WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 130 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 130 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 130
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: An edition of the British official newsreel "War Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
  • Description: I. 'STRONG ARM OF THE RAF.' A large assembled crowd of Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel pose for photographs in front of a parked and chocked Avro Lancaster bomber aircraft. A fuel bowser and tractor with bomb train are also evident in the foreground. A fitter works on the rudder of a Lancaster BIII bomber of 49 Squadron (possibly based at Fiskerton in Lincolnshire). Others reassemble .303-in Browning machine guns after cleaning and remount them in the Lancaster's rear turret. The commentary points out that it is natural that attention is usually focused on the Lancaster's aircrew but that success in any mission is based on the team work and effort from the RAF support staff. A fitter works on the starboard inner Merlin engine (Packard built) of Lancaster BIII. The variable-pitch mechanism cover is removed by fitter who then checks the functioning of the unit using a wooden stave to adjust pitch tolerances. RAF armourers unload small bombs from wooden crates. A tractor pulls a bomb train made up of hexagonal incendiary canisters as a groundcrewman sits astride them. A member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) drives a tractor that pulls a long bomb train of RDX high explosive bombs. II. 'EGYPT DIGS FOR VICTORY.' An item that outlines the various approaches taken by the Egyptians in conjunction with the Allies to overcome serious grain shortages and meet agricultural production quotas. Panoramic views show fields full of ripe millet. Egyptian land workers cut millet stalks, separating the heads from the stems and putting these into baskets. The commentary highlights the fact that the Allies are meeting the Egyptian grain production shortfall with grain taken from their own stocks. Egyptian land workers thresh and winnow millet in the traditional manner. Grain sacks are stored at a river landing stage prior to their transportation by Nile riverboat. III. 'IN NEW GUINEA JUNGLES.' General Sir Thomas Blamey (Commander in Chief Allied Land Forces South West Pacific) accompanied by other Allied officers visits a jungle training unit (Australia ?). The unit is involved in retraining Allied Western Desert veterans for the different fighting conditions found in the jungles of New Guinea. Australian infantry swim across a water course using small rafts to support their weapons and personal equipment. A log is used to cross an obstacle. Infantry use two tautly tethered ropes as a bridging device to edge their way safely over a ravine. Australian infantry negotiate barbed wire obstacles under a simulated artillery barrage. An infantryman leads a donkey laden with supplies over difficult jungle terrain. A British infantryman uses a Thompson M1A1 .45-in sub-machine gun to fire at pop-up human target silhouettes during a jungle fighting training session. General Blamey takes the salute as a contingent of infantry march past the reviewing point dressed in British Mk I pattern helmets and rain ponchos. IV. 'WITH THE BLACK SEA FLEET.' Russian Naval infantry stand guard over dock facilities forming part of the Black Sea Fleet area of operations. A Soviet Navy Captain Third Rank consults maps at a table as others look on. The commentary highlights the heroic role of the Black Sea Fleet in supplying against "overwhelming odds" the besieged defenders of Sebastopol. Footage taken from the bridge of an unidentified Black Sea Fleet naval vessel shows heavy seas with breakers washing the decks. A Soviet Navy Vladimir Polukhin type fleet minesweeper is shown at sea and later dropping a pattern of depth charges from its stern. Russian sailors uncover the muzzle of a 4-in naval gun mounted on a Vladimir Polukhin type minesweeper. Other members of the ship's complement fire a 20mm anti-aircraft gun at an unseen target. Sailors run to a DShK obr 1938g 12.7mm heavy machine gun on a naval mount. During the air raid alert, the ship's cook arrives on deck carrying a Pulemyot Degtyarova Pekhotnii obr 1928g 7.62mm light machine gun. Russian naval damage control teams run to the shipboard fire extinguishers, while hose teams open water cocks and carry hoses to the apparent source of the fire. A Soviet naval artillery barrage is shown at night. The flag of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet flies in the breeze.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 130
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1943-11-01
  • 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: Blamey, Thomas Albert (person) Australian Army (regiment/service) Royal Air Force, groundcrews (regiment/service) Royal Air Force, Women's Auxiliary Air Force (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: operations, British air - preparation (object name) agriculture, Egyptian - arable (object name) training, Australian - specialist: jungle warfare (object name) combat, Russian naval - anti-aircraft (object name) New Guinea (geography) jungle (concept)
  • 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: 880 ft; Running time: 10 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 130

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