Far East War Magazine No. 1 presents ‘the routine story of transport and supply’. The producers attempted to re-contextualise stock footage of Africans marching, using music and commentary in an attempt to generate excitement. The commentary explains that the Africans ‘had fought all the way. It had been tough fighting’, and that they ‘had been a year at the battle front’, but no fighting is shown. The film concludes by stating that ‘the battles which ended at Rangoon and Mandalay were beginning’, yet ultimately the representation of war, both for the Africans who had fought and for those watching in Africa, is of largely mundane work.

The West Africans are depicted walking and carrying supplies. The commentary explains that ‘the West Africans carried supplies and tins of petrol as they had been used to carrying the belongings on journeys at home – on their heads’. The film highlights ethnographic features of the Africans, emphasising their distinct customs and explaining how they operate ‘at home’. Such commentary, while common in films intended for British audiences, is evidently not tailored for the African audiences. Furthermore, the film defines the Africans in traditional terms as ‘men who lived in up country villages, who had worked the land and followed the ways of their fathers’. The commentary implies that this traditional world – ‘the way of their fathers’ – is outdated, as it suggests that the War has benefited the Africans, as ‘now they were part of a powerful, modern army’.

The film does highlight the unity of the Empire effort – ‘men from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gambia and the Gold Coast’ – and, in keeping with other British propaganda films, illustrates the work of civilians –‘from towns, from office jobs and shops’ – in fighting for the Empire. Yet, while it attempts to address a largely overlooked subject – the African war effort – it ultimately offers traditional attitudes, shows merely the ‘routine’ work performed, and fails to adapt the material for African audiences.

Tom Rice (April 08)