This film is from an extraordinary collection called Calling Blighty, in which Armed Forces personnel stationed in India and the Far East during World War II recorded messages to be sent back home.
Here the Brighton Boys stationed in Burma are given around 10 seconds each to record their message. It’s one of curator Michelle Kirby’s favourites from the Imperial War Museum’s archives, and one that particularly resonates with our situation during the Covid-19 global crisis, with many people turning to video calls to stay in touch.
The film demonstrates the power of seeing and hearing someone, and, despite their 12 week wait between recording and screening, the Brighton Boys’ awkward messages feel remarkably relatable today.
Imperial War Museum.
*PLEASE NOTE: The MVT has no interests in third party material and web links are provided to members as a courtesy and an aid to research.
If you would like to see more of these films from the Imperial War Museums collection of them then click her to go to the IWM archives.