Title:THE 3RD BRITISH DIVISION MAKES AN ASSAULT CROSSING OVER THE MEUSE-ESCAUT CANAL (PART 2) [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 163-8
Other titles:
Summary: Reinforcements cross the Meuse-Escaut Canal at dawn into the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment's sector of 9th Brigade's bridgehead at Lille St Hubert.
Description: Under the cover of a smoke-screen shrouding the crossing site, sappers from 246th Field Company RE (?) unload Class 9 pontoon bridge(?) components from a Diamond T FBE lorry, paddle a floating bay for the bridge across the 40-yard wide canal and dig a landing stage on the south bank. A six-pounder gun from the Lincolns' anti-tank platoon is manhandled onto a Class 5 close-support raft manned by the 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) assault pioneer platoon and rowed across the canal. Infantrymen (probably KOSB) wait on the canal levee before they are allowed to cross in stormboats manned by their own assault pioneers. Another close-support raft is assembled and ferries another six-pounder gun; sappers assemble a second(?) Class 9 floating bay(?). Jeeps for the Lincolns' anti-tank guns and KOSB infantrymen arrive at the canal levee; the latter cross the canal in stormboats. A Lincolns jeep carrying wounded returns to the south bank on one of the two rafts now in operation; these are seen ferrying detachments from the Lincoln's carrier platoon across the canal.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Palmer, F A W (Production individual)
