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This well preserved colour film was made at Knoll School in Hove by the town's Air Raid Precautions Group during the Second World War. It shows young children quickly putting on their gas masks during a class and carrying on with their work, as well as practising an air raid drill and continuing their lessons in a shelter. This film illustrates very well how the changes imposed during war-time were integrated into the every day life of a community. The South East Film and Video Archive has many other fascinating films made in the region during the Second World War. Amateur films from this period often intertwine every day family and local scenes with war-time images such as the building of an air raid shelter, soldiers marching down the street or military planes overhead. Other examples from the Second World War include 'The Last Year of Peace' (1939-40) by Ernest 'Spot' Botting which shows pre-war events in rural Kent and concludes with scenes of bomb damage. 'West Sussex Home Guard' (c1941) is an instructional film for the home guard on issues such as methods for bringing in a prisoner and "the wrong and right method of dealing with fifth columnists". 'VE Day Celebrations in Brighton' (1945) depicts the elation of the public when victory in Europe was announced. It shows men and women celebrating and dancing in the streets of Brighton to mark the end of the hostilities. See also: notes on the film 'Elworth School Presents School-Life in Wartime' (1943), held by the Imperial War Museum Film and Video Archive which illustrates a Cheshire school's war-time preparations. |
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