THE 51ST (HIGHLAND) DIVISION GOES ONTO THE OFFENSIVE AGAIN (PART 1) [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: THE 51ST (HIGHLAND) DIVISION GOES ONTO THE OFFENSIVE AGAIN (PART 1) [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: A70 116-5
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: After successfully attaining their objectives for the first phase of Operation "Totalise", 2nd Canadian Corps' offensive down the Caen-Falaise highway, the 51st (Highland) Division and the 33rd Armoured Brigade consolidate their hold on the village of St Aignan de Cramesnil while the 1st Polish Armoured Division assembles for the second phase.
  • Description: Troops of the 1st Battalion Black Watch keep guard over prisoners digging slit-trenches for them. The prisoners taken from the 89th Wehrmacht infantry division include Soviet Asians as well as more obviously upright Aryan types. Like other Norman villages after a battle, St Aignan de Cramesnil is in ruins. Bombs from the 8th USAAF fall beyond St Aignan on German positions around St Sylvain. The Black Watch is reinforced by the 1st Northampton Yeomanry's Sherman tanks. The 1st Polish Armoured Division's armour assembles outside St Aignan for its combat debut prior to Phase II of Operation "Totalise". Of interest is a Bren gun fitted with a drum magazine mounted on a Humber scout car. The Polish crew of a 10th Mounted Rifles Regiment Cromwell relax before going into action for the first time.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-08-08
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor) Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company) Walker (Sergeant) (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Footage: 199 ft; Running time: 2 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: Note: See with A70 116-1 for material shot by Sergeant J R Connolly showing 51st Highland Division units preparing for "Tractable". Refer also to A70 119-1, 2, 5 and 7 for footage taken by Sergeants Connolly, Collins, Smales and McArdle. Remarks: Good close-ups of captured Wehrmacht prisoners, etc. Best seen with items of footage listed above. Documentation/associated material: read 'The Official History of the Canadian Army : The Victory Campaign' by Colonel Stacey, 'The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1939-1945' by J B Salmond and 'With the tanks of the 1st Polish Armoured Division' by Jamar.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    A70 116-5

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