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1
00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,000
Funny sort of feeling
marching down to the ships.
2
00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,120
We'd done it plenty of times before,
of course,
3
00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,120
on schemes and that kind of thing.
4
00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:11,160
They didn't tell us
this was the big show.
5
00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,640
Might have been
just another exercise.
6
00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,720
Some of the chaps cracked gags. They
wasn't very comic, but we laughed.
7
00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,800
I think we all guessed.
The general feeling was,
8
00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,360
"OK, if this is it, let's get in
there and get it over with."
9
00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,400
Waiting always got on my nerves.
10
00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,080
Even waiting for a bus.
Never could stand it.
11
00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:30,400
Well, after a bit, our ship
found its place in the middle
12
00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,200
of all the rest of the stuff.
And there we stayed for days.
13
00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,440
They tell me there was well over
1,000 ships.
14
00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:43,920
But even so, we thought
this was just another exercise.
15
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,200
As we continued on,
we felt that we'd be turned around,
16
00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,280
go back and try again another day.
17
00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,960
You are about to embark
upon the Great Crusade
18
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,720
toward which we have striven
these many months.
19
00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,680
The eyes of the world are upon you.
The hopes and prayers
20
00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,960
of liberty-loving people everywhere
march with you.
21
00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:17,280
The invasion
of Western Europe has begun.
22
00:01:17,320 --> 00:01:21,360
5:58 in the morning of June 6th,
23
00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:25,520
we dropped the first bombs
on Omaha Beach.
24
00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:27,800
The landing craft was ready.
25
00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:29,720
When we did the D-Day landings...
26
00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:33,280
..chaos. Chaos.
27
00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,840
..is falling down through the sky...
28
00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,680
INDISTINCT CHATTER
29
00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:52,560
I have been asked
to be the spokesman
30
00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:54,720
for this Allied Expeditionary Force
31
00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:58,360
in saying a word of introduction
to what you're about to see.
32
00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,920
It is a story of the Nazi defeat
on the Western Front.
33
00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,600
So far as possible,
the editors have made it an account
34
00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,640
of the really important men
in this campaign.
35
00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,640
I mean the enlisted soldiers,
sailors and airmen
36
00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,920
that fought through
every obstacle to victory.
37
00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,960
Of course, to tell the whole story
would take years.
38
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,960
But the theme would be the same.
Teamwork wins wars.
39
00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,200
For a few days, Tehran becomes
40
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:36,840
the centre and focus of the world.
41
00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,360
Soon after the war began,
42
00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,000
British and Red Army soldiers
43
00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:41,720
joined hands here in Iran.
44
00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,000
It was the only land communication
we had. It was fitting that
45
00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,480
this first meeting of Churchill,
Roosevelt and Stalin should be here.
46
00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,040
Britain's Royal Air Force, Army
and Navy were, of course, present
47
00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,320
for the staff talks and many other
high-ranking staff officers
48
00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,240
of all three nations whose business
it is to devise the plans
49
00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,760
whereby the fighting men
may finish the war most quickly.
50
00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,680
We are no longer concerned with the
question of how to win the war.
51
00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:04,680
The question is how soon?
52
00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,440
The declaration
by President Roosevelt,
53
00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:09,280
Mr Churchill and Premier Stalin
54
00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:14,880
after last week's Tehran Conferences
is published this evening.
55
00:03:14,920 --> 00:03:17,800
Military and diplomatic staffs
were there,
56
00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:23,200
and common policy for war and peace
was shaped and confirmed.
57
00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:27,680
Complete agreement was reached on
the scope and timing of operations
58
00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,680
to be undertaken
from the east, west and south.
59
00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,280
The three leaders approved the plan.
60
00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,720
Russian forces advancing
from the east
61
00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,840
and invasion from the west.
And then the date was set.
62
00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,600
Now are people bent
to the construction of a steel array
63
00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,320
and took the builder's hammer
in their hands.
64
00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:00,040
It seemed almost as though the sun
stood still till our free peoples,
65
00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,960
full of rage and power,
heaved through the air
66
00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,360
the ponderous spear of war.
67
00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,320
Of course, we only saw it
happening on the wall map.
68
00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,080
And yet it was, well, quite real.
69
00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,160
When I started there,
those markers we used
70
00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,600
reminded me of toys
out of some children's game.
71
00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,920
But soon they became U-boats
and ships carrying cargoes,
72
00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:22,480
food and supplies and weapons,
and men to use them.
73
00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,640
I still remember going down
to New Street Station,
74
00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:28,160
to travel down to London
75
00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,480
and then on to Colchester,
76
00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:34,360
and I can still remember
getting out of the train
77
00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,240
and getting into the back of an army
vehicle and being taken up
78
00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:41,120
to Gujarat Barracks,
79
00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,600
where I done all my training.
80
00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,160
Our eyes sought out
the place of the assault.
81
00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,480
Exits in tidal range
marked shallow flushing off.
82
00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,840
Sand in the wind
cancelled the Belgian coast.
83
00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:55,760
The north Seine beaches
were too small
84
00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:57,800
and cliffs barred the approaches.
85
00:04:57,840 --> 00:04:59,520
Cotentin - too narrow.
86
00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,760
The Pas-de-Calais heavily defended.
87
00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,040
It all resolved on Normandy.
88
00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:16,360
By the dawn's early light,
89
00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,960
it assembles for overseas combat.
90
00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,400
You're on your way, Joe. This is it.
91
00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:23,040
SHIP'S HORN BLASTS
92
00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:26,840
I remember coming over,
the worst thing about the trip
93
00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,520
was you didn't know
where you were going.
94
00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,120
Wherever it was, you'd be
a stranger, and nobody likes that.
95
00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,760
Ship after ship from the New World
brings to Britain fresh thousands
96
00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,160
of American soldiers
to the springboard for invasion.
97
00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,560
These little islands
that stood alone three years ago
98
00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,960
when the darkness
descended upon Europe,
99
00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,320
these little islands now become
the barracks, the headquarters
100
00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,960
and the advanced supply dump for the
re-entry of the continent of Europe.
101
00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,920
That ship was loaded
from stem to stern with sad sacks.
102
00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,400
Around the third day out,
things got pally.
103
00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,840
Like the fella said,
"We're all in the same boat."
