Scottish Troops for the Front (clip 2)
First World War troops in training before heading for the front line
- Description
- Questions & Activities
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Description
Sergeant J.L. Dewar (4th Royal Scots), winner of the King's Prize, enters Hawick en route for Stobs Camp. Shots of soldiers parading along crowded streets in Hawick, headed by a military band. We then see the Hawick Boy Scouts at work with shots of the scouts lining up for inspection. There are demonstrations of sending signals and possibly Morse code, putting a tent up, making a rope bridge across a river and demonstrating how to cross it.
We next see Yeomanry and Territorials. Mounted troops gallop down the road, followed by more mounted troops riding in formation, who proceed a parade of infantry marching with their rifles on their shoulders. There then come empty horse-drawn wagons. There are shots of the Cameronians at Stobs, with an inspection of assembled troops, a religious service, a boxing match and Scottish dancing (possibly a sword dance). We then see the soldiers chopping logs and shots of artillery with a soldier using semaphore.
Questions & Activities
Questions
- Why did Britain go to war in 1914 and where did the fighting take place?
- What emotions are people displaying? Are they happy or sad? What is the general mood of the film?
- Where were the 5th Royal Scots regiment based and what types of training activities are the scouts engaged in?
- What were they doing for the war effort?
- What do you think they might be doing in a few years?
- What is yeomanry?
- What flags do you see and what do you think they might represent?
Activities
Research the 5th Royal Scots regiment. Where in France were they sent to during the First World War? What battles were they fighting and how many men came back?
You have been called up - write a letter to your family the night before explaining your reasons for joining up and how you feel about leaving.
Who invented the machine gun and when was it first used? How did it work?
Soldiers were generally recruited in what were known as pals battalions - why do you think this was important for keeping up morale during the First World War?
Clip Details
| Record Id | 007-000-002-207-C |
|---|---|
| Resource Rights Holder | National Library of Scotland |
| Project Ref | 1609 |
| Date | 1914 |
| Genre | Local Topical |
| School Subject | History, English, Technologies, Social Studies |
| Subject Matter | World War 1, Literacy |
| Where | Hawick, Stobs |
| Event | First World War |
| Attributes | Black and White, Silent |
| Clip Length | 9:00 |
| Film Length | 14:19 |
| References | www.poppyscotland.org.uk/education/ www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/StobsCamp Black Adder Goes Forth (BBC TV). Oh What a Lovely War. |