Photograph depicts soldiers trekking uphill with pack horses in mountainous terrain between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a line of soldiers hiking up switchbacks on a steep rocky slope between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a line of soldiers hiking up switchbacks on a steep rocky slope between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a military chaplain reading by a makeshift altar to a large group of soldiers, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a military chaplain reading by a makeshift altar to a large group of soldiers, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a man (possibly a soldier out of uniform) smoking a cigarette by a vehicle, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
These photographs were taken by an unknown photographer from Department of National Deference Public Relations (Pacific Command) during the 1945 Polar Bear Exercise. This exercise was held in northern British Columbia in February and March 1945, using some 1,150 soldiers of the 6th Division. The intent of the exercise was to test the effects of "wet cold" conditions on military men and material. The scenario for the Polar Bear Exercise was that: "Action will be based on reports of a Japanese force having been landed at Bella Coola from submarines, having rendered useless RCAF installations at Bella Bella, and giving positive indication that this force is composed in great part of construction personnel with a comparatively small protective element; the assumption being that it will try to construct a useable road from Bella Coola to permit movement inland of a larger fighting force to follow at some later date". The exercise itself was conducted in three overlapping phases. Between 12 February and 5 March the force moved from Prince George to Anahim Lake, chiefly using an array of motor transport but with some pack horses. The second phase ran from 4 March to early April. This was a series of marches from Anahim Lake to Bella Coola and return; a secondary force of 19 men split off from the main body and, travelling by snowmobile and snowshoe, traversed the Rainbow Mountains to Bella Coola; on the return march this detachment was increased to 120 men and dubbed "Y" Force. The third phase was removal of all troops by vehicle from Anahim Lake to Williams Lake. These photographs are believed to document the return from Bella Coola.
Photograph depicts a mountainous area between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake.
Photograph depicts two military vehicles traversing a rough dirt road between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts the unloading of a jeep from a CMP truck between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts soldiers trekking uphill in mountainous terrain between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts soldiers trekking through mountainous terrain between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a row of utility poles between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a line of soldiers hiking up switchbacks on a steep rocky slope between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a line of soldiers hiking up switchbacks on a steep rocky slope between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a narrow mountain gorge between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a number of soldiers wearing packs near a military truck, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a military chaplain reading by a makeshift altar with the Union Jack flag, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a military chaplain reading by a makeshift altar to a large group of soldiers, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a military chaplain reading by a makeshift altar to a large group of soldiers, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a military chaplain reading by a makeshift altar to a large group of soldiers, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a military chaplain reading by a makeshift altar to a large group of soldiers, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a two soldiers in their undershirts by their tent, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise. Morning coffee supplies sit on a stump nearby. One of the soldiers is seated, trying on his snowshoes.
Photograph depicts a group of seated soldiers, relaxing with their packs nearby, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a three mounted soldiers with a pack horse in front of a stone building, possibly somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise. Another man and a woman stand in the background near a truck and a flagpole.
Photograph depicts a soldiers transferring water from military truck water bag to a large water bag on the ground, possibly somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts two military vehicles traversing a rough dirt road between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise. The vehicle at the back of the convoy is marked with a notice: "CAUTION - RIGHT HAND DRIVE - NO SIGNALS".
Photograph depicts a dirt road between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake utilized for transport during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a tethered pack horse between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a solider mending his uniform likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a military chaplain standing by a makeshift altar with a cabin and group of soldiers in background, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a military chaplain reading by a makeshift altar to a large group of soldiers, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a group of soldiers seated on the ground with their shoes off and caring for their feet, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a soldier cooking over a campfire, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a two soldiers in their undershirts by their tent, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise. Morning coffee supplies sit on a stump nearby. One of the soldiers is seated, trying on his snowshoes.
Photograph depicts a three military tent buildings, possibly somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise. One of the buildings has a "K of C" (Knights of Columbus) sign on it.
Photograph depicts soldiers walking along road with children watching nearby, possibly somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a soldiers with packs walking over a wooden log bridge, possibly somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts soldiers unloading an American military jeep from a military truck, possibly somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts two military vehicles traversing a rough dirt road between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts the unloading of a jeep from a CMP truck between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a tethered pack horses in makeshift log stalls between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a military chaplain reading by a makeshift altar to a large group of soldiers, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a second military chaplain reading by a makeshift tree stump altar, likely somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Photograph depicts a large number of soldiers bearing packs walking in a line through a rancher's field, possibly somewhere between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake during the WWII Polar Bear training exercise.
Footage includes salmon jumping in a river, men filleting fish in fishing boat in tide water, a beaver in the water, and a bird, probably a heron, flying.
Recordings from the boat on a river, some loons on a lake, either Anahim or Fenton lake, and a panoramic view of the lake with mountains in background.
Also some footage of men fishing from the shore of a river, children catching fish, children swimming, some river rapids, footage of an eagle, a pelican on the lake, a group of birds, probably sand pipers, in water.
There are two young girls playing on a boat near shore, a view of white and brown house, and an older boy pulling a young girl in a wagon.
Include is footage of a backyard BBQ picnic, two young girls fishing, a cabin at a lake, and general scenery of birch trees, a boat house, and a dock at lake.
There is also a sign that reads "Breezy Cove," people relaxing on porch in front of cabin, and footage of a woman believed to be Mrs. Elsey and a friend walking on a forest path.
The film ends with footage of more fishing off a motor boat and unloading the motor boat at a dock.
Possible locations of the filming include the Bella Coola River, the Bella Coola Valley, the Bulkley Valley, the Hagensborg area, and Nimpo Lake.
Footage of thee men in dugout canoe bringing in ooligan nets full of ooligan fish on what is believed to be the Bella Coola river. Two of the men bring in the net while the third bails water. The men then bring in the canoe to shore using long poles. Women then join and help transport the fish to shore and then place the fish in large "stink box" where they are stirred with a stick.
Footage of fly fishing on a river, possibly the Bella Coola River or Dean River, fishing in river canyon, footage of deer, footage of Alert Bay, village, marina and totem poles on shore, footage of a white robin, and a woman holding her salmon catch. Also include is recordings of the Anahim stampede and the bucking bronco event.
Fonds consists of original, silent 16mm reels that portray the natural, social and land use history of the Bella Coola and Chilcotin regions named the "Natural and Guiding History of the Bella Coola and Chilcotin Regions".
Possible locations that Al Elsey filmed include: Bella Coola, Bella Bella, Anahim Lake, Alert Bay, Nimpo Lake, Bulkey Valley, the Rainbow Mountains, Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, Dean River, Bella Coola River, Tchaha Lake, the Chilcotin region, the Ulkatcho Mountains, Lassard Lake, Fenton Lake, Atnarko River, Wells Gray Park, and Holt Homestead.
Footage of Robson feeding his deer. The location of the filming is believed to be Robson's home in Bella Coola.