VISIT TO TROPICAL TESTING ESTABLISHMENT NIGERIA AND TROPICAL EXPERIMENTAL UNIT KHARTOUM [Main Title]

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  • Title: VISIT TO TROPICAL TESTING ESTABLISHMENT NIGERIA AND TROPICAL EXPERIMENTAL UNIT KHARTOUM [Main Title]
  • Film Number: TRE 280
  • Other titles: COLLECTION OF RADAR FILMS FROM TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT, MALVERN [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Informal film featuring a research trip to dry test radar equipment at the TTE (Tropical Testing Establishment) outposts in Nigeria and Khartoum. The film concentrates mainly on the logistics of the trip and the scenery although aspects of the grounds and work of the tropical testing establishments are shown.
  • Description: - 'Visit to Tropical Testing Estabt. Nigeria and Tropical Experimental Unit Khartoum' - 'A record of visits to T.T.E. and T.E.U. to discuss topical and dry heat testing of radar equipments' - 'London Airport (BOAC) is left at 6:45 pm on the 15th October 1949. After landing at Castle Benito, Tripoli the Sahara desert is crossed in seven hours' - 'Sunrise over the desert' - 'Flying at 9,000 ft over clouds' - 'Over the desert' - 'Flying over jungle country at 7,000 ft' - 'Lagos is reached at 4:15 pm on the following day the 16th of October' - 'Street scenes in Lagos' - 'The waterfront at Lagos' - 'Lagos is left on the 17th of October by West African Air Lines, who use 'Dove' aircraft' - 'Emplaning on the last lap' - 'Flying over jungle and river country near Calabar (this is typical 'Sanders of the river' country)' - 'Port Harcourt is reached at 3:0 pm on the 17th of October' - 'The MOS Tropical Testing Establishment has a scientific and administrative staff of 25. The average temperature at Port Harcourt is 70 to 90º F. and the relative humidity varies between 50 and 100%. The layout of the laboratories is shown in the next illustration' - 'The administration building' - 'The M.T. workshops' - 'The chemical, biological and electronics laboratories' - 'The carpenters shop' - 'The 'MET' compound' - 'General views of TTE' - 'Tropical rains at the TTE. During the day over 1 ½ inches of rain fell. (This is equivalent to 3 weeks average rainfall at Kew, London)' - 'View from the windows of the electronics laboratory' [In this shot a sign reading 'W.B MacIver & Co. Ltd' is visible] - 'At the government guest house at Port Harcourt - the view from the verandah of the chalet' [In this shot a sign reading 'Harley Street' is visible] - 'So called because the doctor lives here' - 'The TTE staff living quarters (known by the native name of 'Giddas')' - 'The TTE mess' - 'The mess "boys"' - 'The TTE jungle exposure site is 12 miles from Port Harcourt. The layout is shown in the next illustration' - 'The entrance to the jungle site' - 'Exposure trails in the jungle site' - 'Native guards hut on the jungle site' - 'A white ants nest' - 'Ships in Port Harcourt harbour' - 'Bush cows' - 'A native market in "Africa Town"' - 'Vultures over Port Harcourt' - 'A banana tree' - 'A pineapple - 'A paw paw tree' - 'Pagoda flowers' - 'Cannas' - 'Hibiscus' - 'Leaving Port Harcourt the 9:00 am train is taken to Kano. This journey is approximately 1,000 miles through the jungle and takes two days and two nights' - 'Mountain scenery near Akwanga' - 'At Kafanchan station' - 'The Nigerian railways guest house at Kano - view of the chalet' - 'Birds nests over the chalet' - 'The walled city of Kano is the largest city in Northern Nigeria. There are approximately 150,000 inhabitants. The temperature at Kano reaches 110º F. in the shade, with a relative humidity as low as 10%. The city is surrounded by an ancient wall thirteen miles round' - 'Street scenes in Kano' - 'The Emir's residence' - 'Pyramids of ground nuts' - 'The mosque of Kano' - 'Leaving Kano at 3:35 pm on the 26th October. London is reached again at 11:30 on the following morning' - 'Khartoum' - 'The Grand Hotel Khartoum' - 'Kitchener Avenue - opposite the hotel' - 'Kitchener Avenue' - 'Ships on the Nile opposite the hotel' - 'Feluccas on the Nile' - 'A Nile ferry' - 'Street scenes in Khartoum' - 'Native burial places' - 'The RAF station - aerials' - 'The main gate and railway' - 'Inside the station' - 'Men's sleeping quarters' - 'Hangars' - 'Tropical experimental unit TEU laboratories and offices' - 'Preserved (Cocooned) aircraft and engines on exposure trails' - 'The officers mess' - At the bar (S/Ldr Gibbs and F/L Newman)
  • Alternative Title: COLLECTION OF RADAR FILMS FROM TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT, MALVERN [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: TRE 280
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period:
  • Production Date: 1949-10
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details:
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 600 ft ca; Running time: 15 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    TRE 280

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