To Oberammergau and the Alps in an Austin Sixteen: Dover to Oberammergau [Reel 1]

Return journey made by Eustace and Eunice Alliott to the Oberammergau Passion Play and the Alps by car in 1930.

First in a series of eight film reels recording Eustace and Eunice Alliott’s trip to and from the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1930, by way of a motor tour through Belgium, Luxembourg and the Rhine, before travelling further south to northern Italy, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, returning to London via Germany and Belgium. The first reel in this series records details of Alliotts' journey through Belgium and Luxembourg. Scenes include: visits to war memorials and observations of activities of local inhabitants. The visits to war memorials notably emphasise connections or interests that Eustace Alliott might have had or felt towards the sacrifices made by engineers or men from Lancashire. Scenes include: the Alliotts' car being loaded on to a ferry at Dover; shots of Ypres, notably the ruins of the Cloth Hall, the Menin Gate and market scenes near the Cloth Hall; visits to war memorials near Ypres, including Hill 60, Zillebeke, the Tyne Cot cemetery and the church at Passchendaele; the journey through Belgium including visits to Courtrai, Tournai, Mons and Namur, where the Alliotts' record celebrations of the centenary of Belgian independence; the journey by the Rivers Sambre and Meuse including their visits to Old Dinant and Chateau de Walzin; and time spent in in the gardens, streets and alleys of Luxembourg. Shots at Belgian war memorials include: a visit to the Hill 60 war memorial, where Eunice, along with members of the Farnham girl guides, inspect a concrete bunker; walk through and inspect a trench at Zillebeke, including a shot of the trench and abandoned munitions (trench now filled in, see http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/flanders/hill60.html); a visit to the Tyne Cot cemetery where Eunice inspects the inscription at the base of the Great Cross, including a clear shot of the inscription that has since been corrected (it reads captured by 2nd Australian Division [now corrected to 3rd Australian Division] 24 October 1917); at Tyne Cot Eunice walks past and looks at the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing; there is a shot of a headstone of one of the unidentified servicemen of the Royal Engineers; by the side of a road Eunice retrieves a discarded helmet; there is a shot of the Passchendaele church window memorial to British dead from “Duchy of Lancaster”. Shots at Namur for the centenary celebration of Belgian independence include: a procession of soldiers and dignitaries; Eunice with members of a Pierrot troupe, including shots of the troupe in a street procession.

Featured Buildings

Ruins of Ypres Cloth Hall St Martin's Cathedral, Ypres [St Martin's Church; Sint-Maartenskathedraal; Sint-Maartenskerk] The Menin Gate, Ypres Original Queen Victoria’s Rifles memorial, including shot of fenced track leading up to memorial, Hill 60 (Zwarteleen, Belgium) Concrete bunker, Hill 60 (Zwarteleen, Belgium) Trench, Zillebeke [Hill 60] Tyn-Kot [Tyne Cot] cemetery, near Passchendaele Ridge Passchendaele church memorial window to fallen from ‘duchy of Lancaster’ Collegiate Cathedral of Notre Dame and citadel walls, Old Dinant Chateau de Walzin Cathedral gateway, Luxembourg

Featured Events

Market day, Ypres

Keywords

Amateur film; Inter-war continental tourism; World War 1 war graves and memorials; World War 1 battle field sites; Belgian independence celebrations 1930; British motor car; Austin Sixteen

Intertitles

We embark at Dover helped by an efficient AA service and land at Calais At Ypres we find the Cloth Hall still in ruins The Menin Gate records 58,000 Empire dead “To whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial of their comrades” There are many cheery scenes on market days At Hill 60, where we met the Farnham Girl Guides, a few traces of war may still be seen At Zillebeke there is a trench to be inspected – and some pitiful wreckage of war Near Passchendaele Ridge is a sad yet beautiful memorial of the war Tyn-Kot [Tyne Cot] Cemetery This is a place, not of mourning, but of pity and hope Every night, at the Menin Gate, the “Last Post” is sounded in remembrance of all of the Empire who fell near Ypres All seems peaceful now but one may still stumble on some grim reminder In Passchendaele, rebuilt, there is a motto often repeated: “Christus Regnat” Christ Reigns In the church there is a fine memorial window to the fallen of the Duchy of Lancaster Courtrai, Tournai, and Mons are passed in swift succession as the afternoon lengthens In Namur the centenary of Belgian independence was being celebrated A Pierrot troupe searches our pockets to good effect, and forms a fine procession Here is the old fortress of Namur now a park and the river Sambre We now follow the Meuse to quaint old Dinant The Roche A Bayard lay on our way Chateau de Walzin is a gem of the Ardennes: what would Charon have thought of the ferry! After picnic in the castle farm yard we watch some country scenes And a cave dweller acts as guardian of the peace Luxemburg has a belt of lovely gardens on the west Fine views are to be had from the ramparts on the remaining sides There are quaint street scenes, arches, and alleys And a beautiful gateway to the cathedral To be continued on reel 2

Other Places

Dover; Ypres; Hill 60 (Zwarteleen, Belgium); Zillebeke; Passchendaele; Tyn-Kot [Tyne Cot] Cemetery; Courtrai; Tournai; Mons; Namur; Old Dinant; la Roche a Bayard; Chateau de Walzin (Ardennes); Luxembourg