''Letter from Aldershot'' (''Une lettre d'Aldershot'') is a nine-minute 1940 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime '' Canada Carries On'' series. The film was directed by

John Taylor John Taylor, Johnny Taylor or similar may refer to: Academics *John Taylor (Oxford), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, 1486–1487 *John Taylor (classical scholar) (1704–1766), English classical scholar *John Taylor (English publisher) (178 ...

and produced by

Stuart Legg Stuart Legg (31 August 1910 in London, England – 23 July 1988 in Wiltshire, England) was a documentary filmmaker who was a leading figure in both the United Kingdom and Canada as a pioneering director, writer and producer. During his long filmma ...

. ''Letter from Aldershot'' describes the observations in 1940 of a soldier from the First Division of the Canadian Active Service Force, stationed at

Aldershot Garrison Aldershot Garrison, also known as Aldershot Military Town, is a major garrison in South East England, between Aldershot and Farnborough in Hampshire. The garrison was established when the War Department bought a large area of land near the villa ...

in England.

Synopsis

In December 1939, 16,000 soldiers of the First Division of the Canadian Active Service Force under command of General A.G.L. McNaughton, were deployed to Halifax, Nova Scotia to await embarkation on seven ocean liners. As the convoy of ships set out, the main British battle fleet, on alert because of the German battleship lurking in the Atlantic, took over escort duties. As they reached the shores of England, enshrouded in fog, the anxious troops wondered how they would be received. British officials, including the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs

Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achieving rapid promo ...

, greeted the Canadians while the large throngs of British citizens, who made up the heartfelt and grateful crowd on the docks, shouted "Good old Canada!" After disembarking, the troops and their equipment are transported to Aldershot Garrison, the home of the British Army. Once settled into their new quarters, the Canadian soldiers begin a strenuous regimen of training that includes becoming proficient with new infantry tactics, weapons and equipment, such as the new Bren light machine gun and the despatch riders' motorbikes. Special drills and exercises stressed the importance of using gas masks and protection against

mustard gas Mustard gas or sulfur mustard is a chemical compound belonging to a family of cytotoxic and blister agents known as mustard agents. The name ''mustard gas'' is technically incorrect: the substance, when dispersed, is often not actually a gas, b ...

attacks. Their most important leisure time was devoted to corresponding back to their loved ones found in all parts of Canada. Just as cherished was the mail that came from home. With the assistance of a British camera crew, a number of the soldiers were able to make personal "letters home" messages that will end up on cinema screens back in Canada. After finishing training, the entire contingent was paraded before a royal guest,

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

. The Canadian troops were then able to seek out the sights and sounds of a London in "full warpaint". Meeting the locals was an exchange of old world and new world cultures, with Canadians bringing their unique skills at hockey to England. In the tradition of their forebears, the first Canadian troops to reach English shores during the Second World War showed they were ready to "do their part".

Cast

as himself (archival footage) * A.G.L. McNaughton as himself (archival footage) *

as himself (archival footage)

Production

Typical of the NFB's ''Canada Carries On'' series of morale-boosting

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

short films, ''Letter from Aldershot'' was made in cooperation with the Director of Public Information, Herbert Lash."Recognize leadership of Winnipeg women."
'The Winnipeg Tribune'', April 18, 1941. Retrieved: March 3, 2016. Using the format of a newsreel, the film relied heavily on the work of the Realist Film Unit (RFU), based in London to chronicle the arrival, training and extracurricular activities of the Canadian First Division in England. Working with sound editing by V.H. Lane, C.J. Quick and Walter Darling, the overseas material, along with film shot in Canada, was edited by Stuart Legg to provide a coherent story.Morris, Peter
"Film Reference Library: Canada Carries On."
''Canadian Film Encyclopedia''. Retrieved: March 3, 2016. The deep baritone voice of stage actor Lorne Greene was featured in the narration of ''Letter from Aldershot''. Greene, known for his work on both radio broadcasts as a news announcer at '' CBC'' as well as narrating many of the ''Canada Carries On'' series. His sonorous recitation led to his nickname, "The Voice of Canada", and to some observers, the "voice-of-God".Rist 2001, p. 84. When reading grim battle statistics or narrating a particularly serious topic, he was known as "The Voice of Doom"."Bonanza's Canadian Lorne Greene."
''Bite Size Canada''. Retrieved: March 3, 2016.

Reception

As part of the ''Canada Carries On'' series, ''Letter from Aldershot'' was produced in 35 mm for the theatrical market. Each film was shown over a six-month period as part of the shorts or newsreel segments in approximately 800 theatres across Canada. The NFB had an arrangement with

Famous Players theatres Famous Players Limited Partnership, DBA Famous Players, is a Canadian-based subsidiary of Cineplex Entertainment. As an independent company, it existed as a film exhibitor and cable television service provider. Famous Players operated numerous ...

to ensure that Canadians from coast-to-coast could see them, with further distribution by Columbia Pictures.Ellis and McLane 2005, p. 122. After the six-month theatrical tour ended, individual films were made available on 16 mm to schools, libraries, churches and factories, extending the life of these films for another year or two. They were also made available to film libraries operated by university and provincial authorities. A total of 199 films were produced before the series was canceled in 1959.Ohayon, Albert
"Propaganda cinema at the NFB".
''National Film Board of Canada'', July 13, 2009. Retrieved: March 3, 2016.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Bennett, Linda Greene. ''My Father's Voice: The Biography of Lorne Greene''. Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse, Inc., 2004. . * Ellis, Jack C. and Betsy A. McLane. ''New History of Documentary Film''. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. . * Khouri, Malek. ''Filming Politics: Communism and the Portrayal of the Working Class at the National Film Board of Canada, 1939-46.'' Calgary, Alberta, Canada: University of Calgary Press, 2007. . * Lerner, Loren. ''Canadian Film and Video: A Bibliography and Guide to the Literature''. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997. . * Rist, Peter. ''Guide to the Cinema(s) of Canada''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001. .

External links

''Letter from Aldershot'' at NFB collection
* {{IMDb title, 0370883, Letter from Aldershot 1940 films Canadian black-and-white films Canadian short documentary films Canadian World War II propaganda films English-language Canadian films National Film Board of Canada documentaries 1940 documentary films Black-and-white documentary films Aldershot Garrison Films scored by Lucio Agostini Canada Carries On Quebec films Columbia Pictures short films 1940s short documentary films 1940s Canadian films 1940s English-language films