Metadata
- Title: WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN FORCES [Main Title]
- Film Number: IWM 128
- Other titles: SOUTH AFRICANS IN TRAINING (REPRESENTING JOHANNESBURG AND BLOEMFONTEIN) [Alternative Title]
- Summary: The South African Brigade and South African Native Labour Contingent in Britain and on the Western Front, 1916-18.
- Description: (Reel 1) Replacements, probably in Britain October-December 1917, drill and train. The brigade itself in France, probably early March 1918, resting, marching, eating and swimming. The brigade horse-show, probably near Ostreville in March 1917, including Brigadier-General F S Dawson. (Reel 2) Logging in France by the South African Native Labour Contingent. One black sergeant, singled out, is probably Muti, son of Ntshingwayo of Zululand. (Reel 3) The officers and NCOs of the contingent presented to George V and Queen Mary at Abbéville on 10 July 1917. The South African Military Hospital in Richmond Park, London. (Reel 4) At the hospital the amputees and injured men of the South African Brigade recover from their wounds and are retrained in civilian skills. The South African Native Labour Contingent under Captain Gilfillan give a demonstration of Zulu dance on the beach at Dannes on 24 June 1917. The end of the film breaks up into a series of unrelated scenes of soldiers marching past a windmill and of the King's visit to the South African Native Labour Contingent.
- Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
- Featured Period: 1914-1918
- Production Date: 1918
- Production Country: GB
- Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor) Topical Film Company (Production company) Jury, William F (Production individual) Buckstone, Walter A (Production individual) McDowell, J B (Production individual) Raymond, H C (Production individual) Brooks-Carrington, Bertram18841976 (Production individual)
- Personalities, Units and Organisations: George V, King (person) Mary, Queen (person) Dawson, F S (person) Gilfillan (Captain) (person) Muti, Prince of Zululand (person) British Army, Div 9 (regiment/service) British Army, South African Bde (regiment/service) South African Army, South African Bde (regiment/service) South African Army, South African Labour Contingent (regiment/service)
- Keywords: training, South African military (object name) recreation, South African military - sport (object name) agriculture, South African - arable (object name) medical, South African military - long term (object name) society, South African military - ethnic (object name) society, South African military - sustenance (object name) buildings, South African - military: hospital (object name) 01/3(4-15).5 (event) 01/3(4-15).6 (event) 01/3(4-15).7 (event) 01/3(4-15).8 (event) 01/3(4-15).9 (event) 31/3(41) (event) GB, England & Richmond, Surrey <Richmond Park> (geography) Abbeville, Somme, France (geography) Ostreville, Pas-de-Calais, France (geography) Dannes, Pas-de-Calais, France (geography) Race (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: 3513 ft; Running time: 60 mins
- Notes: Title: this is taken from the shotsheet. Note, however, an undated WOCC programme for several films including one with this title (expanded by the sub-title noted above as an alternative) suggests a much shorter film, consisting of the scenes in reel 1 only. The other material may therefore represent later additions rather than part of the original film. Cameraman: the shotsheet describes the cameraman as Buckstone, who did not reach the Western Front until May 1918. He may have filmed the scenes in Britain. This is one of the few films which, from the approximate shooting dates, may have been worked on by Bertram Brooks-Carrington. Summary: see also IWM 217 and IWM 413.
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