LANDINGS ON 'SWORD' BEACH, 6 JUNE 1944 (PART 4) [Allocated Title]

Log in to create clips, download free screeners and save clips/films in Collections. Click here to find out more.

  • Title: LANDINGS ON 'SWORD' BEACH, 6 JUNE 1944 (PART 4) [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: A70 31-3
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: No 4 Commando goes into action on the morning of D-Day.
  • Description: On June 5, men of No 4 Commando board an assault ship at Southampton Docks. Commandos and naval personnel on the ship's port side watch the docks recede as it steams into the Solent. Next morning, LCAs carrying commandos approach 'Sword' Beach. At 8.20 hours, No 4 Commando lands on 'Queen Red' Beach at La Brèche with the 2nd East Yorkshire Regiment and then heads inland towards Ouistreham past shattered defences and gutted beach cottages. Supported by 13/18th Hussars amphibious Shermans, the commandos advance along the road through Riva-Bella, where members of the Resistance and civilians greet them, and encounter slight opposition. Troops file past a company HQ section operating a No 18 wireless and double past a ditched DD Sherman. From a second storey window, the camera pans over semi-derelict land behind the beach. An ex-Italian Army Organisation Todt worker and Wehrmacht soldiers are taken prisoner. Casualties are brought back into Riva-Bella for treatment. A Frenchman drapes a Tricolour in front of his house. Free French Commandos fraternise with fellow countrymen. More prisoners are sent to the rear.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: A70 31-3
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-06-06
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor) Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company) Laws, George E J1916-02-15 (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Porteous, Patrick Anthony (person) British Army, 4 Commando (regiment/service) British Army, Yorkshire Regiment, East, 2nd Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Hussars, 13/18 (regiment/service) Royal Navy (regiment/service) Free French Forces, Free French Commandos (regiment/service) Forces Francaises de l'Interieur (regiment/service) French Resistance (regiment/service) Royal Italian Army (regiment/service) German Army, Div, Infantry, 716 & Grenadier Regt 736 (regiment/service) OrganisationTodt (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: ships, British naval - amphibious: LCA (object name) ships, British naval - amphibious: LSI (object name) armour, United States - funnies: M4 Sherman DD & [British] & [damaged] (object name) communications, British military - electronic: wireless, No 18 (object name) operations, British military - movement: ship (object name) operations, British military - movement: road (object name) prisoners of war, Italian - surrender (object name) prisoners of war, German - surrender (object name) combat, British (object name) destruction, French military - area (object name) casualties, British wounded (object name) celebrations, French - liberation (object name) society, French military - friendship (object name) 12/5(261.22).7 [ Operation Neptune] (event) GB, England & Southampton, Hants <Docks> (geography) Sword beach, Calvados, France (geography) Queen Red Beach, La Breche, Calvados, France (geography) Riva-Bella, 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: 288 ft; Running time: 3 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    A70 31-3

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
Register