Recently Blighty Film provided fully costumed specialist supporting artists to the Didcot Railway Centre with the aim of reconstructing the scenes of soldiers from the British Expeditionary Force as they travelled on Britain's railways having returned from Dunkirk in May-June 1940. The images of soldiers leaning out of railway carriages being fed doorstop sandwiches and cups of tea has become iconic, and served at the time to boost morale and communicate the success of the evacuation operation.
These photographs also served as our inspiration and primary sources. Being led by our primary research, our historical reconstruction team then combined original uniforms and equipment, authentically reproduced food, drink, and other props, with the setting of the Didcot Railway Centre and their original 1930s railway carriages and steam locomotives to recreate the scenes of 1940.
As a test of authenticity, our own photographers then captured the scenes using original period cameras.
Our aim when reconstructing historical scenes is always to produce something of such quality and authenticity that it is indistinguishable from the real thing, we take great pride in what we do and in 'getting it right' down to the smallest details.
Comments