The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
Canadian Army 1943
Canadian troops stationed in Yorkshire get a civic reception before a tour of the county, including a typical textile town and watching a typical wartime football match.
From the collection of:
Overview
Before taking up their duties in defending the country, newly arrived Canadian troops get to sample the delights of the Yorkshire countryside as well as see a typical mill town landscape of endless factory chimneys. The film shows one of the Canadian officers settling in with a local family that is putting him up, as well as a trip to a football match, possibly Huddersfield playing in the Northern Regional League.
A total of 368,263 Canadian troops arrived in the UK during the course of the war. These were chiefly based in Aldershot and deployed in the defence of the UK, while most of the British soldiers were away. The troops in this film may well have left from Halifax on the east of Canada, and possibly here visiting its, rather different, Yorkshire namesake. In Yorkshire Canadian troops were based at Allerton Hall, west of York, and the Canadian bomber 405 squadron was based at the Pocklington airfield. In 1943 they were, coincidently, flying Halifax bombers. Regional football leagues replaced national ones for the duration of the war.
Related
Watch for free
Home Front and Home Guard - Wartime Woking Home Front and Home Guard - Wartime Woking
Amateur film 1938 10 mins Silent Location: Woking
Woking gears up for war in this remarkable film about the Home Guard and its contribution to the town.
Watch for free
Sea Fort Sea Fort
Documentary 1940 7 mins
Surrounded by water and manned to defend the coastline, sea forts were remote outposts of Britain’s home front.
Watch for free
Ack-ack Ack-ack
Documentary 1941 9 mins
‘ACK ACK’ is a profile of the soldiers who manned anti-aircraft positions on the home front during the Second World War.
Watch for free
Citizen's Army Citizen's Army
Documentary 1941 10 mins Location: London
Ordinary men from all trades and professions lead double lives to hone their soldiering skills in Britain during the Second World War.
Watch for free
Civilians in Uniform Civilians in Uniform
Amateur film 1946 21 mins Location: Leatherhead
Leatherhead applauds and thanks its Civil Defence Service volunteers for their sterling efforts, in this fascinating film made during the last months of the Second World War.
Watch for free
Clandon Home Guard - drills and stand down Clandon Home Guard - drills and stand down
Amateur film 1942 12 mins Silent Location: Clandon Park
Dad's Army, Clandon-style, are at it again in this fascinating film about life in Surrey's Home Guard.
Watch for free
Local Dialects Local Dialects
Factual TV 1987 10 mins Location: Huddersfield
This film takes us on a tour of Yorkshire and offers a profoundly interesting and focused examination of many of the area’s regional dialects.
Watch for free
The Homecoming: A Short Film about Ajamu The Homecoming: A Short Film about Ajamu
Drama-documentary 1995 17 mins Location: Brixton
Queer activist and artist Ajamu prepares to leave Brixton for an exhibition of his work in his hometown, Huddersfield
Watch for free
Where There's Brass Where There's Brass
Documentary 1969 45 mins Location: Scapegoat Hill
“If there’s music in yer, it has to come out”. But northern brass bands, as this film testifies, reveal so much more about working class life than its innate creativity.
Watch for free
Winding Journey Winding Journey
Promotional 1950 20 mins Location: Huddersfield
Across the great hidden divide separating production from product as the almost entirely female headscarved workforce labour to make electric motors in 1950s Huddersfield.
Watch for free
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Watch for free
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Watch for free
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Watch for free
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.
Watch for free
New Perspectives: Oldboy New Perspectives: Oldboy
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Discover why Dan George of Northumbria University believes everyone should experience Oldboy at least once.
Watch for free
New Perspectives: Wings of Desire New Perspectives: Wings of Desire
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Trixie Parkin-Christie of Northumbria University offers fresh insight into why Wings of Desire remains essential viewing.