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Other titles:THE WAR ANNALS 77 [Alternative Title]
Summary: I. French newsreel item of their forces in the Chemin des Dames region, Western Front, August 1918.
II. French newsreel item on their forces' advance to the Hindenburg Line, Western Front, August 1918.
Description: A pan over the village of Laffaux, under fire from French guns. German prisoners walk through the village of Chévillecourt. French troops wander through the ruins of the château at Coucy-le-Château.
155mm Schneider guns of X Corps fire at the entrance of the Canal du Nord tunnel near Ercheu (east of Roye, south of Noyon). Engineers strengthen the bridge taking the Ercheu-Libermont road across the canal while XXXIV Corps transport passes over, mainly horse-drawn. Soldiers of XXXIV Corps water their horses in the canal by the north entrance to the tunnel, which is nearly blocked by rubble, as is the south entrance. Wagon transport of XXXIV Corps drives on through Esmery-Hallon on the road to Ham, moving past the damaged church and mine craters in the road. A posed group of six young civilians who stayed in Ham during the occupation. Ham itself shows, entering by the Guiscard road, shell damage and (tinted red) parts of the town are still on fire. The church weathercock has fallen off the roof and is held up for the camera. Two old women and an old man who hid in a cellar during the occupation re-emerge for the camera. The town is still full of smouldering rubble.
Production Details: Section Cinématographique de l'Armée Française (Production company)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: French Army (regiment/service)
French Army, Corps 10 (regiment/service)
French Army, Corps 34 (regiment/service)
Keywords: combat, French - artillery bombardment [D] (object name)
prisoners of war, German - movement (object name)
combat, French - artillery bombardment (object name)
weapons, French - gun: 155mm Schneider (object name)
engineering, military, French (object name)
defences, German - emplacement: [captured] (object name)
operations, French military - movement: road (object name)
destruction, French: fire (object name)
01/3(4-15).9 (event)
01/3(4-15).94 (event)
Laffaux, Aisne, France (geography)
Chevillecourt, Aisne, France (geography)
Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique, Aisne, France (geography)
Chemin-des-Dames, Aisne, France (geography)
Canal du Nord, Ercheu, Somme, France (geography)
Esmery-Hallon, Somme, France (geography)
Ham, Somme, France (geography)
Age (concept)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W (part Tinted)
Sound format: Silent
Soundtrack language: None
Title language: None
Subtitle language: French
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 597 ft; Running time: 10 mins
HD Media:Yes
Notes: Title: this is taken from the shotsheet
Date: this is taken from French official sources but does not fit some of the film. Ham was not liberated until 6th September
Production etc: see Notes to IWM 508-10
Summary: note the English translation of the scene involving the two old women and one man, described as three old men. The mistake indicates that the translation was made by someone with no access to the film. The occasionally quaint English used suggests translation by a French, rather than British, organisation
