The Battle of the Somme (Original title)
Dates: 1916 (Production), 21 August 1916 (Release)Country: United Kingdom
Synopsis: Actuality material of the Somme offensive in France during the First World War. Covers the period from 28th June to 3rd July 1916. The film concentrates on the British armed forces, in particular the men of the 7th and 29th Divisions.Shotlist: "ACTUALITY" Extracts from the first three reels of THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME showing events leading up to the attack on July 1st 1916. No title. Line of troops marching through town (probably Royal Welsh Fusiliers). Many smile at the camera. A motorcycle despatch rider passes by (17). Motorcycle with sidecar followed by four lorries arrive at a divisional gun park (42). Gunners unload boxes of shells from back of lorry (48). A field gun limber. Royal Field Artillery gunners unload the empty shellcases. More boxes of shells being unloaded from lorry (94). Soldiers at work by large pile of mortar bombs ("plum puddings") supervised by two others (120). Further scenes of loading and unloading (126). More "plum puddings" then more unloading (131). Shell explosion over open country. Barbed wire in foreground (137). More troops marching through a town (141). View of open country with trenches. An explosion (145). Troops marching through a town. Cut to more of Royal Welch Fusiliers again. Cut to other troops (184). Explosion in open country (187). Large gun with wheels and caterpillar-track fires and recoils, undercover of some trees. Seen to the side then from behind (211). Field gun firing from inside a sand-bagged emplacement. Seen from the outside and inside (250). Gunners remove camouflage (branches) from a field gun. Shot of a second such gun (269). Inside a trench parapet. Officer looks through hole in sandbags with binoculars (rear view of him) (276). Two soldiers seated. One with telephone, other calling out (287). Return to field gun at 250 ft. Levered into place, then fired (302). Closer shot of firing, unloading and firing again (328). Long shot of the guns firing (348). Smoke from an explosion over no man's land (356). Open ground with trenches (380). "Bombarding the Germans with 9.2 inch howitzers. The shells tearing up the enemy's deep dug-outs" (387). View from behind of a siege howitzer on a slope being loaded and fired. Group of soldiers look on as spectators to the left of the picture (471). Line of shells placed upright in wooded area. Some soldiers putting more up this way (490). Railway howitzer in wooded area under camoulflage. Soldiers all around. A shell is loaded. Man at the gunsight fills in a slate. Gun is then positioned right up in the air (552). Row of shells lying on the ground. One shell with message "To Willie With Compliments" being stroked by a soldier lying beside it (573). One such shell winched and loaded into 15 inch howitzer. The gun is fired and reloaded a number of times. Various shots of this. All the crew are wearing foul-weather clothing (696). Shellfire over no man's land. Various such shots (731).
Genres: War, Documentary
Subjects: Western Front (WWI), Battle of the Somme, Royal Field Artillery, Explosions, Field communications, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Field artillery, World War I, Propaganda
Releases
Date: 1916Country: United KingdomRelease type: Non-TheatricalFormat: 16mm Film - Black and White - SilentRuntime: 80 mins Length: 5000 Feet
Date: 1916Country: United KingdomRelease type: UnknownFormat: 35mm Film - Black and White - SilentAspect ratio: 1.375:1Runtime: 8 mins 30 secs - Length: 730 FeetLanguage: English
Date: 21 August 1916Country: United KingdomRelease type: TheatricalFormat: 35mm Film - Black and White - SilentAspect ratio: 1.375:1Runtime: 77 mins Language: EnglishDistributor: British Topical Committee for War Films
Date: 2016Country: United KingdomRelease type: TheatricalFormat: 35mm Film - Black and White - SilentAspect ratio: 1.375:1Runtime: 77 mins 40 secs - Length: 6990 FeetLanguage: EnglishDistributor: Imperial War Museum
Dates: 1916 (Production), 21 August 1916 (Release)Country: United Kingdom
