R8782-0-4

Colonel Ralston Visits Battlefront: James Layton Ralston visits Italy and does a tour of inspections: 48th Highlanders of Toronto; a French Canadian Unit; Army Service Corps; a hospital; an ancient amphitheatre provides a venue for a speech for the troops, with Lieutenant General Kenneth Stuart; a regimental parade and inspection; drives out to a makeshift cemetery; meets General Bernard Montgomery and looks at the General's pet canaries; in London, he attends a Canadian Military Headquarters church service at St. Martin's with Major General P.J. Montague; he shakes hands with soldiers leaving the church; leaves at an airport; Vincent Massey and others salute the plane as it leaves.~CMHQ Gives Christmas Party: British children are entertained by Canadian Military Headquarters at the Poplar Hospital; some are dressed as clowns, and St. Nicholas gives out gifts.~Target-Berlin: The first Canadian-built Lancaster bomber, "Queenie" is put into service; bombing run by a Lancaster squadron; aerial shot of a German city being bombed; airmen are debriefed afterwards (live sound).~Battle of San Leonardo: High-ranking officers hold a conference; artillery fire on San Leonardo; enemy equipment left behind; dead German soldiers; glum German prisoners; Russian officers visit the 8th Army.

Paratroops Pledge "Victory First": Troop exercises in England, a paratrooper leader gives a speech encouraging people to buy bonds, while his men announce the amount they will be investing (live sound).~New Canadian Commander Arrives in England: Lieutenant General H.D.G. Crerar arrives at British airport and meets people.~Keeping It Clean in Italy: ICDN Laundry Mobile Unit makes the rounds with its large camouflaged laundry room on wheels; blankets are washed; machine at work.~Skiing Party: A Canadian armoured unit ski to the rescue of a snowbound British reconnaissance unit in the Appenine Mountains on the Adriatic front; men prepare to leave; a truck brings them to the base of the mountain; they ski and pull sleighs; they arrive at the British post and are greeted by the men.~"Salute the Soldier": In Trafalgar Square near Nelson's column, a display encourages people to invest money for the war as a part of "Salute the Soldier" week; King George, the Queen and Princess Elizabeth take the salute of Canadian troops on parade with many other Allied soldiers.~Canucks and Yanks Meet Again: White City Stadium rugby match between the Canadians and Americans; the Scottish Essex pipers; the players take to the field; Canadian rules for the first half; a band and a U.S. mass formation excercise at half time; switch to American football rules; a Howitzer gun blasts for each American goal; awards presented.

1. Birth of a Corps: The Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is founded; the new group on a parade square in Canada; Major General Roberts inspects.~2. Workshops of War: Members of the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers haul a damaged tank on a transporter and return it to the workshop; the vehicle is dismantled; the engine is stripped; a portable smithy; welding; fixing a hole in the armour; the wireless is repaired; the treads are reworked and replaced.~3. D.R.s Trains for Action: Royal Canadian Dispatch Corps train at a motorcycle centre in Canada; cross country riding on a minefield simulation course.~4. The Show Goes On: The Garrison Theatre plays host to an army show, featurilng men in drag; the 1st Canadian Army show gives a performance on a ship (dancing women); tent stage construction; the show - a woman introduces "Unit E", a fight song, the showgirls are "inspected" by their commanding officer, a can-can number; the players pack up in uniform.

The King Visits France: King George arrives in France on the Royal Cruiser escorted by a small group of ships ten days after the D-Day invasion; he is met by General Bernard Montgomery; at an investiture, he presents Major General R.F.L. Keller with the Silver Cross; the troops hail the King.~Planes Evacuate Wounded: Dakota planes move the wounded from France; Nursing Sister [Ogilvy] at work; the plane takes off.~The Queen Visits Canadian Casualties: Queen Elizabeth visits injured Canadian soldiers at a Canadian General Hospital in France.~Home Front Action: Women rivet steel and perform other jobs to build supply ships.~Supply Line: A supply convoy at sea; cargo vessels move supplies to the beaches of Normandy; mail arrives in Italy; large supply storehouses in Italy; a field full of supplies.~Flashes from France: The Public Relations Department, housed in an old French chateau, is bombed; war correspondents flee the building. German prisoners are brought in by Canadian soldiers and are treated well; some prisoners have been beaten by French civilians. Engineers bulldoze a burning jeep on the road. Destruction in a small French town; rations are doled out; soldiers relax; they fit bikes; some learn to milk a cow; women mend uniforms; British soldiers and French civilians pay tribute to dead Canadian soldiers.

