Little Belgium (1942)

Brixham is a town of around 15,000 people on the coast of Devon that saw an influx of almost 2,000 Belgian refugees fleeing the Nazi invasion at the start of World War II. This is an engaging short film that illustrates just how readily these people joined in with the efforts of the local fishermen to catch and land their hauls whilst always in danger of strafing from Luftwaffe aircraft. Meantime, the youngsters are at school learning - in Flemish - about their own country and their own history, as well as how to tie an array of complex knots that make it clear that their maritime past will still carry on in the future once the menace has been defeated and they can return home in peace. The film includes some interesting archive that more generally helps us appreciate the largely manual and exertive efforts as well as the teamwork going on as some fairly hefty tonnages of fish make their way inland to help, vitally, with the provision of a nutritious food supply. It’s only ten minutes and shows us an example of the war effort - with a difference.