Description
Object description
Amateur film shot by Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Battye of the 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles, Indian Army, mainly while based at their garrison headquarters at Lansdowne (United Provinces), records mainly social and ceremonial events attended by both British and Indian soldiers, in the period between 1930 and 1942.
Full description
Reel 1: 3rd Battalion 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles at the seaside on the coast of Bengal. Young Indian soldiers run round a pile of boots on the beach. They climb a soil escarpment, crawl under a sheet, have their hands and legs tied together around a stick and stand on backs of people on their hands and knees. They run a backwards race and fight on piggyback. Medium sized sailing/rowing boats. Soldiers embark and are rowed along. Tug of war - British team members. Government and parliament building in New Delhi. (B&W, 1930 US date mark) Indians climbing pole and rope ladder. Two people in elephant costume cross a park with rider.
Content description
Reel 2: (Can marking: Simla) (Paper insert: ?Khyber Pass, defending (?) 5th and 3rd Gurkhas) (B&W, 1932 US date mark) Panoramic view from guard post on tall tower. Marching band of Indians wearing kilts and pith helmets. Show jumping. British and locals in audience. Troops marching through valley with a dog. May be hunting. Indian soldiers wearing turbans load a cannon. Pack horse convoy with large number of horses. Indian soldiers building a stone gun emplacement. Cooking. Radio post. Large number of Gurkhas (?) wait. Use of semaphore. View down on various groups marching along valley. (B&W, 1932 US date mark) British officers talk with local tribesmen/militiamen (possibly Afghans(?)) (identified by beards, turbans and bullet belts).
Content description
Reel 3: (Reel marking: Spares) (B&W, 1937 US date mark) Governor (Sir Harry Graham Haig (?)) arrives in Rolls Royce to receive Guard of Honour. 1932 Train journey filmed from back of train. "3rd Battalion Parade at Midnapore 11 Nov 1932" Slowly turning rifles over until upside down as sign of respect at memorial. "Lt Col Berryman's last parade. He hands over the parade." Same venue. March past. "3rd Battalion at the seaside on the coast of Bengal". (same occasion as reel 11) Solid two storey building. Unusual canopies over windows. Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett (Governor) reviews troops in country setting. Marching in rudimentary parade ground before Governor. Many Indians present - civilians and soldiers. Traditional food (rice (?)) provided for locals. Entertainers. Man eats glass, jumps off two tables into tin bath (what is in it is uncertain). Finally he is buried in a hole in the ground, covered over with metal sheet and covered with soil. Games on the beach (as above)
Content description
Reel 4: (Reel marking: Animals. Vivien Barry (?) white mice) (Paper insert: Mongoose & Cobra fight. London zoo. Taken to show animals to Garhwal troops. Dog with white rats) (B&W, 1932 US date mark) [Assume mongoose footage purchased] "Enemies of long standing - the cobra and the mongoose" "The mongoose takes the offensive" "The mongoose knows precisely how far and how long the snake can strike" Shire horses in Britain at a show. Humorous show jumping. Jumping over tables laid with tablecloths. Clowns. At London Zoo, polar bears, bears, seals, penguins, a chimp, wildebeest, llama (?), tiger, bird and hippopotamus. Dog with white rats on it. (B&W, 1939 US date mark) Another dog, hedgehog and parakeet.
Content description
Reel 5: (Can marking: 2/3rd Bns [Battalions]. Relief Midnapore; A
Lansdowne. Kardwara (?) Exhibition. Views of Western Himalayas) "Royal Garhwal Rifles Topical Budget 1935" "2nd and 3rd battalions Relieving duties in Midnapore" Long line of Indian marching soldiers and a bicycle. Inspection. Beds arranged outside. Shots of camp. Lowering flag (Camera movement between views indicates amateur footage by this point) Presenting arms. Marching band. Train, with front panel reading "3rd Battalion 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles "Lansdowne via Gomoh BNR [Bengal Nagpur Railway]' Locomotive plate BNR419. Shots of party. British officers and wives outside. Posed shots of family (the Battyes (?) - man around 60 and 2 daughters (?)) Lots of cheering. Cooking in camp "Changes in Lansdowne during last 5 years" View of camp. New buildings. Well dressed British women (probably same as the daughters above) in furs leaving stone built church. Grounds of camp or hillside village. View from front of fast vehicle descending hill. Indian wrestling with besuited British referee. Spreading of water on ground from a skin (to suppress dust(?)). Indian soldiers demonstrating stripping down and using rifle/gun. Pack horse. Indian soldiers in bagpipe band, wearing wide shorts.
