EL MEJDEL, JAFFA AND WEST COUNTRY TROOPS

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: IWM 12).

Synopsis

Jumbled material of the British capture of Jaffa, Palestine Front, November 1917.

I. Troops and transport camels of 52nd (Lowland) Division in the streets of El Mejdel (captured 9 November) including the well inside a mosque. Part of a squadron of 1st Hyderabad Lancers riding through the streets of Jaffa (the shotsheet gives this as Jericho) followed by troops of 75th Division. A shot of "Jaffa town hall and clock-tower within half an hour of its capture". (Jaffa was captured by the Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment, New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade, ANZAC Mounted Division, at 10am on 16 November.) A view of the ANZAC Mounted Division bivouacs, and a panorama of Jaffa filmed from the sea. II. From here the film breaks up into brief scenes of the pontoon bridge at El Ghoranyeh, some British troops (60th Division ?) on the march, the ANZAC Mounted Division leading its horses, and Turkish prisoners being put on trains at the railway station at Jerusalem by troops of 52nd Division.

Notes

Title: this is taken from the shotsheet.

Date: the store ledger gives this film as arriving in Great Britain in December 1917. Since Jericho was not captured until February 1918 it seems unlikely that the reference to it in the shotsheet is correct.

 

Titles

  • EL MEJDEL, JAFFA AND WEST COUNTRY TROOPS
 

Technical Data

Year:
1917
Running Time:
16 minutes
Film Gauge (Format):
35mm
Colour:
B&W
Sound:
Silent
Footage:
952 ft
 

Production Credits

Production Countries:
GB
Sponsor
War Office Cinema Committee
cameraman
Jeapes, Harold
Production company
Topical Film Company