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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)
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 730 ft; Running time: 13 mins
HD Media:Yes
Notes: Date: the film can be dated to the period after 19 July 1918, when Bridget Rumbold, the four year old daughter of Sir Horace Rumbold Bt (British Minister in Berne, 1916-1919), died from influenza and meningitis. This deduction is based on the appearance in the film of her six year old brother Tony Rumbold, who wears a black armband over his sailor suit as a symbol of mourning. (Information kindly supplied by a descendant of the family.) The original catalogue spelling of Major de la Harp, derived from the shotsheet, has been corrected to the more likely French spelling de la Harpe.
Title: this is taken from the shotsheet
Production: this film is either British official material taken directly for the MoI in Switzerland, or acquired via the Foreign Office for British purposes from a Swiss firm
