French newsreel of the French contribution to the Sherifian revolt in Arabia, November 1917.

Before leaving from Port Said, Colonel Brmond, the head of the French mission to the Hejaz forces, is made a Commander of the Legion of Honour by General Bailloud, the chief of the French contingent of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. After the presentation men of the contingent, mainly mule transport and guns, march past the general. At Suez Brmond's mission begins to embark on a transport steamer. The men relax as the steamer departs. It arrives at the port of "El Ouedj" (El Wejh) where it is met by the locals and brings ashore its boatloads of Lebel rifles and ammunition for the Sherifian forces. Brmond comes ashore and is greeted by local leaders. He is brought to the camp of Prince Feisal at "Gidda" (Jidda) where Feisal is shown in the shadows of his tent. His troops display the flag of Hejaz and give a small drill demonstration for the camera. French training specialists find mounting their camels rather difficult but succeed at the second attempt and the camel train sets out into the desert. Arab tribesmen come in out of the desert to join the Sherifian Army. Turkish prisoners of war are brought in out of the desert on camels, and the wounded are given medical treatment by the Sherifian forces. There is a posed group for the camera of Prince Feisal, his army commander Djafa Pasha and members of his staff. The force then sets out, mainly on horses, a few on camels, to raid the Medina railway.

Notes

Production etc: see Notes to IWM 508-10

Technical: issue IWM 508-36 is now held with issue IWM 508-35 on a single reel 1109 feet long

Remarks: fairly blatant propaganda, mainly for the French in their attempt to recreate 'la nation Franco-Syrienne' and other Arabian myths. The British contribution to the revolt is given no mention either in the film or its captions. Perhaps the most improbable moment is actually pro-Sherifian, rather than pro-French, propaganda, in the giving of medical aid to Turkish prisoners instead of shooting them. But at least the French Army showed enterprise in sending a cameraman with their mission, which is more than the British did. Compare IWM 41