Content description
Reel 6: (Can marking: Lansdowne. Govnr visit Xmas morning. Mess GO's [Gurkha Officers (?)] Party Dasehra. Drama 1/3 [Battalion]. dancing. Dep[arture] 3/18 [Royal Garhwal Rifles]) (Reel marking: All in Lansdowne. Governor of UP visit to Lansdowne. Gurkha officers Xmas a.m. in mess. Butler (?), Desera, head cutting, 1st party with G.O.'s and their wives. 1/3 Gurkha. Peshawar, 1/10 - 1st. 2/10 Gallipolli. Ngoallol (?) Army. 1/3 After war. 3/8 Gavhar Rifles.) "H E The Governor of the U[nited] P[rovinces] visits Landsdowne (sic)" (B&W, 1939 US date mark) Troops on parade. Governor (Sir Harry Graham Haig - 1934-1939) lays wreath at memorial. Decorated Gurkhas stand in line. "Xmas morning in the Central Mess" (B&W, 1936 US date mark) Elder Nepalese men/Gurkhas and British soldiers off duty stand in garden on platform with views of Himalayas (as in Reel 3). Flower garlands are placed around some of the Nepalese men. "A party for GOs and their wives" Indian women arrive heavily veiled but their veils slip as they play darts and relax. The visitors play a number of games including bagatelle. The Battye daughters greet the visitors and look after them with their mother. A marching Gurkha band plays and troops followed by children. "Dasehra Festival 10th Battalion" (Hindu festival symbolising the triumph of good over evil, celebrated for ten days in October) Lots of people. (B&W, 1930 US date mark) Traditional dancing. Agitated man sits by fire. Slaughter of calf and bull. Musical plays/performances on makeshift stage. Marching at camp with steep wooded hills above. Walking through woods, watched by locals. British officers inspect troops.
Content description
Reel 7: (Can insert: parades - lots of Garhwals; War memorial Landsdowne (sic); short view of snows; ? send to Garhwals?) (On reel: Baracks (?) base 43 ex rifles (?); Rajputana rifles, Memorial Parade Lansdowne) (B&W) British and Indian men in busy old market. Mounted soldiers, wearing black armbands, pulling field cannon in parade.. (B&W, 1939 US date mark) "Cold Weather Camp 1st Battalion" Firing cannons and machine guns. (B&W) "3rd Battalion's River crossing". Home-made bamboo and tin can constructed raft. (Colour, 1936 and 1937 US date mark) Comic character in wooden stockade. People walking on backs of others. Memorial on hill. Soldiers (Rajputana Rifles (?)) and pipe band marching. Spectacular views of snow on Himalayas. Memorial. (Colour, 1939 US date mark) British off duty officers, officials and Indians/Nepalese/Gurkhas gather in gardens and on viewing platform in Himalayas. Shots of Gurkhas.
Content description
Reel 8: (Can marking: 5 & 3 Gurkha - Frontier. Razmak. Gaulat Rifles. Bde Gp 1 Brit[ish] + 3 lnd[ian]. Bns [Battalions], 17 HOWS, Cpt for week 2 Blankets.) (B&W, 1939 US date mark) Throwing mud over people. Circular dance. Indian men carrying water and goods hung from bar laid across shoulders. Women carry goods on their heads, being monitored by British officials with check lists. (B&W, 1936 US date mark) Tibetan women. Indian potter works at his wheel. (Colour, 1937 US date mark) Inspection of troops at Razmak (?). Governor Haig (?) and 2 red coated soldiers. (Colour, 1936 US date mark) Gurkha band and soldiers marching. View up hills. People transported in hand drawn cart. Government buildings in New Delhi.
Content description
Reel 9: (Colour, 1937 US date mark) Elegant park in area of Government Building and Parliament House in New Delhi. Horse mounted soldiers and coach with parasol. Indian marching band and other solders. Laying of wreath at memorial. The Indian Gate. Indian Muslims entering Jama Masjid (the largest mosque in India). Street scenes. Indians carrying statuettes on ornate hand held floats. Some decorated in gold. Children playing traditional games. (Colour, 1937 US date mark) Red clad mounted lancers parade with dignitaries in carriage with parasol.
Content description
Reel 10: (Can insert: Railway C, Iron work Foundry, ?Uncle Leonard) (B&W, 1939 US date mark) View down to harbour with small island. On board bridge of ship (Colour, 1939 US date mark) Busy commercial centre. Bullock cart. Red letter box. View over river and wooded peninsulas. Shots of Government House and Sansad Bhavan (Parliament House) in New Delhi. Indians by the Wishful Column inside Tomar fortress - Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque Shahjahanabad. The Qutab Minar tower. (B&W) Traders carrying goods at station (?) ...virol (?). Railway carriage factory. Carriages moved sideways between sheds. (B&W, 1937 US date mark) The work of an iron foundry. Seems highly mechanised with few people in view.
Content description
Reel 11: (Reel marking: Xmas day in Mess) (B&W, 1939 US date mark) The former Governor (Sir Harry Graham Haig (?)) talks to Gurkhas with new Governor (Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett) (?) Upholstered chairs and marquee in garden for Christmas lunch/party. Marching band and march past. (same as in Reel 8). Railway line (same as Reel 8). Tug of war (same Reel 11). Railway yard (same as Reel 2)
Content description
Reel 12: (Can insert: Xmas somewhere in India ? Simla? Colour v. good of washing in river) (B&W, 1941 US date mark and Colour, 1941 and 1942 US date mark) Acrobats. British children on decorated tracked vehicle with Father Christmas. Distribution of presents. Hand operated small Ferris wheel. Presents slung from donkeys. (Colour, 1941 US date mark) Indian women and children wash clothes on rocks in river. (B&W, 1941 US date mark) Turkey and cockerel fighting. (B&W, 1941 US date mark) Roadside works. Spoil carried away on back packs (B&W, 1941 US date mark) More footage from Christmas party.
Physical description
16mm