Creating cinematic war memorials: WW1 battle reconstructions 1921-1931

British Instructional Films made a series of battle reconstructions with the aid of the War Office and Admiralty that proved smash hits across the Empire. Now almost entirely unknown, these films attempted to show the people of the Empire exactly what their soldiers and sailors had done on their behalf. Using hundreds of troops and ships lent by the army and navy, BIF was able to create epics which thrilled people whilst also making them consider the cost of the war.

Such was the importance of these films that King George V made the first ever visit by a British monarch to a public cinema in order to see the 1924 film Zeebrugge. He was so impressed that when the Battles of the Coronel and Falkland Islands was released in 1927 he requested a private showing at Balmoral.

Of course, these films were never ‘silent’ – sound effects and music were added in order to enhance as well as shape the viewing experience. In addition, by frequently using soldiers’ songs in the musical accompaniment the audiences were often induced to singing along thus turning a screening into a community experience resurrecting memories and emotions.

By looking at these films, it is possible to tell much about how people across the British Empire understood the war in its immediate aftermath.