| Original caption: “British infantry chase Axis troops out of Egypt – with fixed bayonets British troops pursue the retreating German forces in the Libyan desert. Behind them is an enemy tank which has been abandoned. Rommel’s crack Afrika Korps was no match for British bayonets.” United Kingdom Royal 8th Army 51st Highland Division infantry, with bayonets fixed to their Short magazine Lee-Enfield Number 1 Mark III rifles, pass an Afrika Korps Panzerkampfwagen III Sonderkraftfahrzeug 141 tank. Note that the 1st 2 men carry Thompson submachine guns. This is a still frame from “Desert Victory” the 1943 special Oscar winning film from the British Ministry of Information. The film was released on March 6, 1943. This Panzer III Ausführung (“Model”) L was captured prior to September 4, 1942. The British called them “Specials” because they were armed with the 50 millimeter (2 inch) Kampfwagenkanone 39 L/60. This Panzer III was photographed by Sergeant Johnny Silverside (January 9, 1918 – October 1996) as the tank was being examined. This footage was likely staged after the tank was captured. 1 of the most active of the Army Film and Photographic Units (AFPU) was known as “Chet’s circus,” led by Sergeant Leonard “Len” Chetwyn (January 12, 1909 – July 1980), who was previously a Fleet Street photographer. He was responsible for dramatic and frequently published pictures, in which Allied soldiers are seen advancing into battle. Partly because British official policy discouraged front-line journalism, and partly because inactive troops were frequently available for “exercises,” reconstructed events were not uncommonly photographed. AFPU cameraman Sergeant lan Grant (1917 – 1981) said that “Chet’s circus” was”…bribing the support of some of the troops who were relaxing with bottles of whisky. Then they created their own little battle sequences. You got things like Chetwyn sitting on the top of a tank with maybe a couple of tanks riding out in echelon in front out of the frame of his camera. They would charge forward. In front he would have a box of hand grenades and he would lob the grenades in front of him while he was filming. This was approved by the War Office, but a lot of photographers did not like it.” | |
| Image Filename | wwii0727.jpg |
| Image Size | 2.73 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 4972 x 3172 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Number One United Kingdom Royal Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | November 3, 1942 |
| Location | |
| City | El Alamein |
| State or Province | Matrouh |
| Country | Egypt |
| Archive | Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa |
| Record Number | GH016179 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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