ASSAULT UNITS PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF EUROPE (PART 3) [Allocated Title]


  • Title: ASSAULT UNITS PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF EUROPE (PART 3) [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: A70 22-2
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Royal Marines attached to 1st Special Service Brigade spend their two last weeks in England before 'Overlord' in a sealed camp near Southampton.
  • Description: I. Royal Marines serving with No 45 Commando march off to attend an inter-denominational Whit Sunday service in C18 Camp. A Royal Marine officer hands out invasion pamphlets to commandos on parade. Of the three publications examined by the camera, the first, illustrated with a picture of the Arc de Triomphe on the front cover and French road signs on the back, is a general guide to France with the necessary do's and don'ts, the second contains elementary vocabulary lists in French, Norwegian, German and Spanish and the third is a prayer book for use in the Special Service Group. II. The Chief of Combined Operations, Major-General 'Lucky' Laycock, inspects 'Four Five' Commando. With him is its commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Ries, and his second-in- command, Major Nicol Gray, and Brigadier Durnford-Slater, the Special Service Group's deputy commander. The entire Commando 'falls out' after the parade is dismissed.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-05-31
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor) Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company) Grant, Ian James1917-04-16Family origin: Edinburgh, Scotland (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Laycock, Robert Edward (person) Ries, N C (person) Gray, Nicol (person) Durnsford-Slater, John (person) British Army, 1st Special Service Brigade (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Royal Marines & 45 Commando (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: religion, Christianity, inter-denominational - ceremonial, British: Whitsunday church parade (object name) society, British military - friendship: guide book (object name) society, British military - friendship: phrase book (object name) religion, Christianity - military, British: prayer book (object name) GB, England & Southampton area, Hants <C18 Camp> (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Footage: 185 ft; Running time: 2 mins
  • Notes: Production: part I of the synopsis was filmed on 28/5/1944, part II on 31/5/1944
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    A70 22-2

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