This film is part of Free
Home-coming of Private Young, Preston's V.C.
Preston turns out in force for the homecoming of Private William Young, the valiant recipient of a Victoria Cross
Overview
Locals throng the flag-bedecked streets of Preston to welcome home their hero, Private Young, who was awarded the Victoria Cross in March 1916. Amidst the jostling crowds, the filmmakers capture the palpable mood of celebration and collective pride. Preston-based acrobat turned filmmaker Will Onda produced over 100 local topical films for screening in northern cinemas, and this one exudes particular vibrancy.
William Young was a private in the 8th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, during WWI. He received the VC for rescuing his sergeant in the face of heavy enemy fire while serving east of Foncquevillers, France. Look out for his wife and children outside their terraced house on Heysham Street, and note how Young is jubilantly transported to the Town Hall - in a coach drawn by soldiers rather than horses! Sadly, Private Young died just a few months later in Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot, where he had been admitted for an operation in August 1916.
Related
Shower Baths in the Trenches Shower Baths in the Trenches
Non-Fiction 1916 1 mins
A humble scrub is all it takes to get these French troops in a lather.
Airship No. 9 Airship No. 9
Non-Fiction 1916 14 mins Silent Location: Walney Island
The maiden flight of Britain's first successful rigid airship – just don’t call it a zeppelin…
The Scarecrow The Scarecrow
Comedy 1916 12 mins Silent
A tramp steals the clothes from a scarecrow, but when he realises two couples are using its pockets to pass messages, he sees an opportunity.
Tubby's Typewriter Tubby's Typewriter
Comedy 1916 11 mins Silent
Newlywed Tubby fancies another man's typewriter and ends up in hot water with his new wife
Preston North End Football Club at Deepdale Preston North End Football Club at Deepdale
1916 8 mins Silent
Preston North End play Liverpool (probably) in a regional football competition during WWI.
Industrial Sidelights Industrial Sidelights
Interest film 1916 7 mins Silent
Goat farming, salmon farming and copper mining all feature in this enlightening oddity.
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.