VISIT OF THE KING OF AFGHANISTAN TO ENGLAND (ledger title) [Main Title]
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- Title: VISIT OF THE KING OF AFGHANISTAN TO ENGLAND (ledger title) [Main Title]
- Film Number: IWM 809
- Other titles:
- Summary: Unfinished film of the visit of King Amanullah and Queen Surayya of Afghanistan to Britain, 13th March-3rd April 1928.
- Description: The film is partially completed, and shows some signs of proper editing, but scenes may break off abruptly in one reel and resume in another reel. Throughout the film numerous reporters, press photographers and newsreel cameramen can be seen recording the visit. (Reel 1) The King tours the BSA works, Small Heath, Birmingham, on 16th March, escorted by the deputy chairman, Sir Edward Manville. The works makes both motorcycles and weapons. The King tries out a BSA-Thompson semi-automatic rifle. The film jumps to the King and Queen's visit to the Guildhall on 14th March, escorted by Lieutenant-General Sir Francis Humphries. They are met by the Lord Mayor, Sir J E Kynaston Studd, and the aldermen. The film jumps again to the royal reception in London on 13th March. The King and Queen leave in a carriage from outside Victoria Station, with lines of Grenadier Guards stretching down Wilton Street. It is almost snowing. The streets are decorated with British and Afghan flags. The King inspects the guardsmen, who march off after his carriage leaves. The film jumps again to the arrival of the King and Queen at Dover harbour on board SS Maid of Orleans, being met by the Prince of Wales. Another jump to the King's escort of Royal Horse Guards and the royal coaches arriving at Buckingham Palace, to the salute of the Irish Guards. Jump again to King George V, Queen Mary, the Duke of York, Stanley Baldwin and Lord Birkenhead (among others) waiting to greet the King and Queen as their train arrives at Victoria Station, also on the same day. (Reel 2) A continuation of the Birmingham visit. Another jump to Hatfield House and its grounds, where the King and Queen stay with the Marquess of Salisbury. Another jump to the King and Queen visiting Portsmouth on 19th March. They are shown over HMS Victory and HMS Tiger, and the King is taken out on board submarine L22, which dives. Jump to 17th March, the royal couple visit the RAF Technical Training Centre at Halton, being shown round the workshops. (Reel 3) The King visits a steel works, probably Sheffield on 27th March, and a railway engine works, where the engine "King Charles II" is on display. Jump to the L22 surfacing again at Portsmouth, and returning alongside the Tiger. Jump to the Royal Tank Corps centre at Lulworth (Dorset) on 20th March, where an old Mark V Star tank demonstrates its hill climbing ability. As the King watches with the CIGS, Field Marshal Sir George Milne, a line of Vickers Medium Mark I tanks pulls up, the King climbs inside one. Jump again to the King and Queen at Hendon on 16th March watching a flying display by De Havilland DH9as, Gloucester Grebes, and Handley Page 0/1500s of the RAF. (Reel 4) On 22nd March the King, on board the river steamer Marchioness, goes down the Thames to Greenwich Observatory, where the Astronomer Royal, Sir Frank Dyson, shows him around. Jump to the boat setting out from Victoria Embankment and a repeat of the journey. On the same day the King visits Woolwich Arsenal, where he is shown Vickers Mediums and 12-inch naval guns being made. Back to the trip down the river, the steamer comes in to the main dock at Woolwich, more of the works is shown. More of the river, showing the docks area and the various cargo ships. (Reel 5) The King and Queen visit the Rolls-Royce works at Derby on 27th March, followed by its Mappin and Webb factory, the Sheffield Steel works, and Port Sunlight in Birkenhead, then a textile firm. The royal party is taken across the Mersey and on to a formal reception at Liverpool Town Hall. The film jumps to the Grand National at Aintree on 30th March. In the enclosure before the race the horses "Grakle", "Koko" and "Billy Barton" are shown. The King and Queen watch the race. "Tipperary Tim" is shown winning. Jump to the King inspecting the cadets at RMA Sandhurst, probably on 26th March. Jump back to the Hendon display, with the King and Queen leaving. Jump again to the exterior of the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington Gore, visited by the royal couple on the evening of 22nd March. (Reel 6) The King's visit to a naval demonstration on 3rd April. Four R Class destroyers, led by HMS Thruster (nearest the camera), then HMS Salmon, HMS Torrid and HMS Rowena in line abreast drop depth charges in an anti-submarine exercise. The King, with the camera, is onboard HMS Nelson, whose sister ship HMS Rodney is also visible. The destroyer HMS Witch passes through the mist, followed by a Shakespeare Class destroyer and a C Class cruiser. The film jumps to the King, in protective clothing, on 29th March descending into a coal mine in Derbyshire. Back at the Rolls-Royce works on 27th March, the King tries out a new car. The King and Queen at the end of a formal ceremony, possibly in Derby. More of the coal mine, interspersed with film of a Tootal linen factory. The royal car arrives outside another town hall. (Reel 7) A still picture of the King and Queen in Oxford on 23rd March, where he received a DCL degree. Back to the fleet exercise, showing the King talking with Vice-Admiral Sir Hubert Brand and Rear-Admiral E J A Fullerton on board the Nelson. The aircraft carrier HMS Furious passes nearby. Jump to Longleat stately home. Jump again to the Army manoeuvres on Salisbury Plain on 20th March. The King's party arrives by car to be met by Field Marshal Milne. As the band plays, Rolls-Royce armoured cars of the Royal Tank Corps start a drive past, followed by Dragon transports with 6-inch Mark VII guns and 18-pounder field guns, Carden-Loyd Mark V tankettes and Vickers Medium Mark I and Mark II tanks, all seen in long shot, with an RAF fly-past above. The film ends abruptly.
