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Summary: Training scenes with the 5th and 4th Royal Scots, Hawick Boy Scouts, Yeomanry and Territorials and the Cameronians, probably intended to encourage more voluntary enlistment in Summer 1914.
Description: "The 5th Royal Scots who have volunteered for the Front in training." Soldiers, including some very young teenagers, march past a camp of white tents erected in summer countryside. Scenes of camp life include a boxing match, tossing a soldier in a blanket, packing kit, semaphore training, washing, violent version of blind man's buff, marchpast carrying rifles and queuing with mess tins for food outdoors (two wear kilts and all wave or grin at the camera). "Sergeant J L Dewar, 4th Royal Scots, Winner of the Kings Prize entering Hawick en route for Stobs Camp." Long column of soldiers march through the town past large crowd of women, old men and young boys lining street. Procession is led by brass band and mounted officers preceding soldiers, Scottish bagpipe band and more officers. Popular enthusiasm is evident. "Hawick Boy Scouts at work." Scouts parade in summer field, then practise morse, signalling, erecting a tent and crossing a stream by means of an improvised rope and plank bridge. Two well-dressed couples, presumably local gentry, look on. "Yeomanry and Territorials." Mounted soldiers ride along country road in summer, watched by local youths, and preceding soldiers on foot and civilian horsecarts. "The Cameronians at Stobs." Officers and men parade on hillside field in summer, then stand assembled for outdoor religious service near farm buildings. Large encampment comprises fixed barracks and tents. Scenes of camp life include a boxing match, Scottish dancing, log-chopping and signalling beside two Vickers machine guns.
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Dewar, J L (person)
British Army, Royal Scots, 4th Battalion (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Scots, 5th Battalion (regiment/service)
British Army, Scottish Rifles, Cameronians (regiment/service)
Boy Scouts (regiment/service)
Keywords: training, British military - specialist: signals (object name)
recreation, British military - casual (object name)
society, British military - sustenance (object name)
GB, Scotland & Hawick, Roxb (geography)
GB, Scotland & Stobs Camp, Roxb (geography)
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: 1
Footage: 673 ft; Running time: 12 mins
HD Media:Yes
Notes: Summary: the 5th Battalion Royal Scots was the largest Volunteer Corps in the Kingdom, and together with the 4th Battalion took part in the Dardanelles campaign, where the Bisley prize marksman Sergeant Dewar distinguished himself by killing a Turkish sniper on 21 June 1915. By inference therefore this film must date from the previous summer
Identification/provenance: further evidence for the presumed date is provided by a label attached to the original film can; this read "5th Royal Scots. Leaving Stobs Camp 1914. This film is the property of James Wilson Manager of Playhouse and Pavilion Cinemas Dalkeith." (Information from Duxford staff, July 2002.)