104
00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:00,920
Huh! The comic.
105
00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,480
Finally we got to Liverpool.
They had a band to play us in.
106
00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:06,440
An English army band full of chimes.
107
00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,800
I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas
they played.
108
00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:13,000
To tell you the truth, it was pretty
corny, but nobody said anything
109
00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,680
because, well, you know,
it was a nice gesture.
110
00:06:16,840 --> 00:06:20,320
It was my first trip to London
and the Houses of Parliament
111
00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,240
and Big Ben, but the thing that
amused and entertained our boys
112
00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:28,480
who were stationed all over England
was Westminster Abbey.
113
00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:32,040
And there were quite a few Americans
who came there to see the sights
114
00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:33,880
and see Westminster Abbey.
115
00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,360
And these are the scenes
that I wanted to photograph
116
00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:39,640
on one Sunday afternoon.
117
00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,720
Another area that intrigued me
was Marble Arch.
118
00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:48,000
Marble Arch on one Sunday afternoon
was full of people.
119
00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,920
Already you felt like you were the
whole works. You couldn't help it.
120
00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,920
But then all over the UK,
you'd see things that made you
121
00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:59,120
begin to realise you were
just part of a big proposition.
122
00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:00,600
All kinds of things.
123
00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:03,800
In the south west of England,
several thousand people have had to
124
00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:06,120
evacuate their homes because
the area has been handed over
125
00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:07,760
to the United States Army for the
126
00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:09,400
purpose of invasion rehearsals
127
00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,280
and general battle training.
128
00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:15,800
I remember seeing men in uniform,
129
00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:17,840
soldiers for the first time,
130
00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:22,360
and in the village there were
soldiers billeted,
131
00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,920
and some of them
had their families here
132
00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,160
and the children
went to the village school.
133
00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,000
We as kids thought they were great
because sweets was rationed.
134
00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,720
We hadn't had any sweets
worth talking about for ages,
135
00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:35,080
and they were keeping us supplied
136
00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,200
with candy and all the rest of it,
137
00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,040
and cigarettes at the same time.
138
00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:44,440
I mean, the first thing we knew
about it was when the parents
139
00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,560
got a letter to say that, um,
140
00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:50,240
we had to leave within six weeks,
141
00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:54,040
and, um, we had to find ourselves
somewhere to live.
142
00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,480
I mean, we thought it was great
going somewhere else.
143
00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,600
We thought it was a holiday,
I think. Went down to Beeston,
144
00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:07,000
went to stay with an aunt
and cousin down there on the farm.
145
00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:11,320
Um, and that was right on the edge
of the evacuated area.
146
00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:15,640
A lot of removal lorries
and people moving their furniture
147
00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:17,360
and things like that.
148
00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:23,200
The Army were coming in
and taking a photograph of us.
149
00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,160
They said it was to, uh...
150
00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:29,480
They told me that it was
to send back home to show people
151
00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:31,640
what we were doing
for them back home.
152
00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,280
It is, of course, a real
hardship for the people concerned,
153
00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,000
but the contribution they're making
is equally real.
154
00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,040
Everyone has taken it in very good
part, though they wouldn't be human
155
00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:42,560
if they didn't feel it pretty tough
to be uprooted after years
156
00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,160
of residence in their village homes.
157
00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:49,280
I was a pre-med student at
Johns Hopkins in civilian life.
158
00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:52,480
Now, I do know a little something
about anatomy,
159
00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,280
and I say it is scientifically
impossible for the human body
160
00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,600
to stand up to the training we
received. An absolute impossibility.
161
00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,000
Muscles and tendons and
bone structure was not designed
162
00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:04,720
to withstand that battering.
163
00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,960
Don't ask me how it happens
that we did stand up to it.
164
00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,640
One-man submarines,
torpedo boats, Commandos.
165
00:09:10,680 --> 00:09:13,040
We used them all to bring
back cups full of sand
166
00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:14,800
from the beaches for analysis.
167
00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,760
It had to be quick drying
with a solid clay foundation.
168
00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,480
It would have to support
30-ton tanks.
169
00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,600
I must have photographed
nearly every field in France.
170
00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,440
Real job, of course,
was the Caen area
171
00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:26,280
but I didn't know that,
nor did Jerry.
172
00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,440
For Britain,
this is the 227th week of the war.
173
00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:32,400
We've had some amazing
demonstrations of Allied air power,
174
00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:34,440
continuance of the nonstop
air offensive
175
00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,560
that has now run for nine days
and eight nights.
176
00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,000
We've had the return
with a great deal of publicity
177
00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:41,640
of General Montgomery,
something which the average Briton
178
00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:44,880
takes as an unmistakeably clear
indication of impending action.
179
00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:47,920
We've also had new statements
and new evidence about the final
180
00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:50,080
and extensive preparations
now under way for the invasion
181
00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:54,520
of Western Europe. We just
didn't realise the seriousness
182
00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:57,800
of what this whole thing
was all about.
183
00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:06,200
You are about to embark upon
the Great Crusade,
184
00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,600
toward which we have striven
these many months.
185
00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:12,560
The eyes of the world are upon you.
186
00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:29,480
Well, all they said
187
00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:30,720
at that particular time
188
00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:31,800
is that we were going to do
189
00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:33,080
camouflage work.
190
00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,560
All the details of how they were
gonna use this and everything else
191
00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:38,040
was never explained to us.
192
00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:41,600
So we learned
how to camouflage equipment,
193
00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:46,560
how to make fake equipment,
guns, tanks, trucks.
194
00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:50,160
We made it out of wood
and we covered it with burlap
195
00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,240
and then painted it
in camouflage colours.
196
00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:55,400
# What a perfect chance to park
197
00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,600
# And there's no moon at all... #
198
00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:01,760
Remember those aggressor tanks
that our friend the Lieutenant
199
00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,480
told us had just moved into
position? They have been known
200
00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,920
to fool an observer
from as little as 50 yards away.
201
00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:12,240
Such equipment, combined with a few
real tanks, gives the aggressor
202
00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:14,560
the appearance
of a strong armoured force
203
00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:18,920
at a fraction of the cost in men,
material and time.
