Metadata
WORK ID: YFA 5443 (Master Record)
| Title | Year | Date |
| 4TH BATTALION DUKE OF WELLINGTON REGIMENT AT REDCAR CAMP | 1938 | 1938-01-01 |
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Details
Original Format: 16mm Colour: Black & White / Colour Sound: Silent Duration: 12 mins 35 secs |
| Summary This is one of a series of films made of the 4th Battalion Duke of Wellington Regiment at their annual training camps in the late 1930s. This one sees the Regiment at Redcar training camp, showing their arrival, various exercises and recreation. |
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Description
This is one of a series of films made of the 4th Battalion Duke of Wellington Regiment at their annual training camps in the late 1930s. This one sees the Regiment at Redcar training camp, showing their arrival, various exercises and recreation.
Intertitle – [First part of caption is missing] . . . Battalion, but as an endeavour to encourage greater interest of friend and relatives of members, and others not directly connected with the battalion, and to present in picture form, some idea of...
This is one of a series of films made of the 4th Battalion Duke of Wellington Regiment at their annual training camps in the late 1930s. This one sees the Regiment at Redcar training camp, showing their arrival, various exercises and recreation.
Intertitle – [First part of caption is missing] . . . Battalion, but as an endeavour to encourage greater interest of friend and relatives of members, and others not directly connected with the battalion, and to present in picture form, some idea of life and training in a territorial camp.
Intertitle – The 4th Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s regiment, under the command of Lieut-colonel H L Grylls, at annual training camp at Redcar, 1938.
Intertitle – Part 1: Arrival of Battalion
(Col.) Troops are marching along the sea front, with the pier behind them.
Intertitle – The camp – a few personalities
A group of soldiers is larking about. Many of the men are also smoking cigarettes.
Intertitle – Mechanical transport
A line of armoured cars drive off together.
Intertitle – New weapons – mortar demonstration, and the anti-tank rifle
A group of soldiers set up and fire a mortar launcher in a field, watched by the rest of the Battalion, followed by a soldier lying flat firing an anti-tank rifle.
Intertitle – Battalion parade
The Battalion line up in formation at the campsite.
Intertitle – Moving off for the training area
They march off carrying their rifles and other weaponry.
Intertitle – After work – rest
Lying on the ground in a row in front of their tents, the soldiers rest and enjoy the sun.
Intertitle – And recreation
They have a game of cricket, followed by a game of football.
Intertitle – Inter-Battalion exercise. Moving up, modern method.
The armoured cars stand in a line, ready to go, which are then boarded by soldiers, who also board a line of red United buses.
Intertitle – Going into action
Soldiers walk along a country road, while others sit in jeeps waiting.
Intertitle – Waiting for – artillery support waiting orders to move
A plane flies overhead, while vehicles towing canons wait in a line along a road.
Intertitle – Return to camp
The troops return to the camp on the back of lorries.
Intertitle – Cleaning and checking guns
A group of soldiers have gathered around two soldiers who are dismantling and cleaning a machine gun. The machine guns are lined up for inspection.
Intertitle – The end of the day
The troops are relaxing by their tents while the military band parades up and down.
Title – End of Part One
Context
This film of the 4th Battalion Duke of Wellington Regiment training at Redcar, would have been made shortly after the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria into Germany in March 1938. This marked a major escalation in Germany’s planned domination of Eastern Europe, with the occupation of Czechoslovakia following in March 1939. Mobilisation and re-armament began in Britain in the mid-1930s as a direct result of Hitler’s growing threats of expansion. This film exemplifies how a typical air...
This film of the 4th Battalion Duke of Wellington Regiment training at Redcar, would have been made shortly after the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria into Germany in March 1938. This marked a major escalation in Germany’s planned domination of Eastern Europe, with the occupation of Czechoslovakia following in March 1939. Mobilisation and re-armament began in Britain in the mid-1930s as a direct result of Hitler’s growing threats of expansion. This film exemplifies how a typical air defence unit would prepare for such. The Yorkshire Regiment has provided several films of the 4th battalion to the Yorkshire Film Archive and also has an excellent museum in York city centre, which is situated on Tower Street.
This particular regiment was formed in 1702, known then as Huntingdon’s Regiment. It was named after the colonel who first founded it, as was the tradition at the time. The regiment has been through several name changes throughout the centuries; becoming linked with West Yorkshire in 1782, adopting the First Duke of Wellington’s name in 1853, joining forces with the Prince of Wales’ Own Regiment of Yorkshire and the Green Howards in 2006, until it became re-named the new 1st Battalion of the regiment in 2012. Today, the regiment consists of two Regular Army Infantry Battalions (1st and 2nd) and one Army Reserve Infantry Battalion (the 4th). They are based in Warminster, Catterick and York. The Regiment has served in almost every major land conflict Britain has been involved in since its formation; from the American Revolutionary wars of 1775-1783, up to the modern Iraq War. Nine soldiers from this Regiment has been awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest possible award available to a member of the British armed forces. The Regiment is also the only one in the British Army to have retained its original county title and identity. The ethos the Regiment has reflects a strong sense of regional identity and pride and a sense of belonging to Yorkshire and considers itself a family. In 1937, Neville Chamberlain became Prime Minister and he recognised the need to improve Britain’s defence and for rearmament. He opened new factories and air-raid shelters as well as ordering the mass production of spitfire fighters in 1938. In September of that year, Hitler hinted at his desires to invade the German-speaking Sudetenland areas of Czechoslovakia, and to dissolve it back into Germany. Hitler’s imperial desires worried Chamberlain, so he flew out to Munich to meet with the German dictator in an attempt to negotiate an appeasement. Knowing that a slight wrong move could trigger Hitler into launching a war in Europe, he knew it was a make or break moment and the country waited with baited breath as the two leaders met. Convinced he had been successful at the summit, Chamberlain returned to Britain proudly waving the piece of paper signed by Hitler and himself, promising not to go to war with each other. Famously declaring that the agreement had brought “peace for our time”, Britain could breathe easy. Chamberlain managed to buy more time for Britain to rearm, and was prepared to go to War with Germany once Hitler broke his agreement and invaded Poland on 1st September 1939. Once Britain was at war, a growing threat of German attack from the air led to an increased need for anti-aircraft guns. Because of this, many of the battalions within the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment was converted from infantry units into a “searchlight” unit, or air defence unit. As soon as war had been declared, the 1st Battalion were sent to France and held the line for two years until 1940. German forces attacked and they had to retreat to Dunkirk, in an operation to evacuate troops safely back to Blighty. Operation Dynamo, as it was called, proved to be successful and was a vital turning point in the war as well as a huge morale boost for both troops and civilians back home. The battalion also went on to serve in North Africa, Italy, Greece and Austria during the Second World War. References/Further Reading http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/Regiment s/25394.aspx http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/allied/Regiment .php?pid=1495 http://www.dwr.org.uk/dwr.php?id=54 |
