the country would be unable to mobilise in the event of WW3.

In the male category, more people said they would fight than would not, with 48 percent saying there were circumstances in which they would go to war, while 40 percent saying they would not be willing to do so.

The majority of women and people aged 35-54 said they would not fight, the poll found.