Description
Object description
Edition of US-produced wartime newsreel featuring a visit by a flight of US Army Air Forces bombers to Chile, the funeral of Al Smith, American troops tending a 'victory garden' on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, a visit by Princess Martha of Norway to a gunnery school, and progress in France as Le Havre, Bolougne and Calais are captured.
Content description
Part 1: United News main titles. 'U.S. bomber mission in visit to Chile'; a flight of three United States Army Air Forces' heavy bombers overhead. A signboard at Los Cerrillos airfield at Santiago, Chile; it gives the altitude as 1,660 feet and the distances to New York, Antofagasta, Buenos Aires and Mendoza, Argentina. The bombers taxiing towards a waiting guard of honour. Taxiing B-17 Flying Fortress. Guard of honour salutes. General George Brett, commander Carribean Zone meets Chilean officers. View of the nose of the B-17; it is marked 'Flags of the lands the Swoose has visited' and shows a variety of national flags. General Roberto Larrain is decorated with the Order of Merit by an American three-star general. Another officer is decorated. President Rios. Formation fly past. Parade of South American flags. Crowd applauds. Anti-aircraft guns are towed past. Dignitaries and officers watching.
Content description
Part 2: 'Funeral service for Al Smith'; close-up Al Smith, seen with his wife and dog. Stepping down from a train. His motorcade pushes its way through a vast throng. He receives a medal from a Catholic priest. View of St Patrick's Cathedral in New York with people filing in, including Eleanor Roosevelt and Herbert Lehman, former Governor of New York. Interior cathedral with Al Smith lying in state. The coffin is carried out. Cemetery; floral tributes at the grave.
Content description
Part 3: 'Guadalcanal victory garden'; on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands a number of tractors drive past palm trees. Local people collecting produce onto a lorry. The produce is packed into a parachute container and dropped from a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (Dakota) by parachute to troops in a forward position, who rush to collect the container. They devour the contents. Aircraft seen include 315241.
Content description
Part 4: 'Princess Martha at Norwegian gunnery school'; the princess steps from a car. She receives a bunch of flowers. She is introduced to naval officers and civilians. A Norwegian ensign is hauled down. Norwegian sailors presenting arms. She departs.
Content description
Part 5: 'Le Havre, Bolougne fall; Calais is stormed'; Royal Air Force Lancaster bombers pass overhead. Burning target markers descend. Smoke rises from the impact of bombs. View overlooking the town of Le Havre. British tanks (including Churchill Crocodile flamethrower tank) with infantry waiting behind them. The tanks advance. A tank in flames. Distant shots of flamethrower tanks using their weapons. Devastated Le Havre. Shots of a British coastal defence artillery in action. Damaged Boulogne with industrial chimnies. German signposts to the 'Hauptverbandplatz', the port and other places. German prisoners. A very young German soldier (a teenage boy?) smiling for the camera. Allied transport planes towing gliders overhead. Aerial view of bombs falling, apparently against Calais. Aerial view of explosions. A Dakota appears to stall, go into a dive and crash; two parachutes are seen. More footage of bombing and target markers falling. End title.
Physical description
35mm