Title:THE BAILEY BRIDGE OVER THE ORNE AT PUTANGES (PART 1) [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 129-4
Other titles:
Summary: Once the Class 40 Bailey bridge over the Orne at Putanges is completed, 29th Armoured Brigade Group continues its advance eastwards in the wake of the retreating German 5th Panzer Army and 7th Army.
Description: 11th Armoured Division sappers lay the last planks on the bridge's footpath and on the roadway itself, tighten up bolts and send the first vehicle - a jeep - to use the bridge on its way over the Orne into Pont Ecrepin. Several Morris Bofors self- propelled guns from the 58th LAA Regiment RA rumble over the bridge before deploying on the east bank to protect the site from air attack. In due course, the 23rd Hussars' armour and the 8th Battalion the Rifle Brigade's motorised infantry cross the Orne before advancing to the Bois de Feullet, east of the N158 Falaise-Argentan highway. Note that the 11th Armoured Division sappers have used the stone piers of the original bridge blown up by the Germans as supports for their Bailey bridge.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Jones, H J [Army cameraman] (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Hussars, 23 (regiment/service)
British Army, Bde, Armoured, 29 Gp (regiment/service)
British Army, Div, Armoured, 11 (regiment/service)
British Army, Corps 30 (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Artillery (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Engineers (regiment/service)
British Army, Rifle Brigade, 8th Battalion (regiment/service)
Keywords: engineering, military, British: Class 40 Bailey bridge (object name)
operations, British military - routine: river crossing (object name)
armour, British - SPG: Morris Bofors (object name)
transport, United States military - light utility: jeep & [British] (object name)
Putanges-Pont-Ecrepin, Orne, France (geography)
Orne (River), France (geography)
