How to Fit a Gas Mask
Matter-of-fact wartime instruction in how to fit your gas mask efficiently - leaving no margin for error.
This no-nonsense public information film imparts a direct message from the government about something that affected everybody's daily life in wartime - how to wear a gas mask correctly and the need to always have it with you. Precise instructions are imparted in a necessarily urgent manner, with no room for frills.
'Fillers' like this were used to plug holes in the cinema programme and were originally created by the Ministry of Information to quickly spread knowledge, civil defence intelligence or policies to the cinemagoing public.
A demonstration of the correct way to put on and remove gas masks.
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World War II: The Home Front
Sandbags and searchlights, firefighters battling blazing streets; trains packed with departing children or servicemen... film has given us some of our most enduring images of the Second World War.
The outbreak of the war saw cinemas closed as a public safety measure, but government soon realised film’s value for propaganda and morale. Feature films and novelty shorts brought audiences entertainment and some relief from fear, anxiety and grief. Official propaganda disseminated vital messages about the war effort or the dangers of careless talk. Meanwhile, newsreels, instructional and informational films delivered reports from the battlefields and practical advice.
In hindsight\, among the most valuable films are amateur ones – watched by only a handful in their own time – which give us a matchless insight into ordinary life behind the blackout curtains. This collection brings together an extraordinary range of material capturing the experience of life under fire.
