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Title:THE GUARDS ARMOURED DIVISION GOES INTO ACTION ON THE FIRST DAY OF OPERATION 'GOODWOOD' [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 92-7
Other titles:
Summary: Armour and motorised infantry of the Grenadier Guards go into action near Cagny and receive the surrender of Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe troops whose positions have either been bombed-out or overrun.
Description: Sherman tanks of the 2nd Armoured Battalion Grenadier Guards trail flags of dust as they move up through a wood. A troop of M10 self-propelled guns of the 21st Anti-tank Regiment RA joins the procession of armour. German soldiers surrender to the Grenadier Guards. Those Germans beyond reach retaliate by bringing down shell and mortar fire on the tanks as they approach a ridge. One of a troop of fascine-carrying Churchill AVREs keeps pace with the less unwieldy Shermans. Prisoners from the 16th Luftwaffe Field Division and the 21st Panzer Division are taken in increasing numbers (some of them badly wounded) and are marched off to the nearest POW cage. A troop of Shermans push on past a tank which burns furiously and another Sherman which lies inert in the corn. Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht prisoners congregate at an advance aid post. Having been destroyed in a brief tank battle, three 21st Panzer Division Mark IV 'Specials' litter the battlefield.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
McArdle, T P (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Corps 8 (regiment/service)
British Army, Guards Armoured Division (regiment/service)
British Army, Grenadier Guards, Armoured 2nd Battalion (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Engineers (regiment/service)
British Army, Div, Armoured, 79 (regiment/service)
British Army, Div, Armoured, Guards, 5 (regiment/service)
Keywords: armour, United States - tank: M4 Sherman & [British] (object name)
prisoners of war (object name)
armour, British - funnies: Churchill AVRE fascine carrier (object name)
armour, British - carrier: Universal (object name)
armour, United States - funnies: M4 Sherman Firefly & [British] (object name)
armour, German - tank: Pzkpfw IV Ausf H (object name)
01/5(4-16).233 [ Operation Goodwood] (event)
Normandy, France (geography)
Notes: Note: See with A70 89-1 and 4 for footage showing Guards Armoured Division units in action during "Goodwood" and refer generally to material taken during or shortly after the same British offensive including A70 96-4 for shots of wrecked 21st Panzer Division's armour. The Churchill AVREs seen here belonged to the 79th Armoured Division and served in one of 1st Assault Regiment RE's squadrons.
Remarks: Good action footage. Best seen with items listed above.
Documentation/associated material: read 'The History of the 2nd World War - Victory in the West : Volume 1' by L F Ellis, the Canadian Army official history of the N-W Europe campaign - the Victory Campaign - by Colonel Stacey 'The Story of the Guards Armoured Division 1940-45' by Captain the Earl of Rosse and Colonel Hill and 'Caen : Anvil of Victory' by Alexander McKee.
