Tony Bruce portrays "Ray" alongside Carl Harbord as "Doe," longtime companions experiencing a comfortable existence in England, complete with leisurely activities like punting and tennis. Their idyllic lifestyle is abruptly disrupted by the outbreak of World War I, prompting them to enlist along with countless others. Owing to their social standing, they receive officer’s commissions, placing them in charge of soldiers possessing more experience than themselves, and dispatching them to different battlefronts as the story unfolds, illustrating how these privileged young men are forced to mature rapidly. The narrative incorporates actual footage but primarily functions as a captivating drama documenting the transformation of these two boys into men amidst extraordinarily disturbing and frightening conditions. Moments of humor appear—particularly stemming from their names, Doe and Ray—and also from their witty batman, who has a chronic runny nose ("his nose runs in the family!"). This levity underscores the stoic and hopeful outlook held by many at the war’s outset, unaware of the prolonged conflict that was initially expected to be over by Christmas. The film's production values are simple; it often seems as though it might have originally been conceived as a silent movie, utilizing occasional captions to provide location updates. Nevertheless, it remains effective, and I found myself wondering if wider distribution across Europe during that period could have potentially made people more cautious about the later buildup to World War II.

Source on TMDB