The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

110 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN September— October. 1943 going into their advance proper. We would have had some really first class shots of any battle that might have taken place, but once Rommel had made his thrust through the Gaj) and had been stopped at Thala by the 6th Armoured Division he withdrew in great haste, so that the reentrance of the Kasserine Gap was quite unopposed. Towards the end of the campaign, however, we had some better luck, and when the 78th Division put in its attack on the hilly country, leading to the capture of Long Stop Hill,* we had cameramen with all the main assaults. Some rode in on Churchill tanks which were supporting the Infantry, others went in with the Infantry themselves, some stuck with the guns, and others again went with the Sappers clearing the mine fields. On another famous occasion Alfred Black and 1 were the first into Kairouan and the mayor read us an official address of welcome. One of the satisfactory features about the campaign in Tunisia is the beauty of the country. The spring flowers near Beja and Medjez had the same delicate quality and colouring as those of English flowers, bu1 with infinitely greater profusion. You would see a whole hillside covered with mauve, blue, lilac, scarlet, crimson, rose pink, yellow and orange. After a while scarlet poppies had it all their own way. Before the corn grew too tall for them you could sometimes see four square miles of bright scarlet splashed across the valley. From a film man's point of view there was something fascinating in the spectacle of this exquisite natural background to the normal domestic Life of the soldier, and the clamour and shock of the battlefield. The final assault on Tunis and Bizerta was a sight I will never forget. The Allied Air Forces had driven the Luftwaffe from the skies, and a map ge forward of tanks and vehicles of all kinds, head to toe, four abreast, in a never ending flood, poured across the countryside in difms. The dust raised and the absence of convenient high ground made ii hard to photograph . bu1 i ven so some oi oi r material shows a mass of tr nspi . t that is unbelii \ able. Th i I cut i i Tunis, quite apart from its naturally photogenic | lalities, was an intensely einotiini.il expi pern i 'I : exuberanl joj of the people madi itself Eell to r\rr\ soldier who saw ii ; the extraordinary b ispii alitj \ .'MM', ,.(! and the shouf ' Vi. e Churchill," 'Vive I' ^ngleterre," " Vive la Vi', toire "and ' Vive de' < l-aulle " \\ ere a cor tinual c ounterpoint \<> our e> istence for two daj s. While some cameramen were in Tunis, oil " ' tiding up d prisoners, and oi hi rs again wenl with the 6th Armoured Division to the i laiiuiem Ml' Battle, and on down the \.-dlev to 1 1 -"m i ; miet. All I took 200,000 led of film, cover ing all aspects of the Allied assault, and quite apart from enjoying the exhilaration of a se months' victorious campaign, at the end of which an entire continent was cleared and million? people freed from Axis domination, I was particularly proud of the Army Film Unit. The confidence given to a man by holding a rifle in battle is enormous, but the business going cold-bloodedly into action with a can demands the highest military virtues. The episodes one remembers are quite often trifling oil their own, like single segments of a hip hut the main pattern of our lives and the spirit of the Unit was undoubtedly the courage and skill of the men and their never failing cheerfulness to go am where and do anvthinsr. POLITICAL FUND & AFFILIATION TO LABOUR PARTY TRADE UNION ACT, 1913 The Association of Cine-TechnicianUnion (Register No. 1995 T.) RETURN OF RESULT OF BALLOT We certify that a ballot under the above Act was duly taken by the above Union between the nineteenth of July, 1943. and the thirtieth of September. 1943. in accordance with the rules of the Union approved for the purpose by the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies and that the result was as follows : — Votes For 320 Votes Against 262 Votes Rejected (as per Schedule) 2 Total Number of Ballot Papers Used For Voting 584 The Resolution was therefore Carried. ncd) R urn Bond Chairman of Executive Committee Geo. 1 1. Ei \ i\ General Secretary John S. I )] NNIS Jo 1 [argot rt A. E. Jeakins Scrutineers Date 3rd October. 1943 Address of General Office; 9, Bromefield, Stanmore, Middlesex