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Summary: The scene of bitter fighting between the 7th Armoured Division and elements of the 2nd Panzer Division and I SS Panzer Korps on June 13th 1944 and heavily bombed since then, Villers- Bocage falls into the hands of the 59th (Staffordshire) Division.
Description: Troops and vehicles from 197th Brigade enter the ruined and deserted town in the evening of August 4th.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Watkins, R V (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Div 59 (regiment/service)
British Army, Bde 176 (regiment/service)
British Army, Corps 12 (regiment/service)
Keywords: Operation Bluecoat, Mont Pinçon 1944, North West Europe, Second World War (event)
Normandy, France (geography)
Villers-Bocage, Calvados, France (geography)
Notes: Note: See A70 111-5, 112-5 and 6, 113-5, 6, 7, 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. Villers-Bocage, partially wrecked by fighting there on June 13th 1944, was attacked by RAF heavy bombers on June 30th.
Remarks: Best seen with items of ciné material listed above, notably A70 113-5 which contains similar footage. This material was shot in poor light conditions and-or with a faulty aperture setting.
Documentation/associated material: for a bibliography, refer to the publications listed in A70 111-5 and 'A Short History of the 7th Armoured Division June 1945-July 1945 by BAOR.