- Alternative Title:
- Colour: B&W
- Digitised: Yes
- Object_Number: IWM 809
- Sound: Silent
- Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (IWM 809)
- Featured Period: 1919-1938
- Production Date: 1928-05-14
- Production Country: GB
- Production Details: India Office (Production sponsor) Foreign Office (Production sponsor) Bishop, W Herbert (Production individual) Bishop, W Herbert (Production individual) Foxen Cooper, E (Production individual)
- Personalities, Units and Organisations: Amanullah, King of Afghanistan (person) Surayya, Queen of Afghanistan (person) Manville, Edward (person) Humphries, Francis (person) Kynaston Studd, J E (person) London, Lord Mayor of (person) Edward, Prince (Duke of Windsor) (person) George V, King (person) Mary, Queen (person) George VI, King (person) Baldwin, Stanley (person) Birkenhead, F (Earl) (person) Salisbury, James (4th Marquess) (person) Milne, George Francis (person) Dyson, Frank Watson (person) Brand, Hubert (person) Fullerton, E J A (person) Birmingham Small Arms (regiment/service) British Army, Grenadier Guards (regiment/service) British Army, Royal Horse Guards (regiment/service) British Army, Irish Guards (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Victory (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Tiger (regiment/service) Royal Navy, L22 (regiment/service) Royal Air Force, RAF Technical Training Centre, Halton (regiment/service) British Army, Royal Tank Corps (regiment/service) Royal Air Force (regiment/service) Royal Greenwich Observatory (regiment/service) Woolwich Arsenal (regiment/service) Rolls-Royce (regiment/service) Mappin and Webb (regiment/service) Sheffield Steel (regiment/service) Lever Brothers (regiment/service) British Army, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (regiment/service) Royal Geographical Society (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Thruster (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Salmon (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Torrid (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Rowena (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Nelson (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Rodney (regiment/service) Royal Navy, FURIOUS (HMS), light cruiser (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Witch (regiment/service) Tootal (regiment/service) Oxford University (regiment/service)
- Keywords: delegations, Afghan international - state: King Amanulla and Queen Surayya visit Britain (object name) journalism and record, British - cameraman (object name) journalism and record, British - photographer (object name) journalism and record, British - press (object name) industry, British - vehicles (object name) industry, British - guns (object name) weapons, British - smallarm: BSA-Thompson semi-automatic rifle (object name) buildings, British - commercial: railway station (object name) ships, British civilian - ferry: Maid of Orleans (object name) buildings, British - institutional: Buckingham Palace (object name) buildings, British - historic: Hatfield House (object name) buildings, British - historic: Longleat (object name) ships, British naval - historical: Victory (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Tiger (object name) ships, British naval - submarine: L22 (object name) industry, British - primary (object name) transport, British civilian - rail: locomotive (King Charles II) (object name) armour, British - tank: Tank Mark V Star (object name) armour, British - tank: Vickers Medium Mark I (object name) aircraft, British - combat: De Havilland DH9a (object name) aircraft, British - combat: Gloucester Grebe (object name) aircraft, British - combat: Handley Page 0/1500 (object name) ships, British civilian - inland: Marchioness (object name) ships, British civilian - transport: [+] (object name) weapons, British naval - gun: 12-inch (object name) buildings, British - institutional: town hall (object name) industry, British - clothing (object name) sciences, British - astro (object name) training, British naval - combat: anti-submarine (object name) recreation, British civilian - sport: horse race (Grand National 1928) (object name) animals, mammals: horse (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Thruster (H73) (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Salmon (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Torrid (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Rowena (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Nelson (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Rodney (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Witch (D89) (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Shakespeare Class (object name) ships, British naval - cruiser: C Class (object name) ships, British naval - aircraft carrier, fleet: Furious (object name) armour, British - armoured car: Rolls-Royce (object name) armour, British - carrier: Dragon (object name) armour, British - tank: Vickers Medium Mark II (object name) weapons, British - gun: 6-inch Mark VII (object name) weapons, British - gun: 18-pounder field gun (object name) armour, British - carrier: Carden-Loyd (object name) GB, England & Birmingham, Warks <Small Heath BSA works> (geography) GB, England & London, EC <Guildhall> (geography) GB, England & London, SE <docks> (geography) GB, England & London, SE <Greenwich> (geography) GB, England & London, SE <Admiralty Compass Observatory> (geography) GB, England & London, SE <Woolwich Arsenal> (geography) GB, England & London, SW <Buckingham Palace> (geography) GB, England & London, SW <Royal Geographical Society> (geography) GB, England & London, SW <Victoria Embankment> (geography) GB, England & London, SW <Victoria Station> (geography) GB, England & London, SW <Wilton Street> (geography) GB, England & Dover, Kent <harbour> (geography) GB, England & Hatfield, Herts <Hatfield House> (geography) GB, England & Portsmouth, Hants <harbour> (geography) Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK (geography) GB, England & Lulworth, Devon <RTC Centre> (geography) GB, England & Hendon, Middx (geography) Halton, Buckinghamshire, England, UK (geography) GB, England & Derby, Derbs <Rolls-Royce works> (geography) GB, England & Birkenhead, Cheshire <Port Sunlight> (geography) Mersey (River), England, UK (geography) GB, England & Liverpool, Lancs <Town Hall> (geography) GB, England & Liverpool, Lancs <Aintree racecourse> (geography) GB, England & Sandhurst, Berks <Royal Military Academy> (geography) Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK (geography) Derbyshire, England, UK (geography) GB, England & Longleat, Wilts (geography) Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England, UK (geography)
- Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
- Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 7 Footage: 6422 ft; Running time: 107 mins
- HD Media:Yes
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