Collection of films (16mm reels) shot by British Brigadier Dudley Wrangel Clarke, comprising rare documentation of British military operations to suppress the Arab Revolt in Palestine, 1936-1937.
A small film archive from the period of the Arab Revolt in Palestine (housed in an original wooden crate, with handwritten editing log and editing equipment), including rare footage of events of the revolt, battles, British forces, and aerial photography.
In 1936, shortly after the outbreak of the Arab Revolt, Clarke was posted to Palestine at his own request. Brigadier Clarke focused on organizing an effective response to Arab guerrilla warfare, strengthening coordination between ground forces and the Royal Air Force, and improving intelligence capabilities of the fighting forces.
En route to Palestine and during his stay in the region, Clarke documented his experiences with a 16mm camera – from his voyage from Britain to Port Said, Egypt, through Palestine and back to Egypt. The present collection includes eleven reels – the most significant (marked B, C, and D; total running time of approx. 45 minutes) document British military operations in Palestine to suppress the revolt: British soldiers and police patrolling the streets of Jerusalem; British armored vehicles and infantry patrols in Nablus and the Jenin region; demolition of a railway bridge near Nablus; Operation Anchor to clear the Old City of Jaffa of Arab resistance; the Khan Luban operation; convoys of vehicles and armored cars in Judea and Samaria; activity of the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars; rare footage from an aircraft showing armored cars transported on freight wagons at Lydda railway station; arrival of the 11th Hussars (Prince Albert’s Own) at Lydda railway station prior to entering battle; British forces entering the port of Haifa aboard the ship Neuralia; an armored convoy near the village of Deir Sharaf (Nablus district); the Scots Guards preparing for action; early footage of the Gaza airfield; an aerial reconnaissance flight over Palestine, including views of Haifa, Mount Carmel and the bay; sports games of the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force (TJFF) in Tzemach; and more. A small portion of the footage is in color. The films were shot in 1936-1937; most were edited and cleaned ca. 1957-1963.
The additional eight reels include varied footage from Jerusalem, Haifa, Cairo, Damascus and Beirut; documentation of Clarke’s vacations in Europe; as well as a journey to Australia and locations along the route (Jordan, the port of Aden [Yemen], Thailand and Indonesia); a partially-staged short film titled 'Darkest Africa'; footage from New York, Toronto, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados, Mauritania and Madeira; and more.
The lot also includes:
• Editing log comprising hundreds of pages, several dozen handwritten, apparently in Clarke’s hand. The notebook and accompanying leaves include a detailed description of the contents of the reels in the collection (and of additional reels not present here), a precise index of every shot, including dates, locations and editing notes (sections inserted or removed), etc. Clarke’s name appears on the cover.
• 10 later reels, from the 1960s-1970s, some in color, and short film fragments.
• 16mm film splicer by Kodak, and related accessories.
• Large wooden carrying crate (88.5X32.5X25.5 cm). On the lid appears Clarke’s name, stenciled: “D. W. Clarke”, a label of the Orient Steam Navigation Company, and additional labels.
Although extensive documentary material from Palestine during these years survives, documentation of suppression operations filmed by an active British commanding officer is exceedingly rare. It is unknown whether the raw footage in the present collection was used to produce a finished film, or whether such a film was publicly distributed.
Size and condition vary. Overall fair condition. Three reels (hand-numbered B, C and D on the storage canisters) have been digitized – USB flash drive enclosed.
Dudley Wrangel Clarke
(1899-1974), British intelligence officer. In 1936, at his own request, he was posted to Palestine and took part in suppressing the Arab Revolt. Clarke organized communications between field forces and the Royal Air Force in Palestine and coordinated intelligence operations against Arab guerrilla warfare; he served as chief of staff to Lieutenant-General John Dill and subsequently to Major-General Archibald Wavell (both later promoted to Field Marshal).
During the Second World War, with Wavell’s support, Clarke established the "A Force" in Cairo, which became the principal British military deception organization in the Middle East. Clarke was regarded as an expert in the field. He developed his methods through a series of covert operations that successfully deceived German intelligence and helped establish deception and misinformation as essential components of Allied strategy.
His commander, Archibald Wavell, wrote of him: "When I commanded in Palestine in 1937-38, I had on my staff two officers in whom I recognised an original, unorthodox outlook on soldiering; and I pigeon-holed their names in my mind for use should I ever command an army in war. One was Orde Wingate, the second was Dudley Clarke. I was fortunate enough to be able to use them both" (see: Dudley Clarke, Seven Assignments. London: Jonathan Cape, 1948, p. 7 [Introduction by Field Marshal Wavell]).
Over the years Clarke developed a deep affection for Egypt and a particular love of cinema; he would hold work meetings in Cairo cinemas and drew inspiration from films. After the war he published the book Seven Assignments (1948), recounting his activities during the early stages of the war; he later engaged in public opinion research and business ventures. He authored several additional books (one of which was barred from publication by military censorship). Clarke died in London in 1974; a substantial portion of his wartime activities remained classified decades after his death.
