Larry has been a source of some great film clips, and this one from 1918 is no exception. It shows an Australian brigade holding a "water carnival" before going into battle on the Somme. Watch closely and you'll see lots of naked men paddling around, diving, hanging out together, and even staging a drag show near the end. You may want to go back for a second look because I found I had missed some nice bits the first time I looked at this charming movie.
I wonder how hard Australia was hit with the Spanish Flu of 1918-19....
ReplyDelete15,000 dead. Here's a quick description from a reliable source:
Deletehttps://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/influenza-pandemic
It is very heartening to see these beautiful men having a good time in the midst of a chaotic world. I love the photos in this series, but this film provides a special memory of these normal guys in the middle of a war. Many thanks for this film.
ReplyDeleteWe both have the exceptionally generous and diligent researcher Larry K. to thank for this gem. I never would have found it.
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