THE HOME GUARD ON SENTRY DUTY OUTSIDE A RAILWAY TUNNEL IN WEST SUSSEX [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: THE HOME GUARD ON SENTRY DUTY OUTSIDE A RAILWAY TUNNEL IN WEST SUSSEX [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: BTF 77
  • Other titles: RAILWAYS IN BRITAIN, 1935-1976 [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: The Home Guard man a sentry post outside a railway tunnel at Balcombe in West Sussex. There is also a sequence featuring a former Southern Railway General Manager, Major General Szlumper, in dialogue with a British Army colleague. This is followed by more detailed sequences featuring military horses being transported in freight wagons, and British service personnel due to return from leave at Waterloo Station. The reel begins with a record of experiments to aid the electrification of services on the Southern Railway.
  • Description: (20 March 1940) Experimental work for the Southern Railway “Electrical Department”. Shots taken from a low angle show only the wheels and lower carriage sections of locomotives passing over the tracks. Other shots in the sequence follow a similar format, but appear to be shot at different locations. CH25-27 (25 April 1940) A secretary presents Major General Szlumper, Railway Control Officer for the Ministry of Transport, with some documents. He is then joined at his desk by a British Army Brigadier, and they discuss the documents together in detail. A similar scene also features the two men standing by a map of France. The Brigadier has a brassard of the Quarter-Master-General’s branch of the War Office (?).(2 min 48 sec) CH28 (26 April 1940) Balcombe railway tunnel, West Sussex, as a locomotive disappears inside. The scene cuts to a sentry post, build of sandbags, with a Home Guard member on duty outside. There also stands a wooden radio mast and more Home Guard members in the backdrop. The sequence continues with a variety to different Home Guard members patrolling alongside the tracks. The scene concludes with an electric locomotive passing Home Guard member on either side of the tunnel, as the camera pans along the track to a viaduct further down the line. (3 min 50 sec) CH29 (8 May 1940) A trainload of military horses being transported in freight wagons at Brookwood in Surry. The horses are being received on the trackside by British Army personnel. The Army personnel appear to be compertent at handing the horses, as demonstrated by a British Army captain, wearing an “RTO” brassard (Royal Transport Officer). The horses are then led away through the nearby village, as more troops await the arrival of more freight by the trackside. (7 min 37 sec) A Southern 'S11' class 4-4-0 (?) locomotive (No. 402) passes through the station, hauling a cargo of horses. This is followed by more horses being unloaded onto the platform by British Army service personnel. (5 min 35 sec) CH30-31 (14 May 1940) The concourse at Waterloo Station, London, is crowded with civilians, and British service personnel returning from leave. From at elevated angle, the service personnel filter through the gates and onto platform 14 to board a waiting troop train. All carry heavy bags and rifles. The troop train at platform 14 is eventually shunted by locomotive out of the station terminal and troops begin to embark from the adjacent platform 13. The sequence ends with service personnel saying goodbye (presumably) to family members on the concourse before departing. (9 min 44 sec) CH32
  • Alternative Title: RAILWAYS IN BRITAIN, 1935-1976 [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: BTF 77
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (BTF 77)
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1940-03 1940-04 1940-05
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Southern Railway Film Unit (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 1076ft ; 11 min 28 sec
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    BTF 77

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