Synopsis: Actuality material of the Somme offensive in France during the First World War. Covers the period from 28th June to 3rd July 1916. The film concentrates on the British armed forces, in particular the men of the 7th and 29th Divisions.Shotlist: "ACTUALITY" Extracts from the first three reels of THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME showing events leading up to the attack on July 1st 1916. No title. Line of troops marching through town (probably Royal Welsh Fusiliers). Many smile at the camera. A motorcycle despatch rider passes by (17). Motorcycle with sidecar followed by four lorries arrive at a divisional gun park (42). Gunners unload boxes of shells from back of lorry (48). A field gun limber. Royal Field Artillery gunners unload the empty shellcases. More boxes of shells being unloaded from lorry (94). Soldiers at work by large pile of mortar bombs ("plum puddings") supervised by two others (120). Further scenes of loading and unloading (126). More "plum puddings" then more unloading (131). Shell explosion over open country. Barbed wire in foreground (137). More troops marching through a town (141). View of open country with trenches. An explosion (145). Troops marching through a town. Cut to more of Royal Welch Fusiliers again. Cut to other troops (184). Explosion in open country (187). Large gun with wheels and caterpillar-track fires and recoils, undercover of some trees. Seen to the side then from behind (211). Field gun firing from inside a sand-bagged emplacement. Seen from the outside and inside (250). Gunners remove camouflage (branches) from a field gun. Shot of a second such gun (269). Inside a trench parapet. Officer looks through hole in sandbags with binoculars (rear view of him) (276). Two soldiers seated. One with telephone, other calling out (287). Return to field gun at 250 ft. Levered into place, then fired (302). Closer shot of firing, unloading and firing again (328). Long shot of the guns firing (348). Smoke from an explosion over no man's land (356). Open ground with trenches (380). "Bombarding the Germans with 9.2 inch howitzers. The shells tearing up the enemy's deep dug-outs" (387). View from behind of a siege howitzer on a slope being loaded and fired. Group of soldiers look on as spectators to the left of the picture (471). Line of shells placed upright in wooded area. Some soldiers putting more up this way (490). Railway howitzer in wooded area under camoulflage. Soldiers all around. A shell is loaded. Man at the gunsight fills in a slate. Gun is then positioned right up in the air (552). Row of shells lying on the ground. One shell with message "To Willie With Compliments" being stroked by a soldier lying beside it (573). One such shell winched and loaded into 15 inch howitzer. The gun is fired and reloaded a number of times. Various shots of this. All the crew are wearing foul-weather clothing (696). Shellfire over no man's land. Various such shots (731).
Genres: War, Documentary
Subjects: Western Front (WWI), Battle of the Somme, Royal Field Artillery, Explosions, Field communications, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Field artillery, World War I, Propaganda
Releases
Date: 1916Country: United KingdomRelease type: Non-TheatricalFormat: 16mm Film - Black and White - SilentRuntime: 80 mins Length: 5000 Feet
Date: 1916Country: United KingdomRelease type: UnknownFormat: 35mm Film - Black and White - SilentAspect ratio: 1.375:1Runtime: 8 mins 30 secs - Length: 730 FeetLanguage: English
Date: 21 August 1916Country: United KingdomRelease type: TheatricalFormat: 35mm Film - Black and White - SilentAspect ratio: 1.375:1Runtime: 77 mins Language: EnglishDistributor: British Topical Committee for War Films
Date: 2016Country: United KingdomRelease type: TheatricalFormat: 35mm Film - Black and White - SilentAspect ratio: 1.375:1Runtime: 77 mins 40 secs - Length: 6990 FeetLanguage: EnglishDistributor: Imperial War Museum
Credits
(7)
Production Company: British Topical Committee for War Films, Sponsor: The War Office, Producer: William F. Jury, Photography: Geoffrey H. Malins, Photography: J.B. McDowell, Editor: Charles Urban, Editor: Geoffrey H. Malins