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Title:THE 'DESERT RATS' PUSH ON TOWARDS AUNAY-SUR-ODON [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 113-14
Other titles:
Summary: Units serving with the 7th Armoured division follow up the German retreat beyond Aunay-sur-Odon.
Description: A column consisting of Stuart (Honey) tanks from the 22nd Armoured Brigade, 5.5 inch guns, tractors and support vehicles from the 84th (Sussex) Medium Regiment RA, and Sexton self- propelled guns and support vehicles from the 5th Royal Horse Artillery makes its way along a narrow country track flooded by a stream diverted from its original course by the Germans somewhere between Aunay-sur-Odon and Villers-Bocage. The procession passes a carrier bogged down in a ditch by the roadside. A stream of 1st RTR (?) Cromwell and Stuart tanks, 1st Rifle Brigade (?) M5 half- tracks and Humber scout cars races along a road north of Aunay- sur-Odon to Bonnemaison. A broken-down universal carrier is winched aboard a tank transporter. Cromwells and Sherman Fireflies from the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards head through a cross-roads village of Robin while advancing to Hamars, a village to the north of Mont Pincon. An M5 half-track and a Humber scout car pass German route signs for the 326th Infantry Division and 10th SS Panzer Division nailed onto two trees near the cemetery in Robin.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Ginger (Sergeant) (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Royal Artillery (regiment/service)
British Army, Queen's Regiment, Bn 1/7 (regiment/service)
British Army, Bde 131 (regiment/service)
British Army, Queen's Regiment, Bn 1/5 (regiment/service)
British Army, Bde, Armoured, 22 (regiment/service)
British Army, Div, Armoured, 7 (regiment/service)
British Army, Corps 30 (regiment/service)
British Army, Dragoon Guards, 5 (regiment/service)
Keywords: Stuart V light tank (object name)
transport, British military - prime mover: AEC Matador 4x4 tractor (object name)
weapons, British - gun: 5.5-inch gun (object name)
armour, British - SPG: Sexton 25-pounder (object name)
armour, United States - halftrack: M5 (object name)
armour, British - carrier: Universal (object name)
armour, United States - funnies: M4 Sherman Firefly & [British] (object name)
armour, British - tank: Cromwell (object name)
armour, British - armoured car: Humber scout car (object name)
Operation Bluecoat, Mont Pinçon 1944, North West Europe, Second World War (event)
Normandy, France (geography)
Notes: Note: See with A70 113-24, which is identical to several of the sequences in this material, and A70 108-4 and 7 and 116-10 for footage showing the 7th Armoured Division in action with 30th Corps during Operation "Bluecoat". In addition to the sackings mentioned in A70 108-4, 30th Corps' commander, Lieutenant-General Bucknall, was 'bowler-hatted' on August 2nd 1944 for his corps' slow progress.
Remarks: Good footage. Best seen with items of ciné material listed above.
Documentation/associated material: In addition to the items listed in A70 108-4, refer to 'An Account of the Operations of the 2nd Army in Europe 1944-1945 : Volume 1' by 2nd Army HQ.
