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Title:THE 8TH ARMOURED BRIGADE ENTRAINS AT NEWMARKET TO TRANSFER TO ITS PRE-INVASION ASSEMBLY AREA IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND (PART 1) [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 3-1
Other titles:
Summary:
Description: Rolls 1 to 3 shot on April 7th show Loyd battery 'slave' carriers, Crusaders anti-aircraft tanks, Valentines and a Sherman ARV belonging to the 4/7th Dragoon Guards being driven onto 'conflats' and 'warwells' at Newmarket Old Station. two trains carrying men of the Dragoon Guards and ten Shermans depart. Two Dragoon Guardsmen are seen briefly sitting in a railway compartment munching sandwiches.
Rolls 4 to 7 shot on April 8th shows the departure of two trains carrying men and tanks belonging to the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry. Of interest are the arrival of a Sherman Firefly, its 17-pounder gun and turret shrouded in tarpaulin, at the station, the layout of the anchor chains on one particular 'warwell', the method used to secure on ARV to its flat-car and LNER signalman at work inside his signal box.
Roll 8 shot on April 9th shows the departure of a trainload of 24th Lancers Shermans and Fireflies.
An RAF regional transport officer and a railway superintendent paste labels onto a coach indicating the regimental Commanding Officer's compartment and the troop train's movement serial code.
Access Conditions:IWM
Featured Period:1939-1945
Production Date:1944-04-09
Production Country: GB
Production Details: Army Film Unit (Production company)
Watkins, R V (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations:
Keywords: Newmarket, Suffolk, England, UK (geography)
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 767 ft; Running time: 8 mins
Notes: Summary: comparatively rare shots of Valentine Mark XI armed with 75mm in regimental service - must have been replaced by the Sherman shortly before D-Day. Loyd 'slave' fitted with battery re-charging unit (?) for tank batteries. The Firefly tank was on the secret list at this time. The train's movement serial code '9E59' denotes 9th (April), Eastern (Command), (Number) 59.
Remarks: good shots of individual vehicles notably Loyd carriers, Crusader AA tanks, Valentines Shermans and Fireflies, being loaded onto flat-cars. The cameraman's own 'editing' a cause for puzzlement on occasions - the synopsis therefore attempting to highlight certain features and activities without necessarily placing them in the order in which they appear in the film.