SUEZ CANAL ZONE 1953-54 [Main Title]

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  • Title: SUEZ CANAL ZONE 1953-54 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: PME 110
  • Other titles: AMATEUR FILM BY COLONEL WILLOUGHBY [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: Film by Colonel Maurice Willoughby covering his time in the Suez Canal area during the mid-1950s, including scenes of camp life, Coronation Parade, the departure of the Commander-in-Chief, home leave, recreations and exercises.
  • Description: “19 Bde Rifle Meeting”. Black and white footage of the meeting, including shooting events and prize-giving. This is followed by various brief scenes, including driving a car, swimming, and shots of ship in the Suez Canal. Camp life: soldiers of the Highland Light Infantry in kilts and tam o’shanters. Mortar practice on desert range. Off-duty scenes: gardening, British men and women in swimming pool. “Coronation Parade”. Black and white footage of the parade in the desert. “Rhoddy Rose’s Farewell”. (Colour) Ceremonies and celebrations to mark the departure of the Commander-in-Chief Rhoddy Rose; his car is pulled by the troops to the edge of the camp before being driven off. This sequence is followed by general views of life in the Canal Zone: Arab riding a donkey, senior officer with large moustache in garden with dog, café at the side of the Canal. Snorkelling in canal waters; young British couple on a rocky beach. Camels on beach, and large camel caravan passing. “Home Leave, December 1953”. Scenes in England; house. Colonel Willoughby’s young son plays with a toy tractor. Market day in local town. Snow-covered garden and landscapes; ducks and geese are fed, and children and adults play in the snow. “The Journey Out, February 1954”. Car is packed by man in uniform with kilt (Colonel Willoughby?). Steam locomotive (4-6-0, ex-LNER 61083) pulls into station. Aerial views from aircraft in flight. Scenes of life back in the Canal Zone; local views, military parade. Life at home with wife and son; the colonel begins to carve a model boat out of a piece of wood, his wife works on a tapestry. “Chatterbox Two”. Convoy of Highland Light Infantry soldiers in tam o’shanters in the desert in various vehicles, soft-skinned and armoured; one lorry tows an artillery gun. Local views of town and people. (Cut-in shots shows further views of the carved boat and tapestry.) Sign for Tel-el-Kebir garrison. Local villagers; men smoke hookah/shisha. Performing monkey. Off-duty shots, including domestic scenes and sport (tennis, rugby); also scenes of another parade and views of the Canal, including local fishing boat. Swimming pool at El Quassassin. Local village and train. Machine-gun observation post . Local agriculture. General views of camp: vehicle maintenance, tents (with saltire flying), parade with senior officer taking the salute. “Bengal Club, El Ballah”. Scenes at the canalside club: British personnel go snorkelling and swimming from jetty. Ship passes. Fencing match. “The Bengal Club in 1959”. Cut-in shots show the location of the club six years later, after the Suez Crisis; it has been razed to the ground. “But back to 1954”. Close-up shots of the boat being carved earlier; the hull is now finished and an electric motor has been installed. “Water Skiing on the Suez Canal”. Men and women take their skis to the water and proceed to ski close to the shore, towed by a rope attached to a moving lorry. This sequence is followed by further shots of the model boat in various stages of completion, and local men pulling a fishing boat by rope along the canal. Final shots of the model boat, now fully completed and moving in the water, and of shipping in the Suez Canal. Caption “The End”.
  • Alternative Title: AMATEUR FILM BY COLONEL WILLOUGHBY [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: Colour (part B&W)
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: PME 110
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (PME 110)
  • Featured Period: 1946-1975
  • Production Date: 1953
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Mogren Studios (Production company) Willoughby, Maurice (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour (part B&W) Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 813 ft; Running time: 22 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    PME 110

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