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Title:THE WORLD'S GREATEST STORY - EPISODE 2 [Main Title]
Film Number:IWM 420-03+4
Other titles:
Summary: Thematic treatment of the British experience in the first two years of the war on the Western Front, 1914-1916.
Description: (Reel 3) The episode starts with the figure 'Justice', which fades out. The captioning is outspoken. "We show you in this episode how extreme were the sufferings of those brave men who went with throbbing hearts and tuneful lips to the slaughter and carnage which are the offspring of war." A recruiting march through central London. A crowd being harangued in Trafalgar Square. Lord Kitchener, with General Sir William Robertson, embarks for France. A detachment of the Queen's Regiment in London led by their marching band. Sir John French (with Generals Gouraud and Weygand in 1917). Kitchener reviews recruits in France. Men of 38th (Welsh) Division are driven in buses to the Loos sector. General scenes of muddy conditions and waterlogged trenches in winter 1915. 18-pounder limbers move through muddy conditions. An observer directs the fire of a 4.5-inch howitzer using a trench periscope. An acted scene of the father and daughter of the series' fictional 'family' consoling each other at home. The Guards Division entrenched near Neuve Chapelle, winter 1915. (Reel 4) Loading and firing a 9.45-inch 'flying pig' trench mortar. In July 1916 General Haig, King George V, Marshal Joffre, Marshal Foch and President Poincaré meet. A trailer advertises the Somme offensive as next week's episode.
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army (regiment/service)
Keywords: propaganda, British - inspirational (object name)
recruitment, British military: recruiting march (object name)
31/3(41) (event)
01/3(4-15) (event)
France (geography)
Belgium (geography)
GB, England & London, WC <Trafalgar Square> (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Silent
Soundtrack language: None
Title language: English
Subtitle language: English
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 2
Footage: 1429 ft; Running time: 24 mins
Notes: Production etc: see Notes to Episode 1, IWM 420/01+02
Summary: most of the actuality material comes from IWM 191, IWM 192, IWM 199, IWM 207, IWM 208, IWM 210, IWM 211 and IWM 212
Technical: this episode is held on reels IWM 420-03 and IWM 420-04
Remarks: whereas the captions suggest a date of 1914-1915, the material used is all from December 1915 or later
