French language version of a newsreel devoted to a review of the British Empire's war effort, 1914-1918.

The film starts with a declaration that the war was forced upon Britain by "Germany's sinister designs". It shows John French reviewing troops (possibly as Viceroy in Ireland in 1918, but intended as 1914) and British soldiers disembarking in France for the first time. Lord Kitchener visits New Army soldiers in France in February 1916. Australians of 2nd Division in bush hats march past. Gurkhas of 7th (Meerut) Division, also on the march in the pouring rain, and Lloyd George addressing a Canadian division from a car, all illustrate the increasing role of the Empire in the war. (Note the reporters recording the speech.) Highlanders led by a pipe band march through an English village, contrasted with an apparently unending marching column of 1918 veterans in their shrapnel helmets, typical of the current British Army. "Meanwhile and all the while" there are ships at sea, W Class destroyers and the monitor HMS Erebus in the English Channel.

Notes

Production: see IWM 651a for production details

Summary: note that a German language version of this issue is IWM 683a and a shorter and somewhat different English version is IWM 1128a. See also IWM 202-2, IWM 213 and IWM 553

Technical: this fragment is currently held on the same reel as IWM 657a, the can is marked as IWM 657