Title:SONS OF OUR EMPIRE EPISODE 1 : Winter on the Western Front [Main Title]
Film Number:IWM 130-01+2
Other titles:WINTER ON THE WESTERN FRONT [Alternative Title]
PREPARING FOR THE SPRING OPERATIONS (Original Part Title) [Alternative Title]
THE FALL OF BAPAUME (Original Part Title) [Alternative Title]
Summary: Winter training for British troops, and Bapaume after its capture, Western Front, early 1917
Description: I. (Reel 1) Winter training for British troops. Infantry guns and Highlanders move in columns along the roads up to the snow covered trenches. Hot soup is brought to troops in the trenches. A dawn 'stand to'. Rifle grenades and a 3-inch Stokes mortar are test fired. A bombardment in snow by various British guns: 6-inch howitzers, 9.2-inch howitzers, 18-pounders and 60-pounders, directed by air observation. A major daylight trench raid through the snow, covered by smoke grenades. The raid is in four waves including wiring parties. Meanwhile other trenches are repaired and 6-inch howitzers continue the harassing fire. II. (Reel 2) Damage to Bapaume shown after its capture. Highland Light Infantry (?) repair the Bapaume road. A panorama of the town starting with the railway station. Views from the Rue de Casernes and the Rue de Bapaume. Some buildings are still smouldering and parties of British troops who walk by warm themselves by the fires. A detailed scene of the railway station. A German observation post on top of the sugar factory. More damage, including the town hall, and a Vickers machine gun emplacement on the Rue de Péronne. British troops, including lorry-mounted 13-pounder anti-aircraft guns, move through the town. Australians, probably of Australian 5th Division, enter the town.
Alternative Title:WINTER ON THE WESTERN FRONT [Alternative Title]
PREPARING FOR THE SPRING OPERATIONS (Original Part Title) [Alternative Title]
THE FALL OF BAPAUME (Original Part Title) [Alternative Title]
Production Details: War Office Cinema Committee (Production sponsor)
Topical Film Company (Production company)
Jury, William F (Production individual)
McDowell, J B (Production individual)
Raymond, H C (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Highland Light Infantry (regiment/service)
Australian Army, Australian Imperial Force, Div 5 (?) (regiment/service)
British Army, infantry (regiment/service)
Keywords: weapons, British - gun: 6-inch 26cwt howitzer (object name)
weapons, British - gun: 9.2-inch howitzer (object name)
weapons, British - gun: 60-pounder (object name)
weapons, British - gun [AA]: 13-pounder (object name)
weapons, British - projector: rifle grenade (object name)
weapons, British - mortar: 3-inch Stokes (object name)
weapons, British - smallarm: Vickers machine gun (object name)
communications, British military - electronic (object name)
combat, British - artillery bombardment (object name)
combat, British - trench raid: [+] (object name)
training, British military (object name)
defences, German - passive: observation post & [captured] (object name)
destruction, French military - area (object name)
society, British military - sustenance: [+] (object name)
01/3(4-15).5 (event)
01/3(4-15).6 (event)
01/3(4-15).7 (event)
Bapaume, Pas-de-Calais, France (geography)
winter & [+] (concept)
half-light & [+] (concept)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Silent
Soundtrack language: None
Title language: None
Subtitle language: English
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 2
Footage: 2002 ft; Running time: 34 mins
IWM 123 (WESTERN FRONT (rough material) [Allocated Title])
IWM 233 (LA GUERRE ANGLAISE : grand film documentaire en 4 parts - les tanks anglais a la bataille de la Scarpe [Main Title])
IWM 349 (GERMAN PRISONERS - SCENES AT LA BOZELLE (sic) [Main Title])
