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Spring Offensive

1940 , Clopton (Suffolk)

Cat no. 995

The role of the War Agricultural Committees filmed at Moat Farm, Clopton.

Filmed on Moat Farm, Clopton, belonging to Fred Martin, this film opens with introductory shots of farming and farm workers during harvest. A poster shows the call up of the army reserve. The first sequence shows the arrival of Ken, an evacuee from Holloway, London. Mr. Martin listens to the news on the BBC Home Service. This tells of the creation of the War Agricultural Committees and their role. Mr. Martin joins one of these committees. The committee is seen in discussion during a meeting. Various representatives, all Suffolk farmers, visit neighbouring farms to persuade farmers to plough up more pasture. They are not always well received. There is a sequence showing mole drainage with steam traction engines. Tractors and horse teams are seen ploughing, some of them with members of the Women's land Army. Mr. Martin has a meeting with the Chairman of the War Agricultural Committee. They discuss a derelict farm and of how they will obtain permission to take the farm over. There are shots of the derelict farm, including land turned to scrub and machinery. Back at Martin's farm, the evacuee is playing with a meccano model of a gyrotiller made for him by the driver. The land is shown frozen in January 1940. The farmers use this time to thrash wheat and mend machinery. There is a shot of Ken, the evacuee, visiting a blacksmith with Mr. Martin. Drains are dug in the derelict farm and then the gyrotiller sets to work reclaiming the land for farming. The film is completed by general harvest scenes.

Featured Buildings

Moat Hall

Keywords

Agriculture; Evacuees; Farming; Food production; Harvesting; Land reclamation; War effort; World War II

Background Information

Frederick J. Martin was a farmer and poultry breeder. He farmed at Moat Hall, Clopton.

Manifestations

Spring Offensive

  • Barcode
    INV359984
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:19:09
    Modification Date
    27/09/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    729900
  • Barcode
    INV375760
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:19:09
    Modification Date
    31/08/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    724947
  • Barcode
    INV311964
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:19:09
    Modification Date
    31/08/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    724180
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV341173
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    DV digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:19:09
    Modification Date
    10/05/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    709995
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV218322
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    master digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:19:11
    Modification Date
    24/01/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    700517
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV153486
    Canonical Identifier
    TB 1184
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    Umatic tape
    Dimension
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    29/07/2008
    Parts
    Reference
    674383
  • Barcode
    INV294457
    Canonical Identifier
    B-8692
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    25/06/2021
    Parts
    Reference
    566614
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV233592
    Canonical Identifier
    A-2195
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    35mm film
    Has Image
    Y
    Has Sound
    Y
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    25/06/2021
    Parts
    Reference
    565078
    Sound
    sound
    Sound System
    optical
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV305101
    Canonical Identifier
    A-2196
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    35mm film
    Colour Type
    bw
    Dimension
    Has Image
    Y
    Has Sound
    Y
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    pos
    Modification Date
    25/06/2021
    Parts
    Reference
    565077
    Sound
    sound
    Sound System
    optical

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