12TH CORPS CAPTURES THE RUINED TOWN OF VILLERS-BOCAGE [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: 12TH CORPS CAPTURES THE RUINED TOWN OF VILLERS-BOCAGE [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: A70 113-7
  • Other titles:
  • Summary:
  • Description: A 'Wasp' carrier, fitted with a flame-thrower, squirts several jets of flame onto a cottage where a German sniper is suspected of having taken shelter. A thick cloud of dust conceals from view a Sherman Crab flail tanks as its chains beat a path into Villers-Bocage. An abandoned Stuart V light tank, a relic of the 4th City of London Yeomanry's attempt to hold onto the town when it fell briefly into the hands of the 7th Armoured Division on June 13th 1944, and a German route-marker greet 59th Division's troops as they enter the devastated and empty town. Three prisoners from the 276th Infantry Division are driven out of Villers-Bocage to the divisional POW cage in a 7th Royal Northumberland Fusiliers jeep; they pass an up-turned universal carrier which has evidently struck a landmine and a stationary 31st Tank Brigade (7th RTR?) Churchill. Infantrymen from one of 59th Division's rifle battalions file through Villers-Bocage past the railway station. On account of several RAF bombing raids, very few buildings remain unharmed in the town.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-08-04
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor) Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company) Johnson, John Norman (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Corps 12 (regiment/service) British Army, Div 59 (regiment/service) British Army, Northumberland Fusiliers, 7th Battalion (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: armour, British - carrier: Universal Wasp (object name) transport, United States military - utility: jeep (object name) prisoners of war (object name) destruction, French military - area: bomb (object name) equipment, British military - damage control: mine detector (object name) operations, British military - mines: clearance (object name) Operation Bluecoat, Mont Pinçon 1944, North West Europe, Second World War (event) Normandy, France (geography) Villers-Bocage, Calvados, France (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Footage: 166 ft; Running time: 2 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: Note: See A70 111-5, 112-5 and 6, 113-4, 5, 6, 15, 18 and 19, 116-6, 118-3 and 4, 124-1, 2, 3 and 6, 126-8, 10 and 11 for footage showing 12th Corps' formations in action near Villers- Bocage, in the Orne bridge-head at Goupillieres and during the advance towards Falaise. Partially wrecked on June 13 1944, Villers-Bocage was devastated by an RAF Bomber Command interdiction raid. Remarks: Good footage. Best seen with the items of ciné material listed above, notably A70 113-4 and 5, and refer to A70 113-23 for footage showing wrecked 7th Armoured Division vehicles outside Villers-Bocage. Documentation/associated material: for a bibliography, refer to the items listed in A70 111-5 and 113-4.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    A70 113-7

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