OBSERVING FOR OUR HEAVY GUNS [Main Title]

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  • Title: OBSERVING FOR OUR HEAVY GUNS [Main Title]
  • Film Number: IWM 217
  • Other titles: OFFICIAL PICTURES OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE - FIFTH SERIES [Series Title]
  • Summary: Semi-dramatised account of British aerial spotting techniques for guns on the Western Front, probably at Locre, March 1916.
  • Description: A kite balloon is positioned by RFC ground staff and ascends over a small village. The view down from the basket and a (faked) close-up of the observer and signaller spotting from the basket. A 60-pounder battery receives the signal and the observer directs its fire. The gun fires several times, and a 6-inch Mk VII gun joins in, "note its tremendous recoil". The balloon is then lowered and the basket touches ground bumpily.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1914-1918
  • Production Date: 1916-07-03
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: War Office (Production sponsor) British Topical Committee for War Films (Production company) Malins, Geoffrey H (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Air Force, Royal Flying Corps (regiment/service) British Army, Royal Artillery, Royal Garrison Artillery (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: aircraft, British - balloon: observation kite balloon (object name) weapons, British - gun: 60-pounder (object name) weapons, British - gun: 6-inch Mark VII (object name) communications, British air - wire: [+] (object name) combat, British - artillery bombardment (object name) 01/3(4-15).5 (event) Locre, West Flanders, Belgium (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 469 ft; Running time: 8 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: Cameraman: this was probably Malins (see below). Summary: photograph Q 449 in the IWM Photograph Archive, shows "an Observation Balloon about to ascend", the caption going on to name Malins as "the passenger" and giving the location and date now reflected in the short summary above. Summary: see also IWM 128 WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN FORCES, IWM 130 SONS OF OUR EMPIRE and IWM 164 KITE BALLOON AND THE BELLE OF ARQUES.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    IWM 217

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