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RAF Beverley Scenes

New young recruits are seen here showing their colours at the height of the war, marching through the town of Beverley, preparing for the battles ahead.

Non-Fiction 1942 3 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Yorkshire Film Archive

Overview

With the war in full flow, these raw RAF recruits are gaining a sense of duty and military identity from a march through their home town of Beverley, receiving encouragement and support from their fellow citizens. The RAF was especially important in East Yorkshire, with these recruits possibly off to the nearby RAF Station at Driffield.

Local filmmakers Debenhams and Co. captured many of the events in wartime Beverley, including these examples of mutual solidarity between combatants and non-combatants. Military and service personnel parades through towns and cities such as these were common during the Second World War, unlike the First. They were usually seen during fund raising weeks for armaments; when those serving in war related services, including all those on the home front, would turn out and demonstrate their marching skills. These served to bond everyone together and boost morale: something recognised as vitally important in the war effort. Film courtesy of East Riding of Yorkshire Council Archives.