WWII " TROOP TRAIN " AMERICAN RAILROADS IN WORLD WAR II WWII 81445

Рет қаралды 17,861

9 күн бұрын

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"Troop Train" is a 1943 short, morale-boosting propaganda film produced by the Office of War Information that shows how American troops and war material are being shipped via railroad. While the film's assumed purpose would be to educate the American public about the role of railroad transportation of military divisions, "Troop Train" takes a more stylistic approach, with absolutely no narration and little dialogue.
The director uses images to tell the story. Footage of rows of war material, troops marching and locomotives are cleverly edited to create a montage propaganda film, something of a rarity in the United States.
The film is also notable for its depiction of service men's life on the long trips across the country to unknown ports, and to unknown fronts in the war. The film begins with images of rows of vehicles including tanks, trucks and motorcycles (:54) before showing the control room (1:17) at a major railroad and staff at the Transportation Corps in Washington D.C. At (1:47), men speak on the phone regarding the movement of military trains. At (2:1), the Chief of Staff of the Army Ground Forces meet and discuss movement of an armored division. At (2:29) the 201st Armored Division's M-3 Stuart tanks are shown moving down a highway to a waiting train, which is guarded by MPs. At (2:49) rows of flatcars are assembled so that the tanks can be moved board. They are followed by halftracks (4:02) and trucks. At (4:17) chocks are installed so that the vehicles won't shift in transit. At (4:30) Harley Davidson motorcycles and jeeps board the train. At (4:50) the personnel of the division march in formation. At (5:21) the steam engine pulling the vehicles gets underway, while what appears to be a second train carrying personnel is loaded on an adjacent track. At (6:45) the men play cards while the train rides along followed at (7;05) by a game of craps. At (7;08) soup is prepared and at (7:20) a meal eaten aboard the train. At (7:58) the men leave the train to stretch and perform calisthenics and take a shower from a water tower (8:21). At (8:40) the men use wax paper to hum a tune while the train crosses a trestle. At (8:50) a Black Pullman porter prepares a fold down bed. At (9:43) a soldier brushes his teeth in Pullman car. At (9:49) a porter watches as a soldier looks out the window. The film ends with a montage of trains moving relentlessly onward towards the ports, where the men and equipment will disembark and then make their way by ship to the battlefronts.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

Пікірлер: 35

@bertvosburg558 7 күн бұрын

My Dad, Ernest Earl Vosburg was drafted on his 18th Birthday July 15th 1943. Shipped out to Fort Knox, slept in tar paper shacks and learned how to work on Sherman Tanks. My Dad specifically assembled flame throwers on the tanks for the pacific theater. He said his Sargent would come in at night and open the windows up in the shack to "toughen" the guys up for the European theater. Either the Sargent knew where they were going but didn't want that out there and was trying to throw off any spying, but they all went to the pacific theater, Dad to Hawaii as a tank mechanic. He shipped out after basic and took a troop train across the USA to California and the up the pacific coast to Washington State and boarded the ship "Oriole" Going to Hawaii from there. There was a sub scare and the convoy did deploy depth charges en route. I have some black and white snap shots of the route up the coast, a bunch of Fort Knox and a bunch of Hawaii.

@brianmorgan5739 7 күн бұрын

My Mom's Brother my Uncle Lou enlisted in the USAAC and was sent to Rantoul, Illinois for basic air training at the old Rantoul Army Air Base. From Rantoul he was sent to Barksdale Airbase in Barksdale, Louisiana to be trained to fly Martin Maurader B26 medium Bombers then sent to Wendover, Nevada to Wendover Army Air Corp Base for basic navigation training. Then off to New York City and on board the Queen Mary recomissoned by the RN as a troop ship. Upon arrival in the UK he was sent to RAF Stoke on Trent were he flew his first operational combat missions in the European theater. My Uncle was in the 7th Army Air Corp, 336th Bomb Squadron.

@gleytch 7 күн бұрын

The only difference on the equipment loading portion between then and Desert Storm was the equipment being loaded and the guy playing the harmonica. 30 something years later, it still seems like yesterday.

@jimweirjr3863 6 күн бұрын

They're not playing with harmonicas. It's a comb with wax paper wrapped around the comb. Used to do that as a kid.

@gleytch 6 күн бұрын

⁠⁠@@jimweirjr3863check again at 4:17.

@gleytch 5 күн бұрын

@@jimweirjr3863 check again at 4:17

@mshotz1 8 күн бұрын

Ah! Brings back memories! Rail heading in Germany 1978 to 1980. We just got a box of C-Rations, no hot meals. Those light tanks would be good target practice for the Panzers. Only really good for scouting and in the Pacific. Soviets used them as scout cars because their light weight was better at getting through the mud. And the PT! The Turn and lunge!

@markcollins2666 7 күн бұрын

Railheading in Germany was luxury compared to this! 6 man compartments, 3 seats across, with 3 bunks above the seating. We had books, magazines, boom boxes, cards and dice. C rations, but also, a porter with a sandwich and drink cart would come by. Didn't mind it a bit, much better than the bus, or convoy driving!

@JeepWrangler1957 7 күн бұрын

So sad that all these guys are gone now.

@qualtrough 6 күн бұрын

I don't know if I would want to stand between tanks directing them when to stop.

@wdmm94 Күн бұрын

If you are talking at 3:40 no kidding. That is just common sense. I have seen RR safety films from this era stress that about working in rail yards and train cars.

@xxxxxx-tq4mw 5 күн бұрын

This is kind of Deja vu for me having served in a U.S.Army transportation battalion(terminal service)on the port of Pusan, Korea from 01/1969 - 02/1970.

@chadwedul1787 19 сағат бұрын

Transport by train is a whole lot easier when the yards aren't bombed and trains aren't strafed.

@judy_h 6 күн бұрын

"WAR is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives." Smedley Butler

@CommackMark 3 күн бұрын

Wow those tanks were absolute before even being shipped

@ProspectorsGhost 6 күн бұрын

Quite a few of those M-3 Stewart Tanks being loaded. It also looked like there might have been a few of the M-5 Stewart Tanks being loaded as well maybe.

@neilcoligan8621 6 күн бұрын

Did you catch the shot where it appears a corner section of the driver's compartment has been removed to show the guy doing his job? Happens about 3:36.