TANKS MOVE UP TO THE FRONT IN THE BOCAGE (PART 1) [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: TANKS MOVE UP TO THE FRONT IN THE BOCAGE (PART 1) [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: A70 119-3
  • Other titles:
  • Summary:
  • Description: Sherman and Firefly tanks belonging to the 2nd Armoured Battalion Irish Guards and Stuart (Honey) light tanks from the battalion's recce. troops plough their way from La Marvindiere along dusty tracks and sunken lanes and through orchards and meadows to La Barbiere where they will relieve the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment, an 11th Armoured Division unit. Of note are both the thickly-overgrown 'bocage' countryside and a steel 'prong' attachment fitted onto the bows of one Sherman tank seen here which enables it to slice through hedgerows and earth banks with comparative ease.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-08-09
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor) Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company) Grant, Ian James1917-04-16Family origin: Edinburgh, Scotland (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Irish Guards, Armoured 2nd Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Guards Armoured Division (regiment/service) British Army, Corps 8 (regiment/service) British Army, Guards Bde Gp 32 (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: armour, United States - tank: M4 Sherman & [British] (object name) Stuart VI light tank (object name) Operation Bluecoat, Mont Pinçon 1944, North West Europe, Second World War (event) Normandy, France (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Footage: 289 ft; Running time: 3 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: Note: See with A70 113-3 and 12, 119-4 and 123-5 for footage showing the Guards Armoured Division in action in the 'bocage' and refer generally to material showing 8th Corps formations taking part in the same offensive. The pronged hedgerow slicing device, an invention of Sergeant Curtis Culin of the 102nd US Mechanised Cavalry Regiment, was usually made from captured German steel beach obstacles. Remarks: Excellent shots of Sherman medium tanks and Stuart Light tanks on the move in 'bocage' country. Documentation/associated material: for a bibliography, refer to the first two items listed in A70 107-4 and 'The History of the Irish Guards in the 2nd World War' by Fitzgerald.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    A70 119-3

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