204
00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:20,920
Light and compact, this equipment
205
00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:22,560
can be shipped around the country
206
00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:23,800
to where it's needed
207
00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:25,280
with a minimum of effort.
208
00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,160
We simulated two divisions,
two infantry divisions.
209
00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:33,200
We had fake patches on our arms
and we pulled into the town,
210
00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,560
and what we had with us was radio
equipment that broadcast the sounds
211
00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,480
of truck movement,
trucks and tanks and everything.
212
00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,880
So the people didn't know,
they couldn't see us,
213
00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:45,240
but they heard all this
and they thought, "Oh, my gosh,
214
00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,560
"there are a lot of soldiers
coming into town."
215
00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:49,080
With the progress of the war,
216
00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:50,640
changes in tactics and technique
217
00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:52,160
have called for changes
218
00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:53,520
and improvement in equipment.
219
00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:56,160
The best loudspeakers
for the military requirements
220
00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:00,440
have been developed. Under
ideal conditions - over water -
221
00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:04,720
they were found capable
of projecting sound for 15 miles.
222
00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,040
My parents never knew where I was.
223
00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,480
I mean, we weren't able to tell them
our location, what we did.
224
00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:11,800
My parents used to say,
225
00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,320
"Well, what do you do
in this camouflage division?"
226
00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,080
And my answer was,
"Well, we do camouflage work."
227
00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:23,200
Every day was D-Day
for the Air Force.
228
00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,920
From dawn to dawn, the sound of
aeroplane engines filled the air.
229
00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:30,760
England, now a green and pleasant,
unsinkable aircraft carrier,
230
00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,440
launched immense fleets of planes
to scourge the enemy in Europe,
231
00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,400
blow down his factories,
tear up his railroads,
232
00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:40,840
explode his ammunition dumps,
fight his air force out of the sky,
233
00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:43,760
kill his troops
wherever they were to be found.
234
00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,920
The 492nd Bomb Group,
the Eighth Air Force,
235
00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:50,120
and the OSS Packing Station,
under the direction of Shaef,
236
00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,840
worked in close cooperation
with similar British services
237
00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,800
to deliver thousands of tonnes
of vital supplies
238
00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:58,840
to enemy occupied countries,
239
00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:03,040
successfully arming, controlling
and coordinating the activities
240
00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,400
of 350,000 resistance members.
241
00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:11,920
The 492nd Bomb Group
alone flew over 3,000 sorties.
242
00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:13,440
Known as the Carpetbagger Group,
243
00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,600
they operated from an isolated
aerodrome at Harrington,
244
00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:21,000
where a fleet of B-24s took
to the air about 15 nights a month,
245
00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,360
delivering their cargo of supplies
and humans
246
00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,720
only during the moon period...
247
00:13:33,560 --> 00:13:37,480
The arsenal of democracy at flood
tide as an avalanche of supplies
248
00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,360
pours into England,
and fateful invasion day nears.
249
00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,080
Along the bombed roads of Britain,
250
00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:47,440
the star, now worn not only by
American but by all Allied vehicles,
251
00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,800
became as familiar as the
advertisement for Bass's Ale.
252
00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,360
On rubber and steel,
the goods of war
253
00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,000
roll to dispersal and distribution
points throughout Great Britain.
254
00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,000
There to be stored
against the day of need.
255
00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:03,920
Countless man hours,
256
00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:06,160
tremendous feats of energy
and organisation
257
00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,040
went into the job of supplying
the greatest invasion force
258
00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:13,080
in history. From Allied factories
flowed the weapons of freedom.
259
00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,600
The vast potential of the American
industry was being realised
260
00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:19,400
and added to the output
of Great Britain.
261
00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,360
Night and day, the vast business
of assembly went on
262
00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,120
in preparation
for the coming attack.
263
00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:27,600
And to carry all this -
locomotives,
264
00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:30,520
freight cars for the railway lines
on the Continent.
265
00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:32,640
The RAF. Avengers of Warsaw,
266
00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:34,640
Rotterdam, Coventry, London
267
00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:36,080
penetrated night after night
268
00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:37,840
through the dark weather over Europe
269
00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:39,640
to pound the strategic factories
270
00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:41,160
and concentration points
271
00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:43,000
of Hitler's empire -
272
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,760
the aircraft factories, the munition
works, the truck assembly plants,
273
00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:49,880
the power plants. Munich, Hamburg,
274
00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,440
Cologne, Nuremberg, Brunswick,
275
00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,840
Frankfurt, Hanover, Essen, Berlin...
276
00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:01,440
We had Polish, French, Czechs,
all sorts in our outfit.
277
00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:03,760
They'd natter away in the mess
about what they'd been up to.
278
00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,240
The only word you could ever make
out was "marshalling yards".
279
00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:10,120
The disruption of the German
supply line is a major factor
280
00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:12,200
in the defeat of the enemy.
281
00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:15,280
Pictures show
Allied strafing planes in action,
282
00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,080
choking last minute efforts
by the Germans to bring supplies
283
00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:20,640
and reinforcements
into the battle area.
284
00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:24,080
Gunsight aiming point cameras record
fighter activity over Europe,
285
00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,960
trains, railroad marshalling yards,
motor transport and inland waterways
286
00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,040
in France...
287
00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,160
Us bombardiers seemed to do nothing
but look down on French bridges
288
00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,320
those days.
We used to ask each other,
289
00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:37,640
"Have you cut any good bridges
lately?" Well, finally there was
290
00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:39,040
only one whole railway bridge left
291
00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,200
over the Seine
between Paris and the sea.
292
00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:52,160
Each week at this time,
293
00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:53,720
the National Broadcasting Company
294
00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:55,120
presents War Telescope,
295
00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:56,480
a weekly report on the war
296
00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:58,560
as seen by NBC's reporter
297
00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,360
John MacVane in London.
298
00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,560
A little while ago,
one of the many invasion exercises
299
00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,720
was taking place
on the coast of Britain.
300
00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:07,920
Everything
had been carefully planned.
301
00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,800
The three services -
Army, Navy and Air Force -
302
00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:12,840
of two nations were involved.
303
00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,640
The larger landing craft,
LSTs and LCIs,
304
00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:18,400
carried out their manoeuvres,
305
00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:22,360
learning to land at a given spot
at a certain time.
