Title:DUTCH GENERALS VIEWING THE BATTLEFIELD [Main Title]
Film Number:IWM 136
Other titles:
Summary: Visit of Dutch Army officers to the old British Somme battlefield, Western Front, as part of a study tour arranged by the British Government in January 1917.
Description: I. A group of four Dutch Army officers (Luitenant-kolonel Jonkheer J.H. Roëll, Generaal-majoor T. Burgers, Kapitein J.W. van Oorschot and a military attaché) with two British escorts walking over the battlefield. The soil is very chalky and the battlefield is heavily cratered but old enough to have telephone wires erected over it. The visitors investigate a captured German dugout. II. An honour guard of British Cavalry with lances, very smartly dressed but off parade, walking their horses along a road, then moving off mounted, then stationary mounted with their horses browsing off roadside bushes. III. A final scene of the Dutch generals standing in the rain watching British 8-inch howitzers fire from across a road.
Production Details: War Office Cinema Committee (Production sponsor)
Topical Film Company (Production company)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, escort (regiment/service)
British Army, cavalry (regiment/service)
Royal Netherlands Army & [generals] (regiment/service)
Keywords: destruction, French military - area: battlefield (object name)
weapons, British - gun: 8-inch howitzer (object name)
delegations, Dutch international - military (object name)
01/3(4-15).6 (event)
Somme, France (geography)
rain (concept)
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: 471 ft; Running time: 8 mins