’speeding Up’ The Shells (1916)

’Speeding Up’ the Shells - blindfold race for wounded soldiers and wheelbarrow race with 18 PDR Shells at Metropolitan Railway War Service Corps Sports Day - 1916. Probably filmed in London or Middlesex. Opens with blindfold race: wounded soldiers race against women (without blindfolds); all running toward camera; ribbon stretched across finish line; with man in FG holding the ribbon. Runners coming fast - many women running in long skirts (and one falls down); men in either long trousers or shorts (and one guy looks like he’s in drag) and all blindfolded. Pretty funny; silly; wacky. Next; another strange (and dangerous?) race: guys run across park pushing wheelbarrows - very nice old wheelbarrows; that look all wood. They stop the wheelbarrows and each picks up 18 powder shells from the ground. Shot of man loading shells into wheelbarrow; pan to next man. They run on with their barrows full, then stop and unload the shells before running on. Shot from finish line of man running toward it pushing th