306
00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:24,720
Just as a group of landing craft
approached the shore,
307
00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,640
the weather changed,
the sun disappeared,
308
00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,400
and one of those quick sea fogs
enveloped the landing craft
309
00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:31,880
and the beaches,
310
00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,400
the troops making the mock attack,
and the troops guarding the shore.
311
00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:38,280
In one invasion craft some soldiers,
312
00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:42,040
weird figures in their Mae West
life belts, were huddled together,
313
00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:45,000
waiting for the moment
that the boat touched shore.
314
00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,760
Endlessly, manoeuvres and training
are turning the English countryside
315
00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:52,400
into a stage for the greatest
military dress rehearsal in history.
316
00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:57,560
We were sent into a staging area
which was sealed off.
317
00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,880
We were in a double barbed wire
enclosure,
318
00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:06,120
which only a few people with
necessity could get in or out.
319
00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:11,880
We weren't allowed to wander
around the area by ourselves.
320
00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:13,800
Each crossroad point was under guard
321
00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:17,800
of both an American and a British
soldier, and if they wanted to see
322
00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:20,560
what you had in your bedroll,
you had to show it to them.
323
00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:22,200
But this is the care that was taken
324
00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,360
that the secret of the invasion
be kept as long as it could.
325
00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,320
Sherman DD,
shown here entering the water,
326
00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:31,880
is a standard US medium tank,
327
00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:33,280
modified to enable it to float
328
00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:35,600
and manoeuvre about
in any depth of water.
329
00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,960
On reaching shore, the canvas
side walls can be dropped
330
00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,040
and the main armament of the tank
brought into immediate action.
331
00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,920
The canvas side walls are raised
by means of compressed air,
332
00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:46,360
which enters rubber tubes
333
00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:48,920
spaced equally about
the inner side canvas walls.
334
00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,560
Through all the days of preparation,
335
00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,800
Allied planes, thousands of them,
336
00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:04,040
continued to soften enemy defences
and communications in daily raids.
337
00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:07,240
As the hour drew nearer,
338
00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:09,640
the Air Force stepped up its attack.
339
00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:13,240
The target was the invasion coast
and the country just beyond it.
340
00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,800
Mustangs flown by the Poles
who fought in the Battle of Britain.
341
00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:27,080
Medium bombers flown by the Lorraine
Squadron of the Free French
342
00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:29,360
revisiting their native land daily.
343
00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:39,200
Mitchells flown by men
of the British Commonwealth.
344
00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:46,160
Marauders flown by Americans
345
00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,800
who'd fought against
Rommel's Air Force in Libya.
346
00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:53,320
Darting in low over the Channel
to rock the German Army
347
00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:56,760
back on its heels before it could
set itself for the final assault.
348
00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,560
They were going to have a rehearsal
for the D-Day landing.
349
00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:22,720
The officers told us that we could
never say anything about it
350
00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:24,600
because it was all simulated.
351
00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:27,960
I was put on an LST
to land with them.
352
00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:32,400
And an LST is a 300-foot-long,
flat-bottom boat
353
00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:37,960
that we were sailing
down the coast at night.
354
00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,240
They didn't have enough guards out
355
00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,800
and some German E-boats
356
00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,000
saw a target of opportunity.
357
00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,000
They blew up one LST
that I knew about.
358
00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:57,280
I was close enough that the
concussion almost knocked me down.
359
00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,360
Well, we landed on Slapton Sands,
360
00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,520
and it was a mess
like you never saw.
361
00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:05,640
Everything was going the wrong way.
362
00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,000
Many of the people that were
supposed to be on the beach
363
00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:11,520
directing traffic and that
were already killed.
364
00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:15,800
There were 1,500 people
killed in that ambush.
365
00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:19,840
They buried them all in a mass
grave - it just didn't happen.
366
00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:23,920
It took 40 years before the Army
admitted it happened,
367
00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:28,200
and it was 60 years
before they ever really published.
368
00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,320
The time had come
for the final rehearsal.
369
00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:53,080
The men who climb
onto the beaches of the continent
370
00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:54,840
and fall upon the entrenched enemy
371
00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,680
are rehearsed, practised
and trained to the last detail.
372
00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:02,280
These men who have come from so many
countries and speak so many tongues,
373
00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:06,280
gathered together in Great Britain
to form this vast allied army
374
00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:08,880
and trained alongside
their British comrades
375
00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,480
from the hills and woods of Devon
to the Highlands of Scotland.
376
00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,120
These men have learned
how to make a bed the army way,
377
00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:18,440
how to clean a rifle,
how to read a map and fire a mortar,
378
00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,120
how to drive a tank or a mule.
379
00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:24,080
Some of these men
had fought the German in Africa.
380
00:21:24,120 --> 00:21:27,280
And some of them
had left their friends in graves
381
00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,920
at Alamein, Kasserine,
Mareth and outside Bizerte.
382
00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:36,640
And now they learn how to crack
the wall of German Europe.
383
00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:47,720
England. June 1944.
384
00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,120
The men of the armies
march toward the southern ports.
385
00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,280
Equipment rolled down the road.
386
00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:00,160
Men and machines took their places
387
00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:01,640
in the waiting ships.
388
00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:04,000
Down in the late spring, through
the wounded towns of England
389
00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:06,040
moved the mass made by our patience.
390
00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,640
Two precious years of plans were
put away. The offices were empty.
391
00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:11,720
All the maps were rolled up
on the walls.
392
00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:14,000
What had been paper
at last had come alive.
393
00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:17,560
Across the Channel, aware of
our resolve with cold contempt,
394
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:19,560
the Germans stood beside their guns
395
00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,880
and reinforcements
rumbled from the Rhine.
396
00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,080
Their generals were prepared.
Their might was poised.
397
00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:27,880
They looked across the heaving sea
and grinned.
398
00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,400
They would reap harvest of us
on the beaches.
399
00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:32,680
And even death himself
would stand amazed.
400
00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:36,520
Yet faint across the groaning
of the sea came the thin thunder
401
00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:40,000
of a massive power. Drawn from the
great free peoples of the Earth,
402
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:42,640
it gathered in the ancient ports
of England
403
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,040
to crowd upon
the steel encumbered ships.
404
00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:48,240
It was a funny sort of feeling,
marching down to the ships.
