CITIZEN'S ARMY [Main Title]

Metadata

  • Title: CITIZEN'S ARMY [Main Title]
  • Film Number: UKY 304
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: The basic duties and training of the Home Guard.
  • Description: Film opens with contrived shots of HG's leaving their houses, and adding new duties to their civilian roles (eg a Gamekeeper's rounds compared to a patrol; an MP's oratorical gesture duplicated in throwing a grenade etc). The original enthusiasm of the HG is to be preserved while equipment and training improve - much of the film is given over to a school where an intensive one week's course is given by instructors, some of whom have Spanish Civil War experience. HG's are shown learning grenade-throwing, primitive anti-tank tactics, and the use of various weapons (grenade discharger, Browning machine gun, Thompson submachine gun) also on exercises in concealment and silent movement, and anti-aircraft rifle fire (with Lysanders providing the 'targets'). Film closes with shots of a combat exercise in London (Railway vs Post Office HG) and the guarding of a ministry: the opening theme of readiness is repeated over silhouette shots of a patrol.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (UKY 304)
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1940
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor) Strand (Production company) Moffat, Ivan (Production individual) Taylor, Donald19111966British film producer and director. (Production individual) Marlborough, Charles (Production individual) Tasto, Charles R (Production individual) Speight, Robert (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Home Guard (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: aircraft, British - combat: Westland Lysander (object name) combat [simulated], British (object name) operations, British military - routine (object name) society, British - precautionary (object name) training, British military: Home Guard (object name)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 938 ft; Running time: 10 mins
  • Notes: Summary: Hugh Pollock, Enid Blyton's first husband, appears in the film as the Home Guard officer with the rifle grenade.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    UKY 304

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
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