National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
This film is part of Free
Efaciwis a Ricriwtio
Machynlleth opens its heart to evacuees arriving from Liverpool and local men prepare to leave by responding to an urgent call-to-arms.
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Overview
Evacuee children from Liverpool disembark from a train and enter a new world – Machynlleth. Labelled and struggling with gas masks they are greeted by nurses, policemen and townsfolk who will provide them with temporary homes. Local men prepare to leave the town by joining a Territorial Army unit at a pre-war recruiting rally held at the town hall. As the military volunteers get their first taste of standing at attention, a dog wanders freely amongst them.
The “Men of Wales” joining up on Saturday 13th May 1939 were responding, as a poster indicates, to an “urgent” call-to-arms. With war looming, the army was hoping to double the size of all existing territorial battalions, in this case the Welsh Guards. When World War II actually started, the territorial units were all mobilised and absorbed into the British Army. The men march off, into what can only have been an uncertain future. Sharing a similar future were the evacuees, who are seen in this film arriving either during the ‘phony war’ or after bombings in Liverpool.
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