1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers at Gavrelle between Arras and Douai

Discussion in '1940' started by Drew5233, Feb 7, 2012.

  1. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Quoted from the following thread and posted by JCB. See posts 141, 143 and 146:
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/1940/33178-bef-vehicles-4.html

    Original film footage can been seen here:
    BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN FRANCE 1940 BRITISH REGIMENT PASS - British Pathé

    JCBLooking through the IWM pics by chance noticed earlier posts 141 & 143 with battalion passing through French village matches IWM film and photos , quote ,-

    Vehicles belonging to 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers motor through the outskirts of the village of Gavrelle between Arras and Douai on a wet day - they comprise a single Humber (?) shooting brake staff car, a procession of Morris-Commercial trucks carrying stores and a detachment manning a Bren light machine gun on aircraft lookout duty and scout carriers. Soldiers from the Royal Irish Fusiliers are seen wearing waterproof capes and steel helmets as they march along in close order. They wave when they notice the camera. When the rain stops, they are seen marching along in the new British Army Battle Dress in single file on both sides of a country road. They are all wearing gas mask satchels on their chests.

    Couldn't resist a couple of then and nows on the D33 in Gravelle , the pipe band is a IWM pic entitled
    1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles march through Gavrelle in the pouring rain, 17 October 1939 , (sic)
    looks like the same column as above , not much change in buildings with the modern signs pointing to Vimy and Arras-


    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachments/1940/74018d1328627580t-bef-vehicles-mc%252015cwt%2520water%2520%2520tanker-jpg http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachments/1940/74019d1328627580t-bef-vehicles-gravelle-jpg http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachments/1940/74020d1328627580t-bef-vehicles-royal-irish-rifles-jpg http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachments/1940/74021d1328627580t-bef-vehicles-d33-gravelle-jpg
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    From the battalions war diary WO 167/757

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  3. RJL

    RJL Senior Member

    Drew5233 wrote: Looks like they were on a WW1 Battlefield Tour

    Nice find Drew. Their predecessors in the 1st Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers did indeed fight in the Arras Offensive 1917.
     

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