WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 93 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 93 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 93
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: An edition of the British official newsreel "War Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
  • Description: I. 'CHURCHILL IN THE MIDDLE EAST.' Cheering crowds greet British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on his arrival in Cyprus following his successful visit to Adana in Turkey for discussions with President Ismet Inönü. Churchill chats to representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church and later inspects troops from the 4th Queen's Own Hussars forming part of the Cyprus garrison. II. 'TRIPOLI TO-DAY.' The commentary stresses that life has returned to normal in Tripoli following the occupation of the former "Italian Metropolis" by the British Eighth Army. A British military policeman wearing white arm bands directs military traffic in a street in Tripoli. Civilians cling to overloaded horse-drawn carts as they return to the city from outlying districts. Civilian inhabitants of Tripoli read a wall poster giving information on the new British military rule in Tripolitania, issued in the name of Bernard Law Montgomery and the British Military Government. A Consolidated B-24 Liberator communications aircraft (Commando) carrying British Prime Minister Winston Spencer Churchill arrives at an airfield near Tripoli. Churchill, accompanied by General Montgomery, addresses a mixed service gathering in order to pay his respects to the men of the Eighth Army, The Royal Navy and the Allied Air Forces who participated in the great desert battles. Following his address, troops drawn from all service arms and Commonwealth nations march past a reviewing podium. Eighth Army M4 General Sherman tanks drive past the reviewing podium as Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC fighter aircraft overfly the event. Churchill is driven on a tour of Tripoli in Montgomery's personal Humber Snipe Tourer. The commentary points out that even as celebrations took place in Tripoli, advanced units of the Eighth Army were preparing to cross into Tunisia. Churchill, accompanied by General Alan F Brooke watches a march past by men of the Highland Division. III. 'ACTION IN THE PACIFIC.' Described as "official" footage taken by a United States Navy (USN) cameraman based with an "American Task Force in the South-west Pacific." USN anti-aircraft crews fire at enemy aircraft (unseen). Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) aircraft manoeuvre at height to avoid anti-aircraft tracer fire. A single engined aircraft crashes in the sea (unidentifiable due to sea spray from forced landing). Flight deck views on a USN aircraft carrier show Douglas Dauntless SBD dive-bomber aircraft parked and chocked as naval personnel take cover from exploding Japanese bombs. USN sailors run to a Grumman F6 Hellcat fighter which has been knocked to the side of the carriers flight deck due to blast from exploding Japanese bombs. The ferocity of the Japanese air assault is evident from the very shaky footage taken at this point. A bomb impacts near the central aircraft elevator on the carrier's flight deck, fire crews pull a hose across the smoking flight deck in an attempt to stop the fire from spreading.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 93
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1943-02-15
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information, Middle East (Production sponsor) War Pictorial News (Production company) Martin, Charles (Production individual) Keating, Rex1910-02-142005-01British newsreel commentator, WW2 period (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer (person) Montgomery, Bernard Law (person) Brooke, Alan Francis (person) British Army, Hussars, 4 (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: refugees, Libyan - return (object name) combat, United States naval - air strike [I] (object name) Cyprus (geography) Libya & Tripoli (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: Arabic
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 991 ft; Running time: 11 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 93

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