Solihull in Wartime: Salute the Soldier and Evacuees

Summary

Events in Solihull during the Second World War including fundraising for Salute the Soldier week during May 1944 and the arrival of a group of evacuees.

Year:

1944

Duration:

0:14:10

Film type:

Colour / Silent

Genre:

Amateur Film

Company:

Master format:

16mm

Description

We open with a shot of a poster promoting Salute the Soldier week in Solihull (the aim is to raise £600,000 to move 10 divisions to Berlin). Another poster in the town promotes Savings Certificates. We then see a banner promoting the fundraising being put up on the Council House. This is followed by views of a military parade passing the Council House which includes British and American soldiers (the Americans are in vehicles), Red Cross nurses and Royal Navy sailors. We then see another parade in the same location. Next we cut to a garden where a man and woman are seen putting a message in a tube attached to a pigeon. We then see a group of men collecting the message from the bird which has arrived at a loft. Views of another Salute the Soldier fundraiser follow with shots of people buying savings stamps and sticking them onto a picture of Adolf Hitler. American soldiers are also visible. We then see a band marching in a park and the presentation of a trophy. This is followed by a high jump competition and a shot of a man in uniform walking hand in hand with a woman. We also see views of an outdoor religious service that includes a band playing and a boys' choir. Back at the Council House we see that the fundraising target has been exceeded. Council officials stand for the camera outside the building. The next section begins with the arrival of a train at Solihull station. Children are then seen on the platform. They are wearing labels so are clearly evacuees. The children are given drinks on the platform and pose for the camera. We then see them boarding a line of Midland Red buses outside the station. The final shots show the children being driven away in cars from a building indicated as being the local Rest Centre.


Credits

No credits specified


Notes

Likely to have been shot by H. T. Lavender.