This film is part of Free
Ladysmith - Naval Brigade Dragging 4.7 Guns into Ladysmith
Naval men struggle to move the guns to the front
Overview
This film by WKL Dickson shows the guns (likely of HMS Terrible) being moved over rocky ground. A quick head-count suggests that it took roughly fifty men to pull each 4.7 inch gun. Dickson and his assistants faced a similar logistical challenge with his camera, its batteries, tripod, and additional lenses and modifications (including a little-used telephoto lens and a pump powered by a bicycle wheel, designed to keep the film tight against the shutter).
This is a partner to the Boer War film Naval Guns Firing at Colenso.
Related
Gordon Highlanders in Ladysmith Gordon Highlanders in Ladysmith
Non-Fiction 1900 1 mins Silent Location: Ladysmith
The Scottish regiment joins the relief column following the devastating siege of Ladysmith in the Boer War
New Perspectives: Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror New Perspectives: Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
Short documentary 2025 3 mins
Harry Coghlan of Northumbria University explains why FW Murnau's 1922 vampire story is an endlessly intriguing work of art.
New Perspectives: La Haine New Perspectives: La Haine
Short documentary 2025 4 mins
Charlie Hammersley, a student from Northumbria University, explains how Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film holds up a mirror to society.
Dreamers Q&A Dreamers Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
The film-makers behind a haunting tale of love and community within a UK immigration detention centre visited the BFI Southbank to discuss their film.
Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 50 mins
Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation at BFI Southbank, discussing the making of One Battle After Another.
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.
George Clooney in Conversation George Clooney in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 74 mins
George Clooney visited BFI Southbank to look back on his life and career.