Title:VILLAGES IN FLANDERS, THE SCENES OF HARD FIGHTING, NOW HELD BY THE BRITISH [Main Title]
Film Number:IWM 209
Other titles:OFFICIAL PICTURES OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE - THIRD SERIES [Series Title]
Summary: Damage done to the villages and churches in the Ypres area, Western Front, by March 1916.
Description: Scenes of damaged houses and churches, with British troops clearing away the rubble. The first church is late perpendicular with its roof missing, possibly Neuve Eglise. The second church, neo-Norman, has, in December 1915, its tower blown off and graveyard damaged. It is filmed again three months later "showing how completely it has been destroyed by German guns". A British soldier attends to a "blind" (unexploded) shell in a graveyard, possibly Voormezele. A nineteenth century Gothic church, showing both interior and exterior with roof missing, possibly Mont St-Eloi. More general damage to one village, including a destroyed brewery. A damaged railway station, possibly at Mont Kemmel. A church interior, possibly also Kemmel, showing damage to the Stations of the Cross. Finally the grave of Captain F O Grenfell, 9th Lancers, who won one of the first Victoria Crosses of the war and was killed doing trench duty in May 1915.
Alternative Title:OFFICIAL PICTURES OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE - THIRD SERIES [Series Title]
Production Details: War Office (Production sponsor)
British Topical Committee for War Films (Production company)
Malins, Geoffrey H (Production individual)
Tong, Edward G (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations:
Keywords: destruction, Belgian military - area: artillery bombardment & [+] (object name)
casualties, British graves - formal (object name)
weapons, German - shell: [unexploded] (object name)
01/3(4-15).4 (event)
01/3(4-15).5 (event)
Nieuwkerke, West Flanders, Belgium (geography)
Voormezele, West Flanders, Belgium (geography)
Mont Saint Eloi, West Flanders, Belgium (geography)
Kemmel Hill, 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: 585 ft; Running time: 10 mins
