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Description: The cameraman records part of the journey along the road from St Laurent de Condel to the villages of Fresney-le-Vieux and Bois Halbout, some sixteen kilometres north-west of Falaise. En route, he films a 153rd RAC Churchill 'brewing up' after being hit; of note are the captured Panther track-plates draped over the tank's hull and turrets as extra armour protection. Bois Halbout (M.R - Map Reference 015466 wrtten on sign) consists of badly-damaged and gutted cottages, past which traffic from 53rd Division's a 158th Brigade and the 4th Armoured Brigade rolls by. At its centre is the police station-cum-mayor's office on whose roof stands a German OP platform. From here a view of the surrounding country-side - somewhat obscured by smoke from burning cottages - is filmed. A sign in German warns that permanent billeting in St Laurent de Condel is forbidden. At a road junction in the village, 53rd Division traffic turns right for Fresney-le-Vieux and 59th Division traffic heads left for Thury-Harcourt. 197th Brigade supply trucks churn up dust along a secondary road.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Gross, A C (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Div 59 (regiment/service)
British Army, Div 53 (regiment/service)
British Army, Corps 12 (regiment/service)
Keywords: armour, British - tank: Churchill (object name)
armour, British - armoured car: Morris II light reconnaissance car (object name)
armour, British - armoured car: Humber III light reconnaissance car (object name)
transport, United States military - truck: Fordson 15cwt 4x2 (object name)
destruction, French military - area: bomb (object name)
signs, military and civilian (object name)
transport, British military - truck: Bedford 3-ton 4x4 QL (object name)
Normandy, France (geography)
Notes: Note: See A70 111-5, 112-5 and 6, 113-4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 18 and 19, 110-6, 118-3 and 4, 124-1, 2 and 6, 126-8, 10 and 11 for footage showing 12th Corps' formations in action near Villers- Bocage, in the Orne bridge-head at Goupillieres and during the advance towards Falaise.
Remarks: Best seen with the items of ciné material listed above, notably A70 113-15, 124-6, 126-8, 10 and 11 for footage showing the 53rd Division in action.
Documentation/associated material: for a bibliography, refer to the publications listed in A70 111-5 and 113-15 and 18.
