The Battle of The Somme (film) - Production

Production

The majority of The Battle of the Somme is actuality footage filmed between 26 June and 8 July 1916, with short staged sequences filmed at a later date in July. The two cinematographers, Malins and McDowell, operated in different parts of the British Army's front; Malins filming in the vicinity of Beaumont Hamel, and McDowell working further south in the vicinity of Fricourt and Mametz. Before the battle, Malins operated at the northernmost end of the British Somme sector, filming troops on the march and heavy artillery west of Gommecourt. For the first day of the battle Malins was formally attached to the British 29th Division. Filming in an area known as 'White City', Malins was able to film troops of 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers waiting to advance from a sunken lane in no man's land, before returning to film the explosion of the Hawthorn Ridge mine. Remaining in the area on 1 July, the following day Malins filmed activity at La Boisselle, before leaving the front for London on around 9 July. Returning to France, Malins filmed staged sequences of shellfire and of troops advancing from their trenches at a British Third Army mortar school near St Pol between 12-19 July.

McDowell reached the Somme front later than Malins, and began filming on 28 or 29 June. He filmed pre-battle activities east of Albert, and covered the opening day of the battle from the vicinity of Carnoy and 'Minden Post'. McDowell may have been affiliated with the 7th Division. The success of British forces in this area enabled McDowell to film captured German trenches near Fricourt and Mametz.

Malins and McDowell did not set out to make a feature film, but once the volume and quality of their footage had been seen in London, the British Topical Committee for War Films decided to compile a feature-length film. William Jury produced the work and it was edited by Malins and Charles Urban.