Learning on ScreenMovietone’s War Time News - Reported by Leslie Mitchell: Vaagso Raid - "A Very Nice Offensive"
Series
- Series Name
- British Movietone News
Issue
Story
- Story No. within this Issue
- 1 / 2
- Section Title
- Movietone’s War Time News - Reported by Leslie Mitchell
- Summary
- MOVIETONE CARD TITLE: Vaagso Raided. DESCRIPTION: The Commandos set out before first light, the object to capture the small defended island of Vaagso, off the Norwegian coast. The German garrison are taken by surprise and quickly over come on the island of Maaloy. Barges then cross the straight to Vaagso, amongst the first to land is Movietone cameraman Jack Ramsden. Vaagso too is quickly taken and Norwegian civilians are moved from danger. By two thirty in the afternoon the barges were withdrawing, the raid a success. SHOTLIST: Rehearsals are carried out in Scapa Flow before the start. The men do physical jerks and Scotsmen dance to pipes played by Major Churchill (his name figured largely in newspapers at the time). Various shots on the journey, not escorted by destroyers. Grenades are pinned and as zero hour approaches, the men stand silent, a phone rings and the men climb into barges. Guns fire in the gloom (library shots), Fairy lights are fired and the men go ashore under cover of smoke screens. Blenheims fly in formation overhead. As daylight comes on the men are seen on the snow covered islands firing Bren guns, trench mortars and rifles. A destroyer steams up a Fjord while field telephones keep in touch with the mainland. Prisoners are taken, the Norwegian civilians are taken off the island. Everywhere fires are raging and factories are blown up. Dead Germans litter the streets and our casualties are assisted ashore. Jack Ramsden lands from an invasion barge. The convoy leaves and on the return journey the men display their trophies, German helmets and a German flag. NB Censored shots will reach you sooner or later showing Lord Louis Mountbatten inspecting men before setting out.
- Keywords
- Newspapers; Displaced persons; Military
- Footage sources
- War Office Film Unit
- Card file number
- 41765
- Credits:
-
- Camera
- J. L. Ramsden
- Commentator
- Leslie Mitchell
- Length of story (in feet)
- 443
-
Film clip
• The first time you use this link in a session, you will need to log on at the British Movietone website and then click this icon again to see the film. For the remainder of the session, this link will take you directly to the film.
This series is held by:
Film Archive
- Name
- AP Archive
- info@aparchive.com
- Web
- http://www.movietone.com
- Phone
- +44 (0)20 7482 7482
- Series held
- View all series held by AP Archive
Record Stats
This record has been viewed 92 times.
