THE ARMY AIR SERVICE IN NORMANDY (PART 2) [Allocated Title]

Log in to create clips, download free screeners and save clips/films in Collections. Click here to find out more.

  • Title: THE ARMY AIR SERVICE IN NORMANDY (PART 2) [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: A70 72-2
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: 652nd Army AOP Squadron's 'A' Flight operates out of a rough airstrip in 1st Corps' sector of 2nd Army's beach-head.
  • Description: A Taylorcraft Auster Mark IV spotter plane takes off from an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at Plumetot to spot for artillery. Another Auster is seen in its blast pit; army ground crew remove camouflage netting from its wings and fuselage and manhandle it out of the pit for a sortie. An RA captain gets into the pilot seat, dons his flying helmet and is joined by Sergeant Gross AFPU and his De Vry cine camera. An RA ground crewman turns the propeller blade over to start the Auster's engine. Returning after a brief flight, Sergeant Gross's Auster taxies to dispersal with the help of ground crew. Another spotter plane does two low passes over 25-pounder gun positions belonging to either a 3rd Division or a 4th AGRA field artillery unit alongside the ALG, comes into land and taxies to dispersal. Two Taylorcraft Austers are seen camouflaged in their blast pits, with a Morris Bofors LAA detachment in the background, while RA and RAF officers had a briefing around two jeeps (one with an RAF roundel and the 2nd Army emblem).
  • Access Conditions: IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-07-06
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor) Army Film Unit (Production company) Walter, Ernest Henry1919Family origin: Barry, Glamorgan, South Wales (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords: 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 Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 184 ft; Running time: 2 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: See with A70 49-6; 50-1, 2, 3; 71-2; 62-1 and 74-2 for footage showing 1st Corps RA units in action north of Caen until its capture on July 9th/10th 1944; other methods of detecting enemy artillery are featured in A70 64-1 and 79-6. The De Vry ciné camera seen here was one of the four ciné cameras used by the AFPU, the others being Newman Sinclairs, Bell and Howell Eyemos and Vinten Ks. Good footage - good close-up of Sergeant Gross (later filmed in action in Germany) and his De Vry. best seen with the items of ciné material listed above, notably A70 72-1 which contains complementary footage.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    A70 72-2

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
Register