Canada Welcomes UNRRA: The delegates to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) gather in Montreal in September 1944; Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King opens the meeting (actuality sound); the Honourable Herbert [Lastman], the chairman of UNRRA pays tribute to Canada (actuality).~Rimini Housecleaning: Soldiers are moved to Rimini by transport; bulldozers push the ruins from the streets; a Greek infantry brigade; Italian women with soldiers.~Embarking Troops Invest in Victory: Men of a United Kingdom reinforcement unit buy Victory bonds before they march off.~Please Deliver One Airfield: The Royal Canadian Engineers survey land in France to begin the construction of a new airfield; German mines are removed; trees are knocked down; graders level the land; drainage tunnels are dug; drainage pipe is laid; a building is demolished; stone from the ruins is used to cover the runway; a prefabricated runway surface is unrolled on top of the stones; an aerial view of the runway; a plane lands.~Calais Cleared: French civilians are evacuated from Calais in a temporary truce; the French file out on foot and in trucks; the 1st Canadian Army attack the fort at Cap Gris Nez in September 1944; planes drop bombs on Calais; the wreckage in the steets; fire engines; flooded land; Cap Gris Nez Garrison; cross-channel guns are disabled.~The Road to the Reich: Transport vehicles move over muddy roads on their way to Antwerp; artillery attacks a water tower; flame throwers shoot across the Leopold Canal near [Eikland]; a gun with a camera on its barrel shoots; views of Antwerp.

1. Italian Partisans Aid Allies: 1st Canadian Corps is helped by Italians; Provost Corps look for Germans; civilians at checkpoint; they are briefed; an Italian woman with a machine gun; distribution of guns to civilians; a raid on a building.~2. Canadians Visit Gradara Castle: An Italian medieval castle is visited by soldiers; history of the castle; a torture chamber; a trap door; exterior views.~3. Western Front War Diary: The Grava-Nijmegen Road in good condition; Canadian road signs, including some joke signs. Bailey bridge maintenance by the Royal Canadian Engineers in icy waters; explosives are used to blow the ice clear. 25-pound shells are loaded with propaganda leaflets by Branch No.3 Public Relations; they are aimed and fired at German-occupied territory.~4. Counter-Attack at Kapelsche Veer: An Ontario artillery unit launches an assault on Kapelsche Veer Island; soldiers in winter gear, canoes, gun fire; the invasion begins; a smoke screen blanket; mortars are fired; in the [Dodovar] Sector, white-camouflaged tanks are operated; firing on factories; gunmen; flame-throwing tanks rain fire on slip trenches.

"Inland Navy" Sails to Rhine: 1st Canadian Army in Nijmegen; transport ready to go; artillery guns fire; the infantry sets off; amphibious tanks move across flooded areas to their objective; soldiers march; smoke screens; General Bernard Montgomery and General H.D.G. Crerar; German towns in ruin; many German prisoners march by.~Ski Cadets Train in Canada: Royal Canadian Army Cadets in Grand-Mère, Quebec; winter campaign training; armed troops wearing white snow suits, on skis; the teenage cadets set up camp.~Flashes from Canada's Fronts: Nijmegen: The Blue Diamond Hamburger Stand, a Royal Canadian Engineer and Canadian Catering Corps co-venture, opens for business; diner sign art work. Tillburgh: Mayor [Yalmerson, M.V.E. and Nurse Muriel [Fumerton] are married. Italy: An army church service is held near the front lines the ruins of a church . Australia: R.C.E.M.E. join General [Clantch] (Australian Army) and the Canadian High Commissioner.~Paris Leave: The Canada Club in Paris; soldiers in a nice hotel room; the reception desk; the gift shop; walking tour maps; tour sites (Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, bridges, Cathedral, etc.); lounge bar; leaving on transport trucks.