WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 160 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 160 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 160
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: With the Workers of Britain.
  • Description: I. 'WITH THE WORKERS OF BRITAIN.' British infantry negotiate thick cloying mud. A British infantryman carrying a Lee-Enfield No. IV .303-in rifle wades ashore from a landing craft, others climb a rocky outcrop as the commentary outlines the extremes of environment that the British Army boot is subjected to, when used in modern warfare. Worn and damaged army boots are reconditioned at leather factory using new renovation techniques. Male factory workers stack old boots to await reconditioning treatment. A male factory worker strips boots of their heels and soles, the leather uppers being placed into rotary heaters for softening treatment. Footage of the boot assembly process follows, with new soles and heels being attached to the reconditioned leather uppers. The commentary makes the valid point that although the work is not spectacular, it is still contributing to victory just as surely as the man who pulls a trigger or grasps a joystick. Worn-out boots are shown in comparison to newly reconditioned footwear. Elsewhere in another factory, a pair of male workers discuss their holiday plan of spending some time at a volunteer agricultural camp. Holidaying factory worker "George" gets out of his tent to greet the day, others have water thrown over them to enliven them for the day's activities. "George" is later shown working in a field . Male and female agricultural volunteers carry boxes of runner-beans labelled "FA Secrett, Walton on Thames." Other agricultural volunteers work in an onion field. The commentary makes the point that the holiday is not all hard work over views of "George" and others indulging in a game of ping-pong and swimming in a local river. Back at the factory, their holiday over, "George" and friends enjoy a meal in the works canteen. In Moscow, Russian soldiers and civilians queue for newspapers at a roadside kiosk. Footage shows the interior of the British offices of the Britansky Soyuznik newspaper, which although printed in Moscow, covers stories about the British people and their war effort. A telegram sent from Moscow arrives at the British office of the Britansky Soyuznik requesting the compilation of an article based on a day in the life of a London railway van girl. A photographer is despatched and is later shown with two LMS (London Midland and Scottish) van girls on a horse-drawn cart. The trio are shown setting off on an LMS horse-drawn cart laden with wicker baskets. One LMS van girl is photographed greeting her child at the end of her days work, this photograph being used in the next edition of the Anglo-Soviet newspaper. The item concludes with an insight into the construction of 100-US gallon paper petrol tanks (drop-tanks) for aircraft. Male factory workers unwind reconstituted paper from large spools. Female factory workers are shown working on petrol tanks in varying stages of construction. The commentary points out that the paper petrol tanks are a British invention needing precision in their manufacture. A United States Army Air Force (USAAF) groundcrewman attaches a 100-gallon paper drop-tank to the centreline of a Republic P-47(D ?) Thunderbolt fighter aircraft. Ground to air footage shows the Thunderbolt (Razorback) performing a low-level pass over the airfield and jettisoning its centreline drop-tank. A map of Southern England and Western Europe illustrates the extent of Allied fighter aircraft range both before, and after the introduction of the new paper drop-tanks.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 160
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-05-29
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information, Middle East (Production sponsor) War Pictorial News (Production company) Martin, Charles (Production individual) Keating, Rex1910-02-142005-01British newsreel commentator, WW2 period (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Volunteer Agricultural Camp (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: industry, British - clothing (object name) industry, British - aircraft (object name) agriculture, British - arable (object name) recreation, British civilian - general (object name) journalism and record, British (object name) journalism and record, Russian (object name)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: Arabic
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 848 ft; Running time: 9 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 160

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