405
00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,880
We'd done it plenty of times
before, of course, on schemes
406
00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:54,120
and that kind of thing. They didn't
tell us this was the big show.
407
00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:56,800
Might have been
just another exercise.
408
00:22:56,840 --> 00:23:00,960
Some of the chaps cracked gags. They
wasn't very comic, but we laughed.
409
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,240
I think we all guessed.
410
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,920
We all marched up
to the landing craft.
411
00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:11,600
They gave us the final briefing
then. We knew what to do and how.
412
00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:14,960
They told us where and when.
That's a briefing.
413
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,840
I listened to every word, wrote
it down in my head like a record
414
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:21,080
that kept playing
over and over again.
415
00:23:21,120 --> 00:23:22,720
Piece of beach in the morning.
416
00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:27,880
Ever since I became a soldier,
they were getting me ready for this.
417
00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,960
Before, there had been time
in front of me, protecting me.
418
00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,160
Now that time had worn away,
419
00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:38,480
I tried to imagine how much fear
I would have, you know,
420
00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:40,720
to keep me from doing my job.
421
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,560
I suppose everybody else
was wondering the same thing.
422
00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:46,960
The general feeling was,
423
00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,680
"OK, if this is it, let's get
in there and get it over with."
424
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,480
Waiting always got on my nerves.
425
00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:53,920
Even waiting for a bus.
Never could stand it.
426
00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,400
Well, after a bit, our ship found
its place in the middle
427
00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,400
of all the rest of the stuff.
And there we stayed for days.
428
00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,680
Then a voice
on the loudspeaker said,
429
00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:04,960
"Men who wish to take
their anti seasick pills
430
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,080
"should take the first one now."
That did it.
431
00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:17,640
The picture we're about to see
432
00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,520
is as important a film document
433
00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:23,120
that was ever made by the Air Force.
434
00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,320
In graphic detail
it reveals the operation...
435
00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,880
"What's your name, soldier?"
He says. "Where's your hometown?
436
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,000
"Who's the toughest man
in the outfit?"
437
00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:38,760
We told him we'd give him the answer
to that last one when we got back.
438
00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:42,720
He inspected a few of the boys
who really have to be tough.
439
00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:44,800
The Pathfinders.
440
00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:46,240
They go in ahead of all of us
441
00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,640
and plant signal markers
so we can find a way.
442
00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,680
They live on a steady diet
of danger.
443
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:56,960
When I got through with this,
we were all keyed up, raring to go.
444
00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:58,640
And then it was time.
445
00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:04,040
At dusk, Pathfinder teams
board the ships
446
00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,440
that will show the way
into enemy territory.
447
00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:10,000
This trooper will drop
his British leg pack
448
00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:14,000
loaded with demolition supplies
just before he lands.
449
00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:19,200
We must have had a good
120 to 40 or 50 pounds
450
00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:21,560
of extra equipment on us.
451
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,480
But, of course, a lot of that
was the parachute,
452
00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:25,880
which was handy to have
453
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,920
in as much as we were
going to jump out of the aeroplane.
454
00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:31,320
This is London calling
with the European News Service
455
00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:34,280
of the British Broadcasting
Corporation.
456
00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:38,480
Here are some messages for our
friends in occupied countries.
457
00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,440
The Trojan war will not be held.
458
00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:43,960
John is growing
a very long beard this week.
459
00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:48,520
The long sobs
of the violins of autumn...
460
00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:51,560
TRANSMISSION CONTINUES IN FRENCH
461
00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:57,120
Joel Crouch, our commanding colonel,
462
00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,240
took off around 9:30, 10:00
463
00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:02,240
on the 5th of June.
464
00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,760
While we have been here, we have
just seen one of the strangest
465
00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:09,080
and most remarkable sights
of this invasion so far.
466
00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:14,560
Two great fleets of over 100 gliders
have gone overhead,
467
00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,360
towed by C-47 transports
468
00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,200
who are certainly proving
the workhorses of this invasion.
469
00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,480
Dropped his paratroopers
right after midnight.
470
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:25,200
I dropped my paratroopers
471
00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,560
at 14 minutes after one o'clock
in the morning.
472
00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,360
We're over the enemy coast now,
and the running has started.
473
00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,720
1 minute 30 seconds.
Red light, green light, and out.
474
00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:38,120
Out! Get out, get out, get out!
Out fast into the cool night.
475
00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:40,720
Out, out into the air over France.
476
00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:42,280
Full moon night,
477
00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:46,680
you can identify things
on the ground really pretty easily.
478
00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,000
It was about two o'clock
in the morning
479
00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,520
when we hit landfall.
480
00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:55,120
We knew when we hit landfall,
it wasn't going to be very long
481
00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,520
until we got
the green light to jump.
482
00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:59,600
Other planes flying all over.
483
00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,640
The Germans had searchlights up,
484
00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:05,960
so the planes that were flying there
485
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:10,040
were silhouetted so that
the German anti-aircraft
486
00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:16,200
had good targets. At one time
I saw four planes going down.
487
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:17,600
The unit landed squarely
488
00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:19,280
on the German 91st Infantry Division
489
00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:21,240
and other enemy troops.
490
00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,760
These enemy units were on manoeuvres
and were already occupying
491
00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:26,880
their assigned defensive positions.
492
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,040
Surprise was gained only by
the leading parachute unit,
493
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,000
and subsequent serials
found themselves under practically
494
00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:36,440
continuous ground and anti-aircraft
fire while crossing the peninsula
495
00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:37,800
and upon landing.
496
00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:40,960
821 aeroplane loads,
497
00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:45,880
13,000 paratroops were delivered
into DZs in less than two hours.
498
00:28:08,120 --> 00:28:10,440
PBS World News Bob...speaking.
499
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,760
And again, we bring you
the available report,
500
00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:14,720
all of them from German sources,
501
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,400
on what the Berlin radio
calls the invasion.
502
00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:21,480
There is still no Allied
confirmation from any source.
503
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,200
Correspondents who rushed
to the War Department in Washington
504
00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:26,720
soon after the first German
broadcast was heard,
505
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:28,960
were told that our War Department
had no information
506
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,200
on the German report. There's been
no announcement of any sort
507
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:34,200
from Allied headquarters in London.
