THE 53RD (WELSH) DIVISION SPEARHEADS 12TH CORPS' ADVANCE TOWARDS FALAISE [Allocated Title]

Created by filmcom…@iwm.org.uk
Metadata
  • Title: THE 53RD (WELSH) DIVISION SPEARHEADS 12TH CORPS' ADVANCE TOWARDS FALAISE [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: A70 124-3
  • Other titles:
  • Summary:
  • 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.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-08-14
  • Production Country: GB
  • 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)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Footage: 198 ft; Running time: 2 mins
  • 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.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    A70 124-3

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