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Summary: British rough material of the Battle of Amiens, Western Front, August 1918.
Description: Highland troops (possibly London Scottish of 56th Division) display captured German 76mm wheeled mortars with detachable trail pieces. A British column of veterans in shirtsleeves, possibly also of 56th Division, marches through a damaged village street. Further up the street a Mk IV Male supply tank marked "BAGGAGE" is trapped in a traffic jam. In open marshy ground a Mk V Female tank is stuck and has a hawser passed over it before being pulled out by another Mk V Female. A concert party, including a 'gypsy' violinist and a pierrot group, plays to troops from an improvised outdoor stage. A continuation of the tank being hauled out of the marsh, using its unditching beam to help. US Infantry, probably of 33rd Division, resting and waving at the camera. A marching column of Highlanders moving over open country. Two British soldiers, in a wrecked building, display for the camera two different types of captured German machine gun, the 08 pattern Maxim and the 08/15 pattern Bergmann. More US troops of 33rd Division, moving in extended single file over rolling grassland, possibly on a route march.
Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor)
Topical Film Company (Production company)
Bassill, F A (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, London Regiment, Bn 1/14 (regiment/service)
United States Army & American Expeditionary Force (regiment/service)
United States Army & Div 33 (regiment/service)
British Army, Tank Corps (regiment/service)
Keywords: weapons, German - gun: 77mm field gun & [captured] (object name)
armour, British - tank: Tank Mark V Female (object name)
armour, British - tank: Tank Mark IV Supply (object name)
recreation, British military - theatre (object name)
weapons, German - smallarm: Maxim machine gun & [captured] (object name)
weapons, German - smallarm: Bergmann 08/15 machine gun & [captured] (object name)
operations, United States military - sortie (object name)
operations, British military - movement: march (object name)
01/3(4-15).92 [1918 Amiens] (event)
Somme, France (geography)
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 646 ft; Running time: 11 mins
HD Media:Yes
Notes: Summary: probably the 'missing' first episode of the AUGUST OFFENSIVE rough material. See also IWM 295, IWM 296, IWM 300 and IWM 301.
Remarks: very difficult to interpret. The normal practice of teaming cameramen and stills photographers seems to have broken down under the various pressures of August 1918, including the King's visit to France, leaving virtually no supporting evidence for the series.
