🎬From British Gaumont, an unusual method of wildlife filmmaking. A family of rabbits are under threat from foxes, badgers, a shotgun wielding home-owner and the German Airforce.

The "Secrets of Life" series ran from 1934 to 1950

Gaumont British Instructional Films - Secrets of Life.
Released by General Film Distributors Ltd
Release Date: 1942
Film Title: Once We Were Four...
Director: Mary Field
Photography: Oliver Pike
Commentary: EVH Emmett

🎬British Pathé – Fox hunters in the New Forest gather around memorial stone to William Rufus. Full title reads: "'A living Christmas card' historical and beautiful! New Forest Hunt hold annual Xmastide Meet at the Rufus Stone - where William Rufus was killed in a hunting accident (?) - 831 years ago!" New Forest, Hampshire. Various shots of fox hunters out on their horses and riding with their hounds. The hunt gathers around a memorial stone. The hunt sets off once more in to the Forest. Cu inscription on memorial stone to King William II who apparently died there

🎬British Pathé – Trainee divers from the Royal Engineers are seen in action at Marchwood in Hampshire. Marchwood, Hampshire. L/S panning across the harbour; various ships are seen in the distance; on the quay beside us are four frogmen in diving suits with air cylinders on their backs. An army officer checks their equipment as we hear they are from the Royal Engineers, and are shallow water divers. The men line up along the quay and jump in. Various shots of the men swimming on their backs to the target zone as commentator tells us the frogmen are used when there's a need for a silent, unseen approach. On land we see M/S of a soldier working a large air pump with a long hose attached to a diving rig. M/S on the top of the rig shows a man in a full old-fashioned diving costume with bowl-shaped helmet and weighted shoes. A soldier fits the air hose to the diving suit while an officer crouches beside a kind of radio transmitter. The diver climbs down a ladder into the diving rig. The soldiers at the top of the rig light an underwater cutter and lower it into the water. Underwater M/Ss of the diver cutting through a girder with the oxy-hydrogen torch. L/S and M/S from a stony beach as we see two frogmen coming out of the water. The three frogmen crouch on the beach while a soldier winds up a detonator box. M/S of the water as an explosive charge is detonated; the explosion throws up a large cloud of water. Note: print used for telecine transfer is quite scratched; neg is cut. On file is a letter to Pathe from the Diving School at McMullen Barracks in Marchwood. Cuts exist - see separate record

🎬British Pathé – Young unemployed men live and work at the Grith Fyrd camp in the New Forest. Titles read: "The army of peace. Grith Fyrd, it is called, and the camp consists of many who are unemployed, but by no means unoccupied." On the bank of the River Avon near Fordingbridge we see various shots of the Grith Fyrd or Peace Army Camp, where "young men of all classes can develop themselves both physically and mentally". Bare chested young men cut down a tree and carry it back to the camp. Several shots of the men working in the camp, making concrete buildings, weaving rushes for shelter mats, weaving cloth for their clothes, doing woodwork and making sandals, milking goats, taking classes from other camp members, cooking, bathing in the river, drying themselves and running back for dinner. Commentator says this is neither a vocational training centre nor a holiday camp and adds "One of the main objects is to make constructive use of leisure, whether enforced or otherwise". Good footage of camp for unemployed young men during the Depression. Note: there is a letter on file from the Organising Secretary of the Camps

🎬British Pathé – New RAF air sea rescue boat being tested on Solent. Air sea rescue launch tested on Solent near Portsmouth, Hampshire. Various point of view shots from back of speed boat. Various shots of RAF (Royal Air Force) air sea rescue speed boat at sea. C/U of helmsman at wheel. The boat passes a liner. C/U of controls inside wheel house. More shots rescue boat speeding past. L/S raft on fire at sea. The rescue boat passes it, crew direct hoses at blazing raft. C/U of man operating foam hose. C/U of foam squirting onto raft. Note: newspaper cutting and press release from Ministry of Supply about launch on file.

🎬British Pathé – A Sikorsky helicopter carries out a practise air / sea rescue in Calshot, Hampshire. Air-Sea rescue demonstration. L/S of a stranded pilot in a dinghy. Various shots of a Sikorsky helicopter coming to the rescue. C/U's of the pilot and joystick. M/S propellors revolving. L/S of the dinghy from the air, M/S as the helicopter hovers over it and drops a ladder, M/S as the pilot climbs to safety. M/S of the water. L/S of the helicopter flying away