How I Filmed the War

+------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note | | | | Obvious typographical errors have been corrected in | | this text. For a complete list, please see the bottom of | | this document. | +------------------------------------------------------------+

HOW I FILMED THE WAR

When I was in France I made arrangements with my friend Mr. Low Warren, at that time Editor of the Kinematograph Weekly, to arrange the manuscript I sent him for publication in book form.

The manuscript has in no way been altered in any material respect, and is in the form in which I originally wrote it.

GEOFFREY H. MALINS.

[Illustration: FILMING THE PRELIMINARY BOMBARDMENT OF THE BIG PUSH, JULY 1ST, 1916. A FEW MINUTES AFTER THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN A SHELL BURST WITHIN SIX YARDS, SMASHING DOWN THE TRENCH WALLS AND HALF BURYING ME. NOTE THE SANDBAG ON A WIRE IN FRONT OF MY CAMERA FOR "CAMOUFLAGE"]

HOW I FILMED

THE WAR

A RECORD OF THE EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES OF THE MAN WHO FILMED THE GREAT SOMME BATTLES ETC.

BY

LIEUT. GEOFFREY H. MALINS, O.B.E.

EDITED BY

LOW WARREN

HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED YORK STREET, ST. JAMES'S LONDON, S.W. 1 MCMXX

CONTENTS

PART I

CHAPTER I

A FEW WORDS OF INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER II

WITH THE BELGIANS AT RAMSCAPELLE

PAGE

I Reach the First Line Belgian Trenches--And become a Belgian Soldier for the Time Being--A Night Attack--An Adventure whilst Filming a Mitrailleuse Outpost--Among the Ruins of Ramscapelle--I Leave the Company and Lose my Way in the Darkness--A Welcome Light and a Long Sleep--How Little does the Public know of the Dangers and Difficulties a Film Operator has to Face 6

CHAPTER III

WITH THE GOUMIERS AT LOMBARTZYDE

A Morning of Surprises--The German Positions Bombarded from the Sea--Filming the Goumiers in Action--How these Tenacious Fighters Prepare for Battle--Goumier Habits and Customs--I Take the Chief's Photograph for the First Time--And Afterwards take Food with Him--An Interesting and Fruitful Adventure Ends Satisfactorily 15

CHAPTER IV

THE BATTLE OF THE SAND-DUNES

A Dangerous Adventure and What Came of It--A Race Across the Sand-dunes--And a Spill in a Shell-hole--The Fate of a Spy--A Battle in the Dunes--Of which I Secured Some Fine Films--A Collision with an Obstructive Mule 22

CHAPTER V

UNDER HEAVY SHELL-FIRE

In a Trench Coat and Cap I again Run the Gauntlet--A Near Squeak--Looking for Trouble--I Nearly Find It--A Rough Ride and a Mud Bath--An Affair of Outposts--I Get Used to Crawling--Hot Work at the Guns--I am Reported Dead--But Prove Very Much Alive--And then Receive a Shock--A Stern Chase 30

CHAPTER VI

AMONG THE SNOWS OF THE VOSGES

I Start for the Vosges--Am Arrested on the Swiss Frontier--And Released--But Arrested Again--And then Allowed to Go My Way--Filming in the Firing Zone--A Wonderful French Charge Over the Snow-clad Hills--I Take Big Risks--And Get a Magnificent Picture 40

PART II

CHAPTER I

HOW I CAME TO MAKE OFFICIAL WAR PICTURES

I am Appointed an Official War Office Kinematographer--And Start for the Front Line Trenches--Filming the German Guns in Action--With the Canadians--Picturesque Hut Settlement Among the Poplars--"Hyde Park Corner"--Shaving by Candlelight in Six Inches of Water--Filming in Full View of the German Lines, 75 yards away--A Big Risk, but a Realistic Picture 51

CHAPTER II

CHRISTMAS DAY AT THE FRONT