Title:THE WORLD'S GREATEST STORY - EPISODE 11 [Main Title]
Film Number:IWM 420-21+22
Other titles:
Summary: A continued thematic treatment of the British contribution to the North Russian Intervention Force, 1918-1919.
Description: (Reel 21) The episode starts with 'Justice' and captioned newspaper clippings, "British forces in peril... more important than Kut". The decision to send the relief force on 4th April 1919 is reported in the press. Civilian volunteers in columns of fours march out of the Central London Recruiting Office in Whitehall. Soldiers are shown in lifebelts on board a ship. The icebreaker SS Sviatogor breaks through the Kola Gulf. Royal Fusiliers with their pet rabbit mascot. British soldiers boarding a barge to be towed up the ice-free River Dvina. The hospital ship SS Kalza frozen in on the river. Tugs tow barges upstream with M Class monitors as escorts. The British camp at Troitsa showing the church in the distance. More barges move upriver escorted by two Insect Class gunboats. An observation balloon is inflated on a ship's deck. The mascot, a kitten, is fondled by the crew. (Reel 22) A poor view of Major-General Maynard (?) on board a barge. Fairey FIIIC seaplanes at the RAF base on Lake Onega being bombed up. The river gunboat Jolly Roger (later sunk by a mine) with its crew. A helmeted diver preparing to work underwater. A train transporting light barges overland with some damage to the track displayed. An armoured train. Film taken from the train of houses burning along the track. A 4.5-inch howitzer fires from the train. Bolshevik prisoners. General Sir Henry Rawlinson, who arrived on 11th August, confers with Brigadier-General Ironside. The "White Guard", the militia of Archangel, is inspected by Ironside and General de Milar. British troops, including a detachment of Royal Marines, embark on SS Czaritza on 27th September and the ship clears Archangel harbour. A newspaper clipping of King George V's congratulations to Rawlinson. A final view of Archangel from the air.
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Ironside, William Edmund (person)
Maynard, Charles C M (person)
Rawlinson, Henry Seymour (person)
Milar, Eugene K de (person)
British Army, North Russian Intervention Force (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Fusiliers1 (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, Royal Marines (regiment/service)
White Russians (regiment/service)
Keywords: recruitment, British military (object name)
ships, British auxiliary - assistance: Sviatogor (object name)
animals, mammals: rabbit (mascot) (object name)
ships, British auxiliary - assistance: Kalza (object name)
ships, British naval - gunship: M Class (object name)
buildings, Russian - religious: church (object name)
ships, British naval - light forces: Insect Class (object name)
aircraft, British - balloon: observation kite balloon (object name)
animals, mammals: cat (mascot) (object name)
aircraft, British naval - seaplane: Fairey FIIIC (object name)
ships, British naval - inland: Jolly Roger (object name)
equipment, British naval - personal: diving helmet (object name)
transport, Russian civilian - rail: armoured train (object name)
destruction, Russian: fire (object name)
journalism and record, British - press (object name)
weapons, British - gun: 4.5-inch howitzer (object name)
combat, British - artillery bombardment (object name)
ships, British auxiliary - transport: Czaritza (object name)
prisoners of war, Russian - custody: Bolsheviks (object name)
Intervention in Russia, British & 1919 (event)
GB, England & London, SW <Whitehall & Central London Recruiting Office> (geography)
Russia & North Russia & Kola Gulf (geography)
Russia & North Russia & Dvina River (geography)
Russia & North Russia & Archangel (geography)
Winter (concept)
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: 2073 ft; Running time: 35 mins