Theirs Is the Glory is a British war film, made in 1946, that covers the Battle of Arnhem and the involvement of the British 1st Airborne Division’s in this battle. The Battle of Arnhem occurred during Operation Market Garden in WW2.
This film, which was the first to depict this battle, shows the battle from the British Forces view; there is a later film (A Bridge Too Far) that shows the operation in full, with all of the different nation’s forces.
The film is set in Oosterbeek and Arnhem and cleverly blends genuine footage from the original battle that had been shot by newsmen and military photographers with re-enactments. This was filmed only one year after the battle had occurred, and so benefited from being able to use veterans and local people that had actually been there and taken part in the original action.
The premise of the movie is showing the battle the way it happened – the British forces were dropped behind enemy lines and their mission was to capture the bridges that would allow forces to advance.
Theirs is the Glory was directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, a director from Northern Ireland. It was produced jointly by the J.Arthur Rank Organization and the British Army’s Film and Photographic Unit.
More than 200 veterans took part in this film; however, no credits were shown within the film, for the actors or directors/producers. Nobody was shown in the movie that wasn’t actually there at the original Battle for Arnhem.
This movie is a popular one, even to this day. Relatives of people that were there at the Battle of Arnhem appreciate being able to watch their ancestor’s history unfold before their eyes. As a true documentary, it is also a valuable piece of history, in terms of learning about WW2 and its battles and operations.