Other titles:THE NEW CRUSADERS (rough material) [Alternative Title]
Summary: Very jumbled film of British forces, mainly on the Palestine Front, otherwise Mesopotamian or Salonika Fronts, 1917-1918.
Description: Some of the film comes directly, including the captions, from IWM 17 NEW CRUSADERS. Most of the segments are of only a few seconds' duration. Most of the film is of ancient ruins like Babylon and Baalbec. Unique material includes (Reel 1) A party of Highland soldiers dancing a fling, a bullock-drawn sledge threshing corn, and a Stokes trench mortar being fired from a trench - probably at a training school in Mesopotamia. (Reel 2) Further scenes of 4.5-inch howitzers of the Indian Army in Mesopotamia (?) and a long sequence of Turkish prisoners of war and refugees from the desert. The Australian Light Horse, or possibly the single British Cavalry regiment in Mesopotamia, 7th Hussars, appear in several scenes. (Reel 3) A further panorama of the city of Baghdad, salt pans and fish drying on racks, and another panorama of a shell-damaged town. Also included is a long sequence of a town on fire, possibly the great fire at Salonika on 18 August 1917. Arab camels are inspected by a British vet. Further scenes of Turkish prisoners. (Reel 4) This reel begins with a panorama of El Arish, and a sequence of a Highland battalion led by a pipe band, "the Palestine highlands is now occupied by Scottish Highlanders" (one of the few captions in the film). It also includes part of the Siwa expedition from IWM 17 THE NEW CRUSADERS, a 6-inch howitzer being fired at the Battle of Ramadi, 8-inch howitzers being transported and unloaded from railway flatcars in Mesopotamia, and a 1-pounder Vickers Mk III anti-aircraft gun being fired from a railway flatcar not far from Baghdad.
Alternative Title:THE NEW CRUSADERS (rough material) [Alternative Title]
Production Details: War Office Cinema Committee (Production sponsor)
Jeapes, Harold (Production individual)
Varges, Ariel L (Production individual)
Hurley, Frank1885-10-151962-01-16Australian photographer (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Egyptian Expeditionary Force (regiment/service)
British Army, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force (regiment/service)
British Army, Hussars, 7 (regiment/service)
Australian Army, Australian Imperial Force (regiment/service)
Australian Army, Egyptian Expeditionary Force (regiment/service)
Australian Army, Australian Light Horse (regiment/service)
Keywords: recreation, British military - casual: Highland fling (object name)
weapons, British - mortar: 3-inch Stokes (object name)
prisoners of war, Turkish - movement (object name)
agriculture, Mesopotamian - fisheries (object name)
agriculture, Mesopotamian - arable (object name)
destruction, Greek: fire (object name)
animals, mammals: camel (object name)
weapons, British - gun: 6-inch 26cwt howitzer (object name)
weapons, British - gun: 8-inch howitzer (object name)
transport, British military - rail (object name)
weapons, British - gun [AA]: 1-pounder Vickers (object name)
01/3(569) (event)
01/3(567) (event)
01/3(497) (event)
Turkey & El Arish, Palestine (geography)
Turkey & Babylon, Mesopotamia (geography)
Turkey & Baalbec, Syria (geography)
Turkey & Baghdad, Mesopotamia (geography)
Turkey & Ramadi area, Mesopotamia (geography)
Greece & Salonika, Macedonia (?) (geography)
desert (concept)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Silent
Soundtrack language: None
Title language: None
Subtitle language: English
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 4
Footage: 2924 ft; Running time: 50 mins
IWM 5 (SIWA EXPEDITION [Main Title])
IWM 17 (THE NEW CRUSADERS : with the British forces on the Palestine Front [Main Title])
IWM 6 (INSPECTION OF THE IMPERIAL CAMEL CORPS [Main Title])
IWM 11 (GAZA [Main Title])
IWM 21 (HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT INSPECTS CADETS AT THE IMPERIAL SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTION, ZEITOUN [Main Title])
IWM 39 (BAALBEC AND BEIRUT/TRIPOLI MATERIAL [Allocated Title])
IWM 65 (WITH THE FORCES IN MESOPOTAMIA - SERIES 6 [Main Title])
IWM 80 (ADVANCE OF THE CRUSADERS INTO MESOPOTAMIA - 4 [Main Title])
IWM 81 (BAGHDAD, BABYLON AND BAALBEC [Main Title])
IWM 131 (THE GREAT GERMAN RETREAT [Main Title])
