Title:SINEWS OF WAR : a story of achievement on the South African home front [Main Title]
Film Number:CSA 201
Other titles:
Summary: South Africa's mobilisation of her resources and production in 1939-40.
Description: Establishing shots on theme "a country of opportunity"; outbreak of war - film of Smuts, and recruits joining up. Film explains SA's shortage of equipment and impossibility of supplies from Britain - what are SA's own resources ? Gold (mines and workshops) explosives, railways (technology and workshops), and steel industry in Transvaal. Government planning: Director General van der Bijl, technical drawings of vehicles, shells, grenades etc. (Reel 2) Some very good film of actual production - uniform, webbing (leggings), hats, steel helmets, boots (uniform issue); food canning and biscuit baking; vehicle chassis imported, finished locally; making tyres, armour plating ; assembling Marmon Herrington armoured cars; small arms ammunition; shells (casting, turning and filling); grenades, mortar and aerial bombs; mortars and a small field gun all produced locally. Closing montage of flag and finished gun firing.
Alternative Title:
Colour:B&W
Digitised:
Object_Number:CSA 201
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:IWM
Featured Period:1939-1945
Production Date:1941-11
Production Country: South Africa
Production Details: Government of South Africa (Production sponsor)
African Film Productions (Production company)
Albrecht, Joseph (Production individual)
Noble, G F (Production individual)
Kirstein, H (Production individual)
Howes, E (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Van Der Bijl, H J (person)
Smuts, Jan Christiaan (person)
Keywords: industry, South African - clothing: uniforms (object name)
industry, South African - food (object name)
industry, South African - munitions (object name)
industry, South African - primary: gold mining (object name)
industry, South African - vehicles: Marmon Herrington armoured cars (object name)
propaganda, South African - inspirational (object name)
South Africa (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 2
Footage: 1410 ft; Running time: 16 mins
