Sons of the Empire

Grinning Canadian troops arrive in England.

A major recruitment effort across Canada in the first months of WWI saw over 600,000 men and women sign up in support of the 'mother country' as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The camera captures their dramatic arrival en masse before showing us the daily routine of washing and penning letters home; their beaming smiles all the while illustrate their enthusiasm for the cause.

This is one of a number of Topical Budget newsreel items from the early part of the war which shows troops from the Empire territories - later stories featured soldiers from India and Trinidad. The final shot of soldiers holding a Union Jack, with flags from the Empire stitched (slightly crudely) around the edge, serves as yet more feelgood propaganda for the cinema audience.