I've often wondered by the British military did the same thing up till the end of WW2.
movies from Bridge on the River Kwai and the comedic spoof from the Goons and even the Monty Pythons (can't think of the name of the movie) as well as docos on British military entertainment has also included cross-dressing ;-)
an artefact of the Brits all-male public school system perhaps.
