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DetailsOriginal Format: 35mm Colour: Black & White Sound: Sound Duration: 2 mins Credits: Sponsored by Ministry of Information, Middle East. Produced by War Pictorial News
Subject: MONARCHY / ROYALTY POLITICS WARTIME
Summary Extract from War Pictorial News No. 55 (18/5/1942)
Description
Extract from War Pictorial News No. 55 (18/5/1942)
'NEWS FROM ENGLAND.'
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit an RAF Bomber Command airfield situated in Yorkshire.
King George meets RAF ground and air crews and inspects a Handley Page Halifax bomber (MKII with flame dampers ?) The Halifax is mentioned by the commentary as taking part in the 1942 "blitz" on Germany. Queen Elizabeth reviews a guard of honour drawn from members of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force...
Extract from War Pictorial News No. 55 (18/5/1942)
'NEWS FROM ENGLAND.'
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit an RAF Bomber Command airfield situated in Yorkshire.
King George meets RAF ground and air crews and inspects a Handley Page Halifax bomber (MKII with flame dampers ?) The Halifax is mentioned by the commentary as taking part in the 1942 "blitz" on Germany. Queen Elizabeth reviews a guard of honour drawn from members of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) followed by a demonstration in the use of parachute troops dropped by an RAF Armstrong Whitworth Whitley aircraft. King George reviews Parachute troops with early style helmets and one piece Jump smocks.
Elsewhere, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill chats informally to a Colonel of the 2nd Infantry Division during a review of army manoeuvres in the winter of 1941. The Prime Minister is accompanied by his daughter Mary Churchill and the Turkish Military Attach?. A demonstration of mine clearance is given by an infantry detachment who locate the buried mines by carefully prodding the soil with bayonets. The commentary stresses the high level of physical fitness to be found in the ordinary British soldier as Churchill chats informally with an infantryman who sports a face covered by camouflage cream. Churchill examines a Commando knife with interest and is then shown the "silent killing techniques" used by the British Army, with a demonstration exercise following, using British soldiers dressed as Germans and a Universal carrier converted to look like an early production German light tank. Churchill is given a cheer by massed infantry at the conclusion of the exercises.
Original film held by Imperial War Museum.