SICILY - VARIOUS [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: SICILY - VARIOUS [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: AYY 506/5/2
  • Other titles: BRITISH ARMY OPERATIONS IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Scenes in Sicily including prisoners and burnt out tanks.
  • Description: A Grader towing a roller towards the camera seen over the tail-end of a Spitfire at the RAF airfield at Pachino. Grader passing the tail of the Spitfire, view of the operator. Interrogating officer Lieutenant Henderson of the 51st Highland Division at 30 Corps HQ near Bucchari, questioning Captain Albrecht Gunther, officer commanding the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment, Paratroop Rifle Regiment, who was captured in civilian clothes. Close up of the interrogation. Panning shot of a truck load of Italian prisoners being driven from the POW Collection Camp near Vizzini. The truck dwindles into the distance then another truck appears. 18 July. Civilians in Vizzini fighting for Italian biscuits given to them by a British film unit. 19 July. Traffic crossing a repaired bridge (attacked by retreating German forces) on the road between Piazza Armerina and Valguarnera. Close up of the repaired bridge. Austrian and Sudeten German prisoners walking towards the camera and climbing into trucks. 20 July. Two British soldiers looking over a burnt out German Mark IV Tiger Tank near Caltagirone. Close up of front of tank. A felled tree across the road between Caltagirone and Mineo (blown down by retreating Germans), a vehicle comes into view and turns right to make a detour. The action is repeated from a different angle. View from a wall at the side of the road with the felled tree in the foreground. A vehicle in the distance approaches the tree and detours as the camera pans and picks up the vehicle as it rounds the foliage. Close up of the tree trunk at the blasted point.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (AYY 506/5/2)
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1943-07
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: War Office Film Unit (Production company) Radford, John H. B. (Sergeant) (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Henderson (Lieutenant) (person) Gunther, Albrecht (person) British Army, 51st Highland Division (regiment/service) German Army (Third Reich), Paratroop Rifle Regiment, 2nd Battalion (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Italy 1939-1945 (theme) Pachino, Sicily, Italy (geography) Vizzini, Sicily, Italy (geography) Operation Husky, Allied Invasion of Sicily 1943, Italy, Second World War (event)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 300 ft; Running time: 3 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: Further details of Captain Gunther's capture and the cameraman's comments are in the dope sheet. 00:42 As a truck load of Italian prisoners are being driven past and the camera pans to the left,AFPU Captain Alan Whicker can be seen in the bottom left of the picture. 00:58 AFPU officer Captain Alan Whicker is filmed giving biscuits to Italian civilians.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    AYY 506/5/2

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
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