THE BATTLE OF THE ANCRE AND ADVANCE OF THE TANKS [Main Title]

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Media files

  • Title: THE BATTLE OF THE ANCRE AND ADVANCE OF THE TANKS [Main Title]
  • Film Number: IWM 116
  • Other titles: BATTLE OF THE ANCRE [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: British operations in the Somme offensive between the Battle of Flers-Courcelette and the Battle of the Ancre, Western Front, September-November 1916.
  • Description: (Reel 1) Material from various phases of the Somme offensive without regard for logical or chronological continuity. The film opens with the unloading of supply trains, and soldiers on the march to the battlefield, horses being used to carry 18-pounder shells to the guns in saddle-panniers as the mud is impassable for wheeled transport, and the first appearance of the tanks. Includes brief footage of black servicemen of the British West Indies Regiment amongst a team of men loading the train. (Reel 2) 18-pounder guns, 6-inch and 8-inch howitzers fire under the control of battery officers and forward observation officers. A sequence of "Irish troops" attacking Martinpuich is shown (fake ?). (Reel 3) The tanks and Highlanders take Martinpuich on 15 September. (Reel 4) Scenes of ruins and a field dressing station after the battle. A German colonel captured with his staff on 13th November. Men of 63rd (Royal Naval) Division rest after capturing Beaumont Hamel. (Reel 5) General views of the Ancre battlefield and troops cleaning up and resting in the aftermath. The final sequence is of silhouetted supply columns moving on up the road. Among the various units in the film, those which are identified are three tanks, HMLS 'Oh I Say !', HMLS 'Daphne' and HMLS 'Dodo', the Australian 1st and 2nd Divisions, Howe and Hawke Battalions from 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, 29th Division, and several Infantry regiments. These include 4th Battalion, the Worcestershire Regiment, 2nd Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion, the West Yorkshire Regiment, 7th and 8th Battalions, the King's Own Scottish Borderers, 13th Battalion, the Royal Scots, 11th Battalion, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 6th and 10th Battalions, the Cameron Highlanders, 8th and 9th Battalions, the Durham Light Infantry, the Essex Regiment and the Royal Welch Fusiliers
  • Alternative Title: BATTLE OF THE ANCRE [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: IWM 116
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (IWM 116)
  • Featured Period: 1914-1918
  • Production Date: 1917-01
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: War Office (Production sponsor) British Topical Committee for War Films (Production company) Jury, William F (Production individual) Malins, Geoffrey H (Production individual) McDowell, J B (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Div 16 (?) (regiment/service) British Army, Div 29 (regiment/service) British Army, Div 63 (regiment/service) British Army, Royal Naval Div, Bn Howe (regiment/service) British Army, Royal Naval Div, Bn Hawke (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Royal Naval Div, Bn Howe (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Royal Naval Div, Bn Hawke (regiment/service) Australian Army, Australian Imperial Force, 1st Division (regiment/service) Australian Army, Australian Imperial Force, 2nd Division (regiment/service) British Army, Machine Gun Corps, Heavy Branch (regiment/service) British Army, Tank Corps (regiment/service) British Army, Worcestershire Regiment, 4th Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Northamptonshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Yorkshire Regiment, West, 2nd Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, King's Own Scottish Borderers, 11th Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, King's Own Scottish Borderers, 8th Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Scots Fusiliers, Royal, Bn 13 (regiment/service) British Army, Cameron Highlanders, 6th Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Cameron Highlanders, 9th Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 11th (Service) Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Durham Light Infantry, 8th Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Durham Light Infantry, 9th Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Essex Regiment (regiment/service) British Army, Royal Welch Fusiliers (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: armour, British - tank: Tank Mark I Male & [+] (object name) armour, British - tank: Tank Mark I Female & [+] (object name) casualties, British wounded - battlefield (object name) combat [simulated], British - trench raid (object name) combat [simulated], British - tank (object name) combat, British - artillery bombardment (object name) communications, British military - wire (object name) destruction, French military - area (object name) medical, British military - emergency (object name) operations, British military - sortie (object name) operations, British military - preparation (object name) operations, British military - return (object name) operations, British military - movement (object name) prisoners of war, German - movement: [+] (object name) society, British military - sustenance (object name) society, British military - hygiene (object name) supplies, British, movement [FA] - munitions: [+] (object name) transport, British military - animal packload: [+] (object name) transport, British military - rail (object name) weapons, British - gun: 18-pounder field gun (object name) weapons, British - gun: 6-inch 26cwt howitzer (object name) weapons, British - gun: 8-inch howitzer (object name) 01/3(4-15).57 (event) Flers-Courcelette, Somme, France (geography) Ancre (River), Somme, France (geography) Albert, Somme, France (geography) Martinpuich, Pas-de-Calais, France (geography) mud & [+] (concept) half-light (concept)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 5 Footage: 4472 ft; Running time: 76 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    IWM 116

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    IWM 1195 (CANADIAN TANKS [Allocated Title]) IWM 1198 (TANK SECTIONS [Allocated Title]) IWM FLM 2369 (THE BATTLE OF THE ANCRE)
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