NFB's Images of a Forgotten War

I found this website a while back, but just hadn't got around to blogging about it. Unlike my usual posts, this one deals with a primary resource of Canadian military history - "Images of a Forgotten War" / Images d'une guerre oubliée of the National Film Board of Canada / Office national du film du Canada. As the website notes: "Films of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War - Discover this unique and rich collection of more than 120 archival films, 65 of which have just been added, accompanied by photos, historical essays by noted Canadian experts and a range of teaching materials / Films sur le rôle du Corps expéditionnaire canadien dans la Grande guerre : Venez consulter cette collection unique, riche de plus de 120 films d'archives, dont 65 ajoutés tout récemment, accompagnés de photos, de textes d'historiens réputés et de matériel pédagogique."

The site uses a built in video viewer to play the clips. A search function allows for textual searches, or the collection can be browsed according to a few menu selections. The coverage of these clips is fascinating, witnessing a wide range of the existence of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The website also contains an extensive and impressive bibliography on the history of the CEF.

Lest We Forget

If you have a moment today, take a look at this video.

News from Angus Brown and Richard Gimblett

I received an e-mail from Angus Brown with respect to news on the book he co-authored with Richard Gimblett, In the Footsteps of the Canadian Corps: Canada's First World War 1914-1918 (Ottawa: Magic Light Publishing, 2006). Angus notes that the book has been well received, and the two authors are hoping to put together another marketing campaign before Remembrance Day and Christmas. They will be doing some book signings around Ottawa and Toronto. The book is currently available at Chapters (see link above), Indigo, Coles, the Canadian War Museum boutique and various independent book stores across Canada.

A video documentary version of the book is currently in production, filiming having been completed. Angus expects to see an edited draft of the video by the end of October. Hell Creek Entertainment, the film company, is expected to have it shown on cable television networks and, eventually, to have it available for sale to the public.

Angus also notes that the Canadian Broadcasting Corps in releasing its 17-hour long 1964 radio series, "Flanders' Fields" in an audio DVD format. This is now available online and at CBC boutiques in Toronto and Ottawa.