MISS LANCE-CORPORAL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 50, 8 May 1942, Page 3

MISS LANCE-CORPORAL

RUNS FILM SHOWS TO TRAIN THE TROOPS 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 and to have a picture on the screen within fifteen 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 self-reliant. When qualified they get Army tradesmen's pay. Other girls, laiHy hairdressers, tailoreses and others who in civil life have been nimble Avith 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 thev were among the few items, of equipment evacuated from Dunkirk to Britain where they are still doing gcod service.