Title:BRITISH SOLDIERS INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND [Main Title]
Film Number:IWM 453
Other titles:
Summary: The arrival of British soldiers, mostly being repatriated via Switzerland as seriously wounded prisoners, at Interlaken, in the summer of 1918.
Description: The soldiers' train arrives at the station. Some are walking wounded, some are stretcher cases. The Swiss guards who help them are wearing the pre-1916 Swiss uniform with the shako, rather than combat uniform. Some of the British cross to another train. They are wearing either very dark khaki or hospital blues, but most have their regimental caps. Led by pipers, the men march to the Kursaal (in the main square) accompanied by Swiss officials and British military and naval officers. Some civilians gather to meet them, including the British Minister to Switzerland, Sir Horace Rumbold, with his family, and the Swiss Major de la Harpe, who is responsible for the soldiers' welfare. In a hall equipped for the soldiers some of them are presented with decorations.
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Rumbold, Horace (person)
Harpe, de la (Major) (person)
British Army (regiment/service)
Swiss Army (regiment/service)
Keywords: prisoners of war, British - repatriation (object name)
medical, British military - long term (object name)
buildings, Swiss - commercial: railway station (object name)
transport, Swiss civilian - rail (object name)
Switzerland & Interlaken (geography)