WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 38 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 38 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 38
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: An edition of the British official newsreel "War Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
  • Description: I. 'SOUTH AFRICA.' Motorcycle outriders lead a parade of South African infantry armed with Lee-Enfield .303-in Mk III rifles. The parade is watched by a large number of civilian onlookers. The commentary states following a call from General Smuts, the men and women of South Africa are flocking to the colours. The military parade winds its way through a commercial part of an unidentified city. Elsewhere, male factory workers use industrial presses to shape sheet metal into bomb casings. A woman factory worker wearing protective goggles uses an oxy-acetylene torch to weld joins in the bomb casing. Male factory workers attach fins to the casings and then manhandle the bombs to the next point in the production line. Illustrative of the finished product, a bomb has a victory symbol chalked on its casing. Cut to a demonstration by South African Air Force biplane bombers (Hawker Hart ?) watched by General J C Smuts. The aircraft accurately bomb a mock-up of a house. II. 'MALAYA.' Various views of a commercial part of Singapore. The commentary states that Singapore is preparing to fight back against the Japanese threat by using "scorched earth" tactics learnt from the Russians. A British officer haggles with a Chinese market trader over the prices of various products. Indian civilians dig defensive trenches in a side street. Elsewhere, Indian sappers mine a bridge in anticipation of the Japanese advance. The explosive charges are set at predetermined points along the bridge's superstructure and held in place by what appears to be a form of cement. Commonwealth soft-skinned vehicles cross the bridge. The commentary stresses that reinforcements are arriving constantly highlighting the fact that Britain fully understands the gravity of the situation in Malaya. Indian troops disembark from a newly arrived merchantman in Singapore harbour. General scenes of the Malayan countryside follow, illustrating the nature of the terrain over which a campaign may be fought. A Marmon-Herrington armoured car of the Indian Army drives past the camera as an Indian anti-aircraft detachment man an Ordnance QF 3.7-in gun. The anti-aircraft crew apparently spot a Japanese aircraft and having used rangefinders, traverse their gun towards the enemy. The Japanese aircraft (Mitsubishi G3M2 ?) bombs a target in the extreme distance, the spot marked by a pall of smoke. The commentary optimistically states that given the machines, what British pilots did to the Luftwaffe over Britain, they can do to the Japanese over Malaya. Smiling officers of the Netherlands East Indies Air Force gather around a Brewster Buffalo B-339D (Export) fighter aircraft on its return from a sortie. III. 'BARDIA SURRENDERS.' South African infantry advance cautiously into rubble-strewn buildings in an attempt to flush out pockets of Axis resistance. German soldiers emerge from partly destroyed buildings, their hands raised in surrender. The commentary outlines the events leading to the successful capture of Bardia by Allied troops under the command of South African General de Villiers and the surrender of German Major-General Schmidt. German prisoners march past a bullet-pocked building bearing the legend in Italian "Riddotta Capuzzi" (Capuzzo Redoubt). British infantry march past abandoned German light field artillery. A map of the region is displayed with the location of Bardia illustrated. The commentary states that the Germans are first rate fighters when things are going well, but that they crack when faced with adversity. A white victory symbol is superimposed on a backdrop of black smoke. British Valentine Mk 1 tanks emerge from a smokescreen and are supported in their advance by the fire from Ordnance QF 25-pounder field guns. British infantry "stand to" in previously prepared defensive emplacements. Major-General Schmidt discusses surrender terms with General de Villiers, having completed discussions the German negotiating party leave in a Auto-Union/Horch command car. The commentary states that the South African troops received a great welcome from New Zealanders and British troops held prisoner in Bardia since the start of the campaign. Freed British and Commonwealth prisoners dance in front of the camera to gramophone records. A large column of captured German troops escorted by South African infantry in a Universal Carrier, march into the distance with a rainbow forming a picturesque backdrop to the scene.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 38
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1942-01-19
  • 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 individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Villiers, I P de (General) (person) Schmidt (Major-General) (person) Smuts, Jan Christiaan (person) South African Air Force (regiment/service) Indian Army (regiment/service) South African Army (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: prisoners of war, German - surrender (object name) prisoners of war, German - movement (object name) prisoners of war, British - repatriation (object name) prisoners of war, New Zealand - repatriation (object name) industry, South African - munitions (object name) ceremonies, South African - customary (object name) ceremonies, South African - display (object name) defences, Malayan - non-combatant (object name) operations, British military - mines: laying (object name) combat [simulated], British - anti-aircraft (object name) destruction, Libyan military - area (object name) Malaya & Singapore (geography) South Africa (geography) Singapore (geography) Libya & Bardia (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: French & Arabic
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 835 ft; Running time: 9 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 38

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