WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 182 (30/10/1944)

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: WPN 182).

Synopsis

I. 'INDIA'S YOUNGEST V.C.' General Claude Auchinleck presents the Victoria Cross (V.C.) to Sepoy Kamal Ram of the 8th Punjab Regiment at Lahore. Kamal Ram, the youngest recipient of the V.C., is carried shoulder high by his regimental comrades. Kamal Ram is later driven past gathered civilians in a Ford CO11 QRF Carrier armoured car. Members of his own regiment form an escort and a guard of honour.

II. 'DOVER-CALAIS.' Panoramic footage shows the town of Dover, its castle and famous white cliffs. Dover civilians file into the entrance of cliff-side caves which were used as shelters against the 16-inch shells being fired from Calais by German shore batteries. Interior views of the cave shelters show women playing cards at a table. Smoke rises over the town of Dover presumably caused by German shelling. British troops clear rubble from partially destroyed buildings. Footage taken in Calais following its capture by troops of the Canadian 3rd Division shows civilian refugees crossing a pontoon bridge and being helped into the back of waiting ambulances. French civilian refugees are driven off to an undisclosed destination on the back of a captured German Mercedes diesel soft-skin. The commentary outlines the contribution made by bombers of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in softening up German strong points in Calais over aerial footage of sticks of bombs dropping and impacting. A white flag flies over the roof of a German coastal defensive emplacement. Canadian troops inspect a German heavy coastal gun emplacement (16-inch emplacement at Cap Gris Nez ?).

III. 'PENICILLIN- WONDER DRUG.' An item that outlines the various production steps in the manufacture of the antibiotic Penicillin. Film footage is taken at the Commonwealth Serum Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia. Female laboratory workers fill culture bottles with a combination of maize and sugar in liquid form upon which the Penicillin mould will grow. A male laboratory worker sprays spores of Penicillin notatum into the culture bottles using a compressor spray gun. Three stages of Penicillin growth are shown. Penicillin notatum mould is displayed in a culture dish. Following processing, Penicillin ampoules are packed into boxes to await delivery to hospitals.

IV. 'RUSSIANS ENTER BUCHAREST.' Stock shot footage shows busy road traffic in Bucharest streets. A Bucharest newspaper boy hands out newspapers to a throng of waiting civilians. Bucharest civilians wave red flags as Russian T-34/85 tanks and soft-skinned vehicles drive along cobbled streets in the Rumanian Capital. The commentary states that the surrender of Rumania has dealt the German Army a crippling blow. Civilians shake hands with Russian infantrymen as they drive past in soft-skins. Russian T-34/85 tanks carrying tank descent infantry drive through a Bucharest commercial centre. A Rumanian woman holds a photograph of Marshal Stalin. Russian infantry sit in small amphibious cars (possibly lend-lease Ford GPA quarter-ton amphibians), waiting for the order to move off. Russian T-34/85 and M4 Sherman tanks drive past crowds of civilians on a Bucharest street.

 

Titles

  • WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 182 (30/10/1944)
 

Technical Data

Year:
1944
Running Time:
9 minutes
Film Gauge (Format):
35mm
Colour:
B&W
Sound:
Sound
Footage:
848 ft
 

Production Credits

Production Countries:
GB
Sponsor
Ministry of Information, Middle East
commentary
Keating, Rex
film editor
Martin, Charles
Production company
War Pictorial News