Title:CANADIAN SECTOR OF THE WESTERN FRONT IN JULY 1918 [Allocated Title]
Film Number:IWM 271
Other titles:
Summary: I. The visit of the Swedish Socialist leader H Branting to the Arras area, Western Front, 15 July 1918.
II. A trip on a light railway in the Colonne area, Western Front, 16 July 1918.
III. Canadian Engineers at Villers Bocage starting work on a cutting for a light railway, Western Front, 13 July 1918.
Description: Branting is in civilian clothes without shrapnel helmet or gasmask satchel, clearly in a safe part of the area. He is escorted by a Scottish officer. Near Vimy he talks to a British sentry and two French horsemen. He and his escort look over the ruins of Souchez church. The two, in their car, prepare to drive off, and Branting raises his hat to the camera just before they do so.
The area is generally devastated, and the camera, mounted on the light rail car, follows the ruins. Buildings are half-wrecked rather than pounded flat. Occasionally the brake wheel of the car appears in the foreground. The car comes to a light railway siding showing a number of damaged trucks. Finally the journey ends at Aix-Noulette, and the camera goes on to show the wreckage of the church and houses.
The Engineers use a plough to break up the ground for the cutting and mule-drawn scoops to clear the soil, coming round in a circle and building up a spoil embankment beside the cutting.
Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor)
Topical Film Company (Production company)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Branting, H (person)
British Army (regiment/service)
French Army (regiment/service)
Canadian Army, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Engineers (regiment/service)
Keywords: delegations, Swedish international - political (object name)
destruction, French military - area: artillery bombardment (object name)
buildings, French - religious: church & [wrecked] (object name)
transport, British military - rail: narrow gauge train & [+] (object name)
destruction, French military - area: artillery bombardment (object name)
engineering, military, Canadian (object name)
equipment, Canadian military - engineering: plough (object name)
equipment, Canadian military - engineering: earth scoop (object name)
01/3(4-15).9 (event)
01/3(4-15).9 (event)
01/3(4-15).8 (event)
Souchez, Pas-de-Calais, France (geography)
Aix-Noulette, Pas-de-Calais, France (geography)
Villers-Bocage, Calvados, France (geography)
camera (concept)
camera (concept)