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Summary: I. French newsreel item refuting German claims that the bombardment of Paris by long-range guns has caused serious disruption, May 1918.
II. French newsreel item on the decoration of General di Robillant at the Interallied Supreme Headquarters at Versailles, May 1918.
III. French newsreel item on the creation of an independent Polish Army in France, May 1918.
IV. French newsreel item on the air ace Sub-Lieutenant René Fonck, Western Front, May 1918.
Description: The item shows normal life continuing in Paris. The markets trading in the open, uncongested and normal traffic flowing in the Place de l'Opéra, and people walking through the parks and boulevards and out of a theatre performance, all emphasise that life continues as normal.
Di Robillant, commanding the Italian contingent on the Western Front, is awarded the Cross of a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour.
General Archinard reviews men of 1st Battalion, Chasseurs, of the Army of Independent Poland. A priest is present at the ceremony and the men march past Archinard at the end.
Fonck was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour for shooting down a total of six German aircraft in 90 minutes on 9th May. He demonstrates his shooting ability on the ground by using a carbine to shoot a hole in a 10 centimes piece at 25 paces. He takes aim, but the shot is not shown. He is then shown putting on his flying suit, getting into his Spad 13, and taking off. Finally he poses beside his Spad.
Production Details: Section Cinématographique de l'Armée Française (Production company)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Robilant, Mario Nicolis di (person)
Archinard, Louis (person)
Fonck, René Paul (person)
Royal Italian Army (regiment/service)
French Army (regiment/service)
Polish Army, Chasseurs, Bn 1 (regiment/service)
French Army, Air Corps (regiment/service)
Keywords: society, French - domestic (object name)
propaganda, French - inspirational (object name)
ceremonies, French - event-related: investiture (object name)
ceremonies, Italian - event-related: investiture (object name)
delegations, French international - military (object name)
religion, Christianity - military, Polish (object name)
aircraft, French - combat: Spad 13 (object name)
31/3(44) (event)
31/3(44) (event)
31/3(44) (event)
01/3(4-15).8 (event)
Paris, Département de Ville de Paris, France (geography)
Interallied Supreme Headquarters, Versailles, Yvelines, France (geography)
France (geography)
France (geography)
propaganda, French (concept)
camera (concept)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Silent
Soundtrack language: None
Title language: None
Subtitle language: French
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 446 ft; Running time: 9 mins
HD Media:Yes
Notes: Title: this is taken from the shotsheet
Production etc: see Notes to IWM 508-10
Remarks: the differences between this episode (unfortunately marred by the absence of some important captions) and IWM 443 BRITISH FACT AND GERMAN FICTION are noteworthy. In establishing that, contrary to German newspaper reports, life in London was unaffected by air attacks, the British took elaborate and naive precautions to establish dates using a special constable as witness. The French simply produced their film in the confident expectation that it would be taken as genuine, and the German version as false, without further consideration
