Title:THE 3RD ROYAL TANK REGIMENT GOES INTO ACTION ON THE FIRST DAY OF OPERATION 'GOODWOOD' [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 87-2
Other titles:
Summary:
Description: German flares drift towards the ground as the 11th Armoured Division gathers for the attack. The 3rd RTR assembles in the semi-darkness; dust and smoke from the RAF bombing obscures the dawn sunrise. (Some of the smoke may have been caused by bombs accidentally falling on the regiment's start-line). The regiment's CO, Lieutenant-Colonel Silvertop, gives the order to advance and, accompanied by several Churchill AVRES, the 3rd RTR rolls towards the Caen-Troarn railway line at Demouville and comes under anti-tank fire. Two tank crew beat out fires on their straw-camouflaged Firefly set alight by shrapnel. An OP (?) half- track crosses the railway line at Demouville; another M5 half- track tows a Daimler scout car out of a bomb crater. The 3rd RTR moves up to the Caen-Vimont railway near Grentheville and suffers several losses en route; it then advances towards the villages of Hubert-Folie and Bras on the Bourguebus ridge. From his tank, Lieutenant-Colonel Silvertop reviews the deteriorating situation through his binoculars. Nearby are the remains of a German 8.8cm anti-tank gun and its tractor.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Laws, George E J1916-02-15 (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Silvertop (Lieutenant-Colonel) (person)
British Army, Royal Tank Regiment, 3rd Battalion (regiment/service)
British Army, Div, Armoured, 29 (?) (regiment/service)
British Army, Div, Armoured, 11 (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Engineers (regiment/service)
British Army, Div, Armoured, 79 (regiment/service)
British Army, Corps 8 (regiment/service)
Keywords: armour, United States - funnies: M4 Sherman Firefly & [British] (object name)
armour, United States - tank: M4 Sherman & [British] (object name)
armour, United States - tank: M3 Stuart recce tank (object name)
armour, British - funnies: Churchill AVRE (object name)
armour, United States - halftrack: M5 (object name)
armour, British - armoured car: Humber scout car (object name)
armour, British - tank: Crusader AA (object name)
combat, British - armoured (object name)
transport, French civilian - rail (object name)
01/5(4-16).233 [ Operation Goodwood] (event)
Caen-Troarn Railway, Demouville, Calvados, France (geography)
Caen-Vimont Railway, Grentheville, Calvados, France (geography)
Bras-sur-Meuse, Meuse, France (geography)
Hubert-Folie, Calvados, France (geography)
