KING GEORGE V'S OWN BENGAL SAPPERS AND MINERS IN KASHMIR [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: KING GEORGE V'S OWN BENGAL SAPPERS AND MINERS IN KASHMIR [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: MGH 4658
  • Other titles: MAJOR A F M JACK AMATEUR FILM [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: Amateur film without titles shot by Royal Engineer Lieutenant Archibald ("Archie") Jack of King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners records scenery and activities in Kashmir. (Possibly a record of a trekking trip through the Kashmir mountains, 1941 or 1942.)
  • Description: Bus marked "Nanga Ways" (possibly a reference to the high Kashmir peak Nanga Parbat ?) is loaded prior to departing. In Kashmir: boats of various descriptions (including houseboats) on the Dal Lake by Srinagar. Shots of local houses. Kashmiris washing in water at the base of a massive flight of stone steps. View of town with mountains in the distance, taken from on board a boat on river (Jhelum ?); boat passes under a wooden bridge. Lieutenant Jack's party trekking in the hills of Kashmir. Turbaned Indian coolies unload bus in bleak Kashmir valley; camera pans up to the snow covered mountains. Indian porters and guides by tent in small temporary camp; brief shot of food being prepared. Lieutenant Jack relaxes in folding chair, smoking a pipe. Later, high in the mountains above camp, the trekkers stand and look down into the valley below. Snow-covered summits are viewed by the party, now above the snow-line. More shots of the bleak hills; local Kashmiri people with cattle pass by. Trekking through the mountains: men walk above the snowline, native porters carry large back packs. Distant shot of convoy (mules?) and view of twisting river in the valley below. Continued ascent into the mountains, with various shots of the snow-covered ranges. The party rests on route. Porters and mules climb high above the snow line. Corpse of an animal (possibly an ibex) is rolled down a rocky slope beside the mountain pass. Scenes at the camp: servant brings food to Lieutenant Jack's tent; the Lieutenant relaxes with a newspaper, his terrier dog standing nearby. Further climbing with backpacks across the snow towards the summit of a mountain. Brief shot of Lieutenant Jack's terrier running through snow. Scenes of Kashmir life: forests; sheep being trimmed; rope and wood bridges over the river Jhelum. Base camp; porters and guides sit around. Party trudges with full pack through rugged forest; old wooden bridge stands across a mill stream. Lieutenant Jack's terrier jumps in the water and retrieves a small black ball (?) - he grips it in his teeth and looks at the camera. Sequence showing Kashmiri people gathering and preparing the harvest: sorting crops, winnowing corn, women carrying produce in baskets on their heads. Sunset scenes over the mountains, and over lake where boats are being paddled.
  • Alternative Title: MAJOR A F M JACK AMATEUR FILM [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: MGH 4658
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (MGH 4658)
  • Featured Period:
  • Production Date: 1941
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Jack, Archibald Frederick Maclean1913-07-211997-01 (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: Std 8mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 50 ft; Running time: 12 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    MGH 4658

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    Documents.12697 (Private Papers of Major A F M Jack MC) 2001-10-08 () MGH 4656 (KING GEORGE V'S OWN BENGAL SAPPERS AND MINERS IN CAMP IN INDIA [Allocated Title]) MGH 4657 (KING GEORGE'S OWN BENGAL SAPPERS AND MINERS AT ROORKEE, INDIA [Allocated Title]) MGH 4659 (TOURIST SCENES IN NORTHERN INDIA [Allocated Title]) EPH 4322 ()
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