MISS LANCE-CORPORAL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3129, 10 June 1942, Page 8

MISS LANCE-CORPORAL

FILMS TO TRAIN TROOPS

NOVEL SYSTEM IN BRITAIN

Films shown by women lance-cor-porals of the A.T.S. are helping to train the troops in Britain. Based on various centres, these women operators travel round their districts giving shows of the excellent instructional and training "shorts” which the British film industry is contributing to the war effort. A few of the women have already had experience in the industry itself, but all of them go through eight weeks’ 'training under civilian and A.T.S. instructors, learning to set up their projection outfits andi to have a picture on the screen within 15 minutes. They are also taught how to tackle acoustics and. lighting problems, for as there is nobody to help them when they are out on their job, they have to learn to be completely selfreliant. When qualified they get Army "tradeswoman’s” pay. Other girls, lady hairdressers, tailoresses and others who in civil life have been nimble with their fingers, are trained to patch up worn-out copies of films at the film libraries attached to the different Commands.

Eventually there will be some 300 16 mm. projection units. They are so easy to handle that they were among the few items of equipment, evacuated from Dunkirk to Britain, where they are still doing good service.