A VILLAGE WRECKED BY THE FIGHTING IS DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR AN AIRFIELD (PART 1) [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: A VILLAGE WRECKED BY THE FIGHTING IS DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR AN AIRFIELD (PART 1) [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: A70 94-4
  • Other titles:
  • Summary:
  • Description: The cameraman surveys the site of the village of Tilly-sur- Seulles, completely devastated by fierce fighting during June 1944 and now in the process of being demolished and levelled off for the construction of another airstrip for the 2nd TAF by bulldozer teams working for 16th Airfield Construction Group RE. A steam-roller, which will be used for preparing the airstrip can be seen; sappers or pioneers dump lumps of broken masonry suitable for either road or airfield construction work into the back of a dump lorry.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-07-24
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor) Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company) Carpenter, L (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Royal Engineers, Airfield Construction Gp 16 (regiment/service) British Army, Corps 30 (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: transport, British military - engineering: steamroller (object name) transport, British military - engineering: bulldozer (object name) demolitions, French - clearance (object name) engineering, military, British: airfield repair (object name) Tilly-sur-Seulles, Calvados, Normandy, France (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Footage: 100 ft; Running time: 1 min
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: Note: See with A70 52-2 and 94-5 and refer generally to A70 46-1, 54-2, 3, 55-3, 56-1, 57-7, 63-7, 8, 9, 79-1, 80-3, 108-1, 2, 117-1, 2, 149-1 for footage showing road construction, demolition work clearance operations, quarrying and airfield repair. Tilly-sur-Seulles was rebuilt after the war, in defiance of the cameraman's own expectations as recorded in his dope sheet. Remarks: Best seen with the items of ciné material listed above, notably A70 94-5 which contains complementary footage and A70 52-2, which contains material showing the village of Tilly- sur-Seulles shortly after its capture by 50th (Northumbrian) Division. Documentation/associated material: for a bibliography, refer to the publications listed in A70 54/2 and 'The Path of the 50th - The Story of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division in the Second World War 1939-1945' by Major Clay.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    A70 94-4

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
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