Restored footage shows French soldiers in Dundee back in 1918
- Andrew Batchelor
- 25 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Newly restored footage has surfaced online showing a remarkable moment from Dundee’s past – soldiers preparing to depart the city more than a century ago.
The colourised film, is believed to have been shot in 1918, shows a group of French Chasseurs at Dundee’s docks as they waited to board a ship bound for Russia during the final months of the First World War.
The original black and white footage is held by the U.S. National Archives as part of A.E.F. Activities in England, 1918, which documented the movements of Allied troops across the United Kingdom.
The restored version, posted by HistoryColored, has gone viral on social media with more than 20,000 likes.
The footage has been widely shared among Dundonians, many of whom were fascinated to learn about the city’s connection to this rare wartime scene.
Historians believe the film captures a significant moment in Dundee’s wartime story, as the city played an important role in supporting Allied operations.
The sight of uniformed troops waving to the camera offers a poignant reminder of the human side of the global conflict that shaped the 20th century.
The restored film has sparked growing interest online, with locals sharing memories and archival photos linked to Dundee’s docks from the same period.
