Summary: Scenes in 59th Division's sector of 12th Corps' Orne bridge-head following the capture of Thury-Harcourt.
Description: A panorama over the Orne valley from its steep-sided west bank takes in a Class 9 folding boat bridge built by 59th Division sappers linking the west bank to the bridge-head between the Fôret de Grimbosq and the town of Thury-Harcourt at La Bagotiere. Despatch riders and lorries belonging to 59th (Staffordshire) Division's 197th Brigade cross into the bridge- head over the Class 9 bridge manned by sappers keeping constant watch on its locking pins. A panorama over the fiercely-contested town of Thury-Harcourt shows buildings still on fire after being set alight by British artillery although now it is in 56th (Independent) Brigade's hands. Three men walk through a newly-dug cemetery containing approximately 100 graves of men from the 2nd Battalion Gloucester Regiment killed in the fighting for the town.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Gordon, J (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Bde 197 (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Engineers (regiment/service)
British Army, Div 59 (regiment/service)
British Army, Gloucester Regiment, 2nd Battalion (regiment/service)
British Army, Bde 56 (regiment/service)
British Army, Corps 12 (regiment/service)
Keywords: engineering, military, British: Class 9 folding boat bridge (object name)
transport, British military - truck: Morris 15cwt 4x2 (object name)
war graves and milit cemeteries (object name)
Orne (River), France (geography)
Thury-Harcourt, Calvados, France (geography)
Normandy, France (geography)