508
00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:37,040
The first news of the German
announcement reached this country
509
00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:40,840
at 12:37am Eastern War Time.
510
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:48,440
I'll tell you, you never seen
so many young blokes like ourselves,
511
00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:52,800
Newcastle, Scots people,
Welsh people.
512
00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:56,760
Most of us were anxious.
513
00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:01,360
We had 1,200 troops aboard my ship.
I was scared.
514
00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:03,720
I was scared because I knew
515
00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:06,520
there was going to be a lot
of casualties on the beach.
516
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:20,680
They had volunteered
517
00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:22,880
to go someplace first
518
00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:26,600
and they were...
They were ready to go.
519
00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:30,400
Training, training, training...
520
00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,160
They all got seasick.
Every one of them.
521
00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:36,720
The chu-chug of the engine
522
00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:39,960
cruising in the black and silence.
523
00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:42,800
No thoughts.
524
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,200
And someone said, "Gies a fag."
525
00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,600
The droning of the planes above you.
526
00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,240
A glimmer of light from the dawn.
527
00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,320
All night long, bulletins
have been pouring in from Berlin
528
00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:02,640
claiming that D-Day is here.
529
00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:14,000
Soldiers, sailors and airmen
of the Allied Expeditionary Force.
530
00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:17,160
You are about to embark upon
the Great Crusade
531
00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:20,080
toward which we have striven
these many months.
532
00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:23,960
The eyes of the world are upon you.
The hopes and prayers
533
00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:27,120
of liberty-loving people everywhere
march with you.
534
00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,720
I've never seen so many ships
in my life.
535
00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:36,920
And right in front of me
was a tug.
536
00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,560
Right at the stern was a red light.
537
00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:41,560
At 5:58
538
00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:43,680
in the morning of June 6th,
539
00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,680
we dropped the first bombs
on Omaha Beach.
540
00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,080
The landing craft was ready.
541
00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:01,800
When we did the D-Day landings...
542
00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:05,680
..chaos. Chaos.
543
00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:15,920
We just didn't realise
544
00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:17,560
the seriousness
545
00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:19,960
of what this whole thing
546
00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:21,080
was all about.
547
00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:24,000
The report, unconfirmed
by Allied sources, of course,
548
00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,160
says that heavy fighting
is taking place between
549
00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:29,560
the Germans and invasion forces
on the Normandy peninsula,
550
00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,520
about 31 miles southwest
of Le Havre.
551
00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:37,200
These boys are apparently
having a pretty tough time
552
00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:42,080
in here on the beaches. It's not
very pleasant. It's exposed.
553
00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:47,680
I landed on Utah Beach.
554
00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:49,600
The unfortunate part about it,
555
00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:52,960
the night before we tried,
the weather was too rough.
556
00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:57,920
So they were waiting for us
on the second day that we came in.
557
00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:03,680
Another bulletin, also from
Berlin radio and unconfirmed,
558
00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,080
says that British-American
landing operations
559
00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:09,920
against the western coast of Europe,
from the sea and from the air,
560
00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:14,680
are stretching over the entire area
between Cherbourg and Le Havre,
561
00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:16,800
a distance of about 60 miles.
562
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,240
I repeat, there is no confirmation.
563
00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:22,840
The sky was black with aeroplanes,
564
00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:25,320
you might say.
565
00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:27,440
Well, I was stepping over bodies.
566
00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:32,200
Either their boat got stuck
567
00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,160
and they couldn't come to the beach
and they got into water
568
00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:39,880
and they were carrying heavy packs
and they couldn't swim.
569
00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:45,840
I went in and there were bodies
floating beside me.
570
00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,440
You didn't even look at it.
You wiped it from your mind.
571
00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:53,680
You had a job to do.
I went in and did my job and...
572
00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:57,000
..I was fortunate.
573
00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,680
I went in at 7:00am.
574
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:01,880
The bodies were drowned
575
00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:05,000
and been killed while they were
still in the water.
576
00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:09,400
We went in way, way too early.
577
00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:12,520
Because they had not taken
as much of the beach
578
00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:14,440
as they thought they would.
579
00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:17,120
So when we got there,
we actually became infantry.
580
00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:19,760
We were not maintenance,
we was infantry.
581
00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:31,080
Until the silver bullet
hit some of our friends
582
00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:34,600
and they encountered mines,
583
00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,600
they were hit by artillery shrapnel,
584
00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:42,480
these guys...these guys were
being hit, uh, became casualties
585
00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:45,960
and the medics had to take care
of them as best they could.
586
00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,040
But these were men
that I had trained with, uh,
587
00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:52,040
some back in the States and then
through the period in England.
588
00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:56,680
During that period of time, you
become close to your men and, uh,
589
00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:58,120
almost like family.
590
00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:03,640
And, uh, you know, it hurts
when you see a man get, uh, uh,
591
00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:10,080
get wounded or killed and, uh,
you feel, uh, partially responsible.
592
00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:24,760
When we hit the beaches
593
00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:27,600
on the morning of the 6th of June,
594
00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:29,760
the weather was still rough.
595
00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:33,800
But most ships managed to
596
00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:35,840
close in fairly close to the beach.
597
00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:40,320
There were mines there. We did lose
some shipping from the minefields.
598
00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:44,920
Now, having stepped out of the sea
onto the beach,
599
00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:47,880
we were confronted
again with minefields.
600
00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:49,840
You don't stop.
601
00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:53,040
If somebody falls,
you don't stop to help.
602
00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:59,680
Your job is to get ashore
and do what you're trained to do.
603
00:34:59,720 --> 00:35:03,400
It's one of the tough parts,
I think, of an assault.
604
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:07,440
But you're trained to do
something and you do it.
605
00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:11,080
One doesn't really want to dwell on.
606
00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:14,720
It is rather a sickening thing
to think of.
607
00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:17,120
And so, ladies and gentlemen,
you may listen to this network
608
00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:20,880
with assurance that all sources
of news will be properly labelled,
609
00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:23,400
and that we will interrupt
programmes only with news
610
00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:26,560
of exceptional importance, and will
bring you frequent summaries
611
00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:28,760
of all information available.
612
00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:32,400
We wasn't expecting
613
00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,080
what did face us.
614
00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,320
They got German machine guns
that we knew nothing about.
615
00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:38,920
We'd never been told this.
616
00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,200
I can't recollect ever being told
617
00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:44,840
they got a dreaded
618
00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:46,920
Spandau machinegun,
619
00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:51,920
which fired 1,200 rounds a minute.
620
00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:56,040
We landed
on what they called Jig Sector.
621
00:35:56,080 --> 00:36:00,120
J-I-G. Jig Sector,
which was marshy ground.
622
00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:04,280
And I can recollect wading ashore,
worrying about my cigarettes
623
00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:06,600
in my small pack
that had got soaked through.
624
00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:11,120
Not knowing what was
getting thrown at us.
625
00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:13,440
Jump into the water,
it's deeper than I thought.
626
00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,560
I started to swim.
Eventually made the sea wall.
627
00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:18,440
Just as we get alongside the tank,
628
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:20,680
we thought we were pretty good then,
629
00:36:20,720 --> 00:36:25,760
a Jerry 88mm gun hit our tank
and blew us the hell out of it.
630
00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:27,800
"So far," said Winston Churchill,
631
00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:29,880
"The commanders who are engaged
632
00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:34,600
"report that everything is
proceeding according to plan."
633
00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:36,200
And then Mr Churchill,
634
00:36:36,240 --> 00:36:38,760
who knows well the history of that
phrase,
635
00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:43,560
said to the House of Commons,
"And what a plan."
636
00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,840
Time didn't mean anything
to us then, that morning.
637
00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,800
It was 10:30 when they landed,
about 7:30.
638
00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:53,560
And when you ask people
"What was the date of D-Day?"
639
00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:56,760
A lot of people
will say the 6th of June.
640
00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:02,160
Well, one has to ask them,
as I remember, "What day was it?"
641
00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:06,920
And it was a Tuesday morning,
which one will never forget.
642
00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:10,200
Then Mr Churchill said the vast
operation was undoubtedly
643
00:37:10,240 --> 00:37:15,440
the most complicated and the most
difficult which has ever been made.
644
00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:16,680
We're standing here,
645
00:37:16,720 --> 00:37:18,360
it's an absolutely incredible
646
00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:19,960
and fantastic sight.
647
00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:23,480
I don't know whether it's possible
to describe it to you or not.
648
00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:31,360
The sea is choppy and the beach
is lined with men and materials...
649
00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:36,000
Lots of people
don't realise what, uh...
650
00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:41,240
What you go through. I go to bed
at night, sometimes I can't sleep.
651
00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:46,120
You know, and things come back in...
in my mind, you know?
652
00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:52,440
..and, uh, guns, trucks, vehicles
of all kinds, uh, on either side
653
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:58,320
of us, there are pillars of smoke,
perhaps a mile, two miles away,
654
00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:00,640
which is rising from enemy shelling.
655
00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,160
And further back
we can see the smoke
656
00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:06,640
and results of our own shelling.
657
00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:11,520
All we can see of the vast invasion
fleet which is assembled for us
658
00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:17,080
are the silhouettes of the big four
ships, the, uh, battleships
659
00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:20,760
and cruisers which have been
putting, uh, a steady bombardment
660
00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:23,000
against the enemy positions all day.
661
00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,720
A bulletin. London.
A naval officer just returned
662
00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:28,640
to Supreme Allied Headquarters
from the French invasion beaches
663
00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:31,240
reports that all main points
have been gained
664
00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:34,240
and that reinforcements
are pouring across the Channel
665
00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:36,080
in an unprecedented stream.
666
00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:42,200
The Atlantic Wall
has been penetrated.
667
00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:43,880
There, after the first assault,
668
00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:46,840
the allies clung precariously
to a few beaches,
669
00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:50,160
but now they have a solid foothold
on Fortress Europa.
670
00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,960
Men and material have poured on
to the newly won beachheads
671
00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:54,920
with every favourable tide,
672
00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:58,840
and on some unfavourable ones.
The Allied command has announced
673
00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:01,520
that the battle of the beaches
is complete.
674
00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:04,560
The tremendous offensive
was bitterly contested.
675
00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,600
The Nazis knew that each passing
hour diminished their chances
676
00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:10,200
of throwing the Allies
back into the sea.
677
00:39:10,240 --> 00:39:12,840
But the American, British
and Canadian troops
678
00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:17,120
pressed forward firmly
onto the soil of France
679
00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:19,320
and made contact
with the French people.
680
00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:22,720
The bulldozers
were trying to clear roads
681
00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:25,960
to let our jeeps and tanks
move forward,
682
00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:29,800
and even though it was June,
the area was quite cold,
683
00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,680
as it usually is
in that part of Normandy.
684
00:39:33,720 --> 00:39:37,040
We're getting stuff ashore
despite this break.
685
00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:38,560
When the weather does turn fine,
686
00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,800
everybody will breathe easier
except the Germans.
687
00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:45,240
Our commanders know where
we're going and the Germans don't.
688
00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:48,720
They must scatter their defence.
And Rommel cannot be at all certain
689
00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:51,800
that this Normandy landing
is the real Allied blow.
690
00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:55,480
Of course, the men dug
their foxholes a little deeper,
691
00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:58,400
and we had the good fortune
of finding a concrete wall
692
00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:00,920
which helped serve as protection.
693
00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:05,520
But even now we're taking some
of our wounded back to the beach
694
00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:07,840
so they can be transferred
back to England.
695
00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:13,000
So, head doctor came in
to examine me and he said,
696
00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:15,920
"You can you can go home
on a hospital ship."
697
00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:19,840
And I said, "No,
I want to go back to my unit."
698
00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:23,920
Sent me back to my unit. And, uh...
699
00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:27,280
And then we went in.
700
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,080
Now some invasion impressions
from various observers at the front.
701
00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:34,360
One of the biggest groups
of American casualties
702
00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:37,440
and German prisoners of war came
into a British port early Saturday
703
00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:38,920
invasion time.
704
00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:42,240
Many of those injured were
Airborne troops with broken legs.
705
00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:45,800
Most of the prisoners are
described as a sorry looking lot.
706
00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:47,800
The Berlin radio tonight
says Marshal Rommel
707
00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:50,040
looks as if
he has been losing sleep.
708
00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:53,760
Well, that's one German report
it's a pleasure to believe.
709
00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:58,800
None of it was easy. When you
jumped off that damn landing barge,
710
00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:02,760
you didn't know whether you'd be
alive for a second or ten seconds
711
00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:07,800
or ten hours, because
every part of it was under fire.
712
00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:10,760
And the guys that jumped out
and got ashore
713
00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:13,320
and set up on the beachhead
714
00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:18,640
and pushed the Germans back
and got that beachhead opened up,
715
00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:23,000
they... I gave them more damn credit
than anybody because,
716
00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:25,160
I mean, that took a lot of guts.
717
00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:29,520
Soon we brought in
some of our big armament,
718
00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:33,120
and they were set up in a field
and firing at German positions.
719
00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:36,280
But even though the guns
were firing, the French people
720
00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:39,480
were bringing in the crops
as though nothing was happening.
721
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:40,840
This surprised me,
722
00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:43,960
and I couldn't help
but wanting to make a picture of it.
723
00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:47,280
Of course, these heavy guns
caused terrific concussion.
724
00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:49,600
Among those witnessing
the beachhead operation
725
00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:52,880
was the Supreme Allied Commander,
General Eisenhower.
726
00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:55,960
Here he meets with Admiral Ramsay,
Chief of Naval Operations,
727
00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:59,240
and with Britain's great soldier,
General Montgomery.
728
00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:01,920
The Supreme Commander is on hand
to learn first hand
729
00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:05,840
how the offensive is going.
What he learned was good indeed.
730
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:08,480
The meeting of these brilliant
leaders symbolises the unity
731
00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:11,320
of the united nations forces
they represent.
732
00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:28,280
The creation of the artificial
harbours in Normandy.
733
00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:31,080
The strange contraptions
which you see here
734
00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:33,840
made possible
our entire operation in France,
735
00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:35,800
and to supply our armies
736
00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:39,400
when the Germans wrecked
the French ports.
737
00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:43,320
These huge hollow blocks
of reinforced concrete
738
00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:45,600
are called Phoenixes.
739
00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:51,520
Each Phoenix is 200ft long,
60ft high, 40ft thick,
740
00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:53,720
and weighs 8,000 tons.
741
00:42:55,840 --> 00:43:00,960
The first tows began arriving
at Omaha on the afternoon of D-Day.
742
00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:05,320
You couldn't see the sky.
It was black with planes.
743
00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:08,120
When we towed you over,
744
00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:11,480
we came back to England
and got another one
745
00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:13,240
and towed that over as well.
746
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:19,200
But luckily for us, we weren't hit
by any shells or anything, you know.
747
00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:22,880
Neither of us felt any fear at all.
748
00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:25,320
We were there to do a job
749
00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:27,640
like everyone else was,
750
00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:32,480
and we were lucky
that we got away with everything.
751
00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:34,600
Out of sunken blockships,
752
00:43:34,640 --> 00:43:37,160
artificial harbours have been built.
753
00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:39,520
Until a port is won from the enemy,
754
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:42,400
these must handle
all Allied shipping.
755
00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:46,840
Now, more and more troops
move inland to push the enemy back.
756
00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:49,840
Back in the English Channel,
great convoys of troops
757
00:43:49,880 --> 00:43:53,840
and reinforcements continued to move
toward the beaches of Normandy.
758
00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:58,160
The beachhead already had expanded
to 50 miles, and they put ashore
759
00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:00,640
the complete equipment
of a highly mechanised army.
760
00:44:00,680 --> 00:44:03,840
There is much hard fighting ahead,
but the Germans are now faced
761
00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:05,520
with a three-front war -
762
00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:09,720
in the northern reaches of Russia,
in the mountains of Italy, and here,
763
00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:13,440
against this most tremendous
military operation in history.
764
00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:17,000
Heavy fighting in all areas,
particularly around Caen,
765
00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:19,760
where the Germans are making
a frantic effort to stop the advance
766
00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:21,520
of the British and Canadians.
767
00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:23,560
Both sides are using
more and more armour.
768
00:44:23,600 --> 00:44:26,280
So far, the Germans
haven't been able to match ours.
769
00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:28,280
A good many of the German
strongpoints
770
00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:30,880
that had to be bypassed
have now been eliminated.
771
00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:51,560
# We'll meet again
772
00:44:51,600 --> 00:44:54,320
# Don't know where
773
00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:57,360
# Don't know when
774
00:44:57,400 --> 00:45:01,480
# But I know we'll meet again
775
00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:04,640
# Some sunny day.... #
To me...
776
00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:07,280
And I often think about this.
777
00:45:07,320 --> 00:45:09,120
I think about all the
778
00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:15,440
18-year old, 19-year-old,
20-year-old guys that I saw,
779
00:45:15,480 --> 00:45:21,280
and I think they never got
to have a life.
780
00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:25,960
After gallant France
had been struck down,
781
00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:29,640
we from this island
and from our united empire,
782
00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:31,760
maintained the struggle
783
00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:34,640
single-handed for a whole year,
784
00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:39,160
until we were joined by the
overwhelming power and resources
785
00:45:39,200 --> 00:45:41,600
of the United States of America.
786
00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:47,040
Finally, almost the whole world
would combine against the evildoers
787
00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:50,000
who are now prostrate before us.
788
00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:53,880
Our gratitude
to our splendid allies
789
00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:58,800
goes forth from
all our hearts in this island
790
00:45:58,840 --> 00:46:00,880
and throughout the British Empire.
791
00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:06,840
But let us not forget for a moment
the toil and efforts that lie ahead.
792
00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:10,560
We must now devote all our strength
and resources
793
00:46:10,600 --> 00:46:15,280
to the completion of our task,
both at home and abroad.
794
00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:17,680
Advance, Britannia!
795
00:46:17,720 --> 00:46:22,040
Long live the cause of freedom!
God save the king!
796
00:46:22,080 --> 00:46:24,840
# But I know we'll meet again
797
00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:29,960
# Some sunny day
798
00:46:32,480 --> 00:46:36,240
# Keep smiling
through
799
00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:42,000
# Just like you
always do
800
00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:44,040
# Till the blue skies... #
801
00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:47,080
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