Summary: The liberation of Lille, including a thanksgiving service and parade, Western Front, 18th-21st October 1918.
Description: I. Columns of British companies march into the city on 18th October. They are Liverpool Irish, otherwise 8th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) of 57th (West Lancashire) Division. The men carry flags and flowers, some in the barrels of their rifles. The civilian population, including children, waits and watches the camera. The main square is full of cheering people and flags. A horse-drawn bus moves down the street loaded with cheering British soldiers. A civilian procession is led by the city Mayor, M Delasalle. The crowd cheers a French officer walking through. A British military band tries to make its way through the crowded square. II. Equipment and machinery in factories deliberately wrecked by the Germans before leaving, filmed on 20th October. III. The official celebration of liberation on 21st October. A crowd emerges from the cathedral after a thanksgiving service. There is a parade through the streets. A British battalion presents arms as General Sir William Birdwood, commanding Fifth Army, waits with other officials at one of the city gates. A car arrives and President Poincaré gets out, he and Birdwood inspect the guard of honour. Poincaré and the Mayor lead a procession down a thoroughfare and through a main gate. The crowd waits at the main gate outside the cathedral.
Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor)
Topical Film Company (Production company)
Buckstone, Walter A (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Poincaré, Raymond (person)
Birdwood, William Riddell (person)
Delasalle (M) (person)
Lille, Mayor of (person)
British Army, Div 57 (regiment/service)
British Army, King's Liverpool Regiment, 8th Battalion (regiment/service)
Keywords: celebrations, French - liberation (object name)
ceremonies, British - event-related: entry into Lille (British Army) (object name)
ceremonies, French - event-related: liberation (Lille) (object name)
demolition, German - denial (object name)
industry, French - general (object name)
buildings, French - religious: cathedral (object name)
society, British military - friendship (object name)
society, French - friendship (object name)
01/3(4-15).9 (event)
Lille, Nord, France (geography)
Children (concept)