Bridge Those Gaps

Series

Series Name
British Movietone News

Issue

Issue No.
1765
Date Released
1 Apr 1963
Date submitted
28 Mar 1963
Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue
1 / 3
Summary
MOVIETONE CARD TITLE: Bridge Those Gaps. DESCRIPTION: No one better for bridging gaps than the Sappers. They’d already bridged the Trent and the Crouch, so they’d had plenty of practice. In this case the ‘gap’ is the Thames near Marlow. Bang on schedule the final sections were dropped into place, and the ‘all clear’ given to the advancing troops. 260 feet in a matter of hours. But over in Poland, the ice-jammed river Vistula piles up against a wooden bridge near Deblin - and the bridge gives way. Churning blocks of ice, a foot and a half thick. SHOTLIST: First part as CARD 86262 - BRIDGING THE RIVER - Key scene. MS pontoon into Thames (2 shots). MS two pontoons joined together. CU hands. MS section lowered into place. CU same. MS another section lowered into place. GV section floated into position. MLS same. MS final sections lowered into place (3 shots). GV vehicles across bridge. This bridging was part of exercise Hot Spur, carried out by Sappers from 36 Corps Engineer Regiment stationed at Maidstone, 7 Company RASC from Blackdown and 65 Heavy Company RASC from Bicester. (69 ft.) MS large pieces of ice stacked up against wooden bridge. MS three men talking. LS ice flowing along breaks the bridge. Various shots of moving ice and bridge breaking. (41 ft.)
Keywords
Buildings and structures; Accidents and disasters; Engineering; Military
Locations
Marlow; Buckinghamshire; Poland; Deblin
Footage sources
Germany
Card file number
86324
Credits:
Camera
Godfrey Kenneth Hanshaw
Commentator
Leslie Mitchell
Length of story (in feet)
111
Story extras:
Film clip

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How to cite this record

'Bridge Those Gaps', British Movietone News Issue No. 1765, 1 Apr 1963. https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/newsonscreen/search/index.php/story/25041 (Accessed 17 Jun 2025)