WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 218 (9/7/1945)

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: WPN 218).

Synopsis

I. 'LIBERATION OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS.' Royal Navy landing craft (LCTA 051) sail into St Peter Port Harbour in Guernsey. Panoramic footage shows British merchantmen sailing towards the Channel Islands. Civilians stand outside the premises of George Monro Ltd, St Peter Port Harbour, waiting to welcome the arriving RN landing craft. Members of the German Channel Islands garrison march forward to surrender their 7.92mm Kar 98k rifles to the British liberation force. The German commander of garrison troops, Vice-Admiral Hffmeier is escorted to a waiting rowing boat that will take him to HMS Bulldog. German Luftwaffe troops stack their surrendered weapons in a storage area. The weapons include 7.92mm Kar 98k rifles, 7.92mm Maschinengewehr MG 34 and 7.5mm Kpfw MG 311(f) machine guns. British infantry march past the "British Hotel" to the cheers of gathered islanders. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrive in St Peter Port aboard HMS Jamaica for a tour of the newly liberated islands. Civilian crowds stand on the roof of the airfield buildings at Jersey Airport, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Royal party prior to their departure by Douglas C-47 Dakota (Skytrain) aircraft following their tour of the island.

II. 'BRIDGE-CARRYING TANKS.' Internal footage shows a Churchill AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) tank production line. A Churchill AVRE picks up its bridge using its hydraulic hoist and locks it into the carrying position for transit. An AVRE Covenanter bridging tank is also put through its paces using a scissors bridge. The bridge is placed into position over a ditch and the AVRE drives across it.

III. 'PACIFIC- LANDINGS ON BORNEO.' Australian infantry embark onto landing craft at a forward island base for the invasion of Tarakan Island near Borneo (May 1 1945). Australian infantry carrying Lee-Enfield Mk III .303-inch rifles embark onto United States Navy (USN) landing craft. Australian troops chat near the embarkation area as Caterpillar tractors and LVT-2 amphibious load carriers manoeuvre around them. A brief view of Australian General Thomas A Blamey (C-in-C South West Pacific) follows. Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) armourers load bombs into the bomb bay of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber. RAAF Liberator aircraft run up their engines on a taxiway prior to a sortie. Australian infantry congregate for a final shipboard briefing prior to the landings on Tarakan. A fortified Japanese position on Tarakan burns as Australian infantry move inland from the landing beaches.

IV. 'LONDON WELCOMES EISENHOWER.' United States (US) General Dwight D Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander Europe) and Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder (Deputy Supreme Commander Europe) climb into a horse-drawn carriage at Temple Bar for their journey to Guildhall in the City of London. Interior footage at the Guildhall shows Eisenhower receiving the Freedom of the City and the sword of the Duke of Wellington as a token. Eisenhower later gives a speech (live) to assembled civilian crowds near Mansion House on the theme of cementing the bonds between the victorious Allies. Eisenhower states that he now considers himself to be a Londoner and expresses gratitude for the hospitality which met his soldiers on their arrival and sojourn in Britain.

 

Titles

  • WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 218 (9/7/1945)
 

Technical Data

Year:
1945
Running Time:
10 minutes
Film Gauge (Format):
35mm
Colour:
B&W
Sound:
Sound
Footage:
947 ft
 

Production Credits

Production Countries:
GB