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Title:SAPPERS AT WORK RESTORING CAEN'S SHATTERED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 94-1
Other titles:
Summary: The capture of Caen's south-eastern suburbs by the 2nd Canadian Corps in the wake of Operation "Goodwood" enables British and Canadian sapper units to rebuild the crossings over the Orne and to start restoration work at the city's main railway stations.
Description: Armour, soft-skinned transport and motorised infantry bound for the 2nd Canadian Corps' front between the Orne and Bourguebus Ridge are seen crossing two Class 40 Bailey bridges (named "Winston" and "Churchill") constructed by the 31st and 5th Field Companies Royal Canadian Engineers respectively over the Bassin de l'Orne, thus linking Caen proper to the Faubourg de Vaucelles and the Gare de l'État. At the station, locomotives, rolling stock, engine sheds and railway lines have either been badly damaged or wrecked beyond repair by RAF bombing although the main signal box and platforms are seen to be relatively unscathed. Engineers serving with the 3rd (?) Railway Construction Company RE clear the railway tracks of debris and rubble during the initial stages of the Gare de l'État rehabilitation.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Walter, Ernest Henry1919Family origin: Barry, Glamorgan, South Wales (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Canadian Army, Canadian Corps 1 (regiment/service)
Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Engineers (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Engineers, Railway Construction Coy 3 (regiment/service)
Keywords: destruction, French military - area: bomb (object name)
armour, United States - tank: M4 Sherman & [British] (object name)
armour, British - tank: Crusader AA Mark II (object name)
reconstruction, French: railway stations (object name)
operations, Canadian military - movement (object name)
transport, French civilian - rail: locomotives and rolling stock (object name)
engineering, military, British: Class 40 Bailey bridge ('Winston'] (object name)
engineering, military, British: Class 40 Bailey bridge ('Churchill'] (object name)
Gare de l'Etat Railway Station, Caen, Calvados, France (geography)
Bassin de l'Orne, France (geography)
Orne (River), France (geography)
Notes: Note: See A70 91-1 to 4 for good footage showing Winston Churchill visiting the RCE Baileys in Caen and refer to A70 56-2, 70-2, 3, 96-1, 99-2, 102-1, 2, 104-2, 105-8, 111-1, 113-8, 119-1, 120-10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 122-6. The construction of the Baileys over the Bassin de l'Orne helped relieve the bottlenecks at the Bénouville crossings into the Orne bridgehead - see "Goodwood" footage.
Remarks: Good footage. Best seen with the items of ciné material listed above, notably A70 99-2, 120-10, 11, 17, 18 and 122-6
Documentation/associated material: in addition to the publications listed in A70 56-2 and 70-2 for a bibliography, refer to 'The History of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers - Volume 2' by Colonel Kerry and Major McDill and Colonel Stacey's 'The Victory Campaign' the Canadian Army's official history of 1944-45.
