The post 82 Airborne Division Walk 2018 appeared first on World War Media.
]]>In 2018, the 36th edition of the annual walk, organized to honor the soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge, takes you to the sites of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion.
The march will take you to the Belgian towns of Fosse, Grand-Halleux, Dairomont and Rochelinval. Some 82nd Airborne Division’s Veterans Families intend to come over to participate as well as several European re-enactment groups. The logistic support will be provided by WWII vehicles from the 82nd Airborne “All American“ Jeep Group.”, founder and organizer Emile Lacroix says.
When: February 24, 2018 Time: 09h30
Start/Address: Restaurant Ferme Bodson – Mont Saint Jacques, 15 – 4980 Trois-Ponts
Distance: 18 Km (11 Miles) Registration fee: 7 Euro pp
Info + Reservation Accommodations: Freddy Vanput via email: freddy.vanput@skynet.be Phone: + 32 (0)495 427392
Website: www.inthefootstepsofthe82ndairbornedivision.be
On December 16, 1944, the Germans launched a surprise offensive through the Ardennes Forest which caught the Allies completely by surprise. Two days later the 82nd joined the fighting and quickly blunted General Von Runstedt’s northern penetration of the American lines.
Despite a lack of cold weather equipment once again airborne spirit, courage, and hard-nosed determination won the day as the 505th withstood the bleak winter and stopped the fanatic German attacks at St. Vith and the Salm River.
By the end of the war, the 505th was awarded three foreign distinguished unit citations: the French fourragère, the Netherlands Military Order of William, and the Belgium fourragère.
GOYA– Stands for ‘Great Outstanding Young Americans’ but there are other translations of GOYA known by the troopers themselves. The 551 PIB was activated in 1942 with 800 men and deactivated in 1945 when just 110 surviving men were absorbed into the 82nd Airborne Division. On 3 January 1945, the Battalion’s Co A, under the command of Lt Durkee, launched one of the two bayonet charges performed by the US troops during the Battle of the Bulge. 
While victorious in capturing Rochelinval and eliminating the last German bridgehead for over 10 miles (16 km) on the Salm River, the unit was virtually decimated, having suffered more than 85% casualties. Relieved on 9 January 1945, of the 643 men who entered the battle on 3 January, only 14 Officers and 96 men remained. “Nowhere were casualties higher than in Lt Col Wood Joerg’s (KIA in Rochelinval), 551st ‘LOST’ Battalion.”
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]]>The post Help WWII Daughter To Walk The Steps Of Her Father appeared first on World War Media.
]]>Dan West, who was called “DB” or “Daniel Boone” by the other members of Easy, joined the company at Toccoa in August of 1942. Fellow 3rd Platoon trooper Ed Tipper called him, “competent, modest and good-natured…dependable to the highest degree…a guy who always got the job done.” Cathy (West) Landis, Dan’s daughter, has never traveled to see where her father fought. She has read books and watched movies and television shows about the war, but nothing out there can come close to the emotional closure that a trip to Europe will bring. We can help her to make her dream come true, to walk the steps of her father, a WWII soldier who served for freedom.
Ste-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy
DB jumped into Normandy from LT Bob Matthews Stick #71 and landed somewhere between St. Mere Eglise and Ravenoville. He methodically made his way to Marmion Farm and took part in the fighting to seize the small hamlet from German forces. After a couple of days, DB made his way towards Causeway #2 and during that time passed through St. Marie du Mont, where he took part in the iconic photo that adorns the front cover of Stephen Amborse’s best-selling book, Band of Brothers.
At the conclusion of the Normandy campaign, he returned to England with the rest of Easy and prepared for their next mission, Operation Market-Garden. DB jumped into Holland with the rest of Easy and endured the 70+ days of miserable conditions and incessant and nerve-racking outpost duty while on the Island. After recovering from that campaign, West, along with his Easy Company buddies, took part in the epic defense of Bastogne. He was also part of the Rhineland Campaign and like many others in Easy, enjoyed the sweet taste of victory at Berchtesgaden and the Eagle’s Nest. A high point man, he returned home to restart a life that had been interrupted by the war.
In Her Father’s Footsteps
Mrs. Landis lives on a modest income which has been severely impacted by the rising costs of medical bills. As a result, it would be nearly impossible for her to pay for a trip to Europe to walk the fields of battle where her father and his Band of Brothers served so gallantly.
Due to the efforts of GBC Tours, Cathy will have a chance to travel across Europe in September 2018, provided we can raise $6000.00 to cover airfare, ground transport, lodging and meals. Please help to provide Cathy with some closure. Help her finally stand in the places where her father fought. This is noble cause that will support a family that has given so much to the Nation and Europe.
Cathy (West) Landis
Dan West and Carwood Lipton
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]]>The post Band of Brothers Lost Another Hero- Donald G Malarkey appeared first on World War Media.
]]>
Today we received the sad news that another WWII hero has made his final Jump. Sgt T/4 Donald G Malarkey (96) has been an example and an unfailing source of inspiration to many of us.
Born in Astoria, Oregon on 21 July 1921, Donald Malarkey was drafted into the United States Army in 1942 where he volunteered to join the paratroopers in training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia.
Assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, he became a member Company E (Easy) of the 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment. With this unit Malarkey parachuted into Normandy, France on 6 June 1944 as part of ‘Operation Overlord’, D-Day. He was part of the crew to take out four German guns in the field at Brécourt Manor.
Promoted to sergeant, he joined his mortar squad in Operation Market-Garden and the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded with the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal
Donald Malarkey’s rifle company became the subject of historian Stephen E. Ambrose’s 1992 non-fiction book ‘Band of Brothers’ which was turned in a successful mini-series in 2001 by HBO . Don’s character was portrayed by actor Scott Richard Grimes.
To learn more about Sergeant Malarkey’s time in WWII, we highly recommend his book: Easy Company Soldier: The Legendary Battles of a Sergeant from World War II’s “Band of Brothers” by Don Malarkey and Bob Welch.
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]]>The post The Life And Career Of Gustav Knittel -by Timo Worst appeared first on World War Media.
]]>In the summer of 1946, