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Film, Video [World War II color footage--American troops move through northwest France toward Paris] World War 2 color footage--American troops move through northwest France toward Paris / World War Two color footage--American troops move through northwest France toward Paris / Inventory title: St. Lo

About this Item

Title

  • [World War II color footage--American troops move through northwest France toward Paris]

Other Title

  • World War 2 color footage--American troops move through northwest France toward Paris
  • World War Two color footage--American troops move through northwest France toward Paris
  • Inventory title: St. Lo

Summary

  • The SPECOU is embedded with American troops in July and August 1944 as they move through northwest France toward Paris. Scenes include bombed out towns, damaged buildings, German prisoners, everyday camp life, and French civilian activity. The unit travels through Saint-Lô, Falaise, Mont Saint-Michel, Coutances, Saint-Malo, Rennes, and reaches the Seine-et-Oise area near Paris.

Names

  • Stevens, George, 1904-1975
  • United States. Army. Signal Corps. Special Coverage Unit

Created / Published

  • 1944.

Contents

  • Remnants of bombed buildings in Saint-Lô, including a damaged cathedral and train station -- Bridge repaired by the 148th Engineer Battalion (C) BN, 4th August 1944 -- In Falaise, prisoners at a soccer stadium are guarded by American soldiers -- At a campsite near Coutances, scenes of everyday activity, soldiers sleeping, reading, playing cards, writing letters, getting a haircut, shoulder patch (Official U.S. War Photographer) is sewn onto soldier's sleeve -- Long convoy of trucks loaded with German prisoners -- Stevens and others visit Mont Saint-Michel and interact with French civilians -- German prisoners in an area enclosed by barbed wire are searched by American soldiers, then loaded into trucks -- In Coutances, medics treat a wounded soldier, Stevens walks down a bombed out street, civilians wave as military vehicles pass by -- Hamilton and Mellor on a bombed out road with many overturned trucks on the side of the road -- Bombed out streets, buildings and rubble in Saint-Malo -- Civilian activity in a less damaged town with American, British and French flags flying -- Artillery unit fires toward an island in the distance -- French band marches through town with civilians carrying weapons, possibly in Rennes, civilians wave and throw flowers as American tanks pass by, a small group of German prisoners is marched through town -- Stevens in his jeep crosses a bridge in the Seine-et-Oise area near Paris.

Headings

  • -  World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France
  • -  World War, 1939-1945--Destruction and pillage--France--Saint-Lô
  • -  World War, 1939-1945--Destruction and pillage--France--Saint-Malo
  • -  Prisoners of war--Germany
  • -  Prisoners of war--France
  • -  Military camps--France
  • -  Civilians in war--France
  • -  Le Mont-Saint-Michel (France)
  • -  Coutances (France)
  • -  Stevens, George,--1904-1975
  • -  Hamilton, Bill,--1908-1971
  • -  Mellor, William C.,--1903-1963

Genre

  • Unedited footage
  • Nonfiction films

Notes

  • -  Scenes depicted are not in chronological order.
  • -  During World War II, film director George Stevens was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army Signal Corps. In late 1943, he was directed to organize a Special Coverage Unit (SPECOU) of cameramen and sound recorders to photograph the Americans landing in Europe on D-Day. The unit was embedded with American and Allied troops as they moved through France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany.
  • -  Sources used: Five came back by Mark Harris; "Lt. Col. George C. Stevens, World War II color film" document in M/B/RS acquisition file, ACQ: Stevens, George (Jr.).

Medium

  • 1 video file (digital) (43 min.) : si., col.

Source Collection

  • Stevens (George, Jr.) Collection (Library of Congress)

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2020600756

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

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Credit Line: Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Stevens, George, and United States Army. Signal Corps. Special Coverage Unit. World War II color footage--American troops move through northwest France toward Paris. 1944. Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/2020600756/.

APA citation style:

Stevens, G. & United States Army. Signal Corps. Special Coverage Unit. (1944) World War II color footage--American troops move through northwest France toward Paris. [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2020600756/.

MLA citation style:

Stevens, George, and United States Army. Signal Corps. Special Coverage Unit. World War II color footage--American troops move through northwest France toward Paris. 1944. Video. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2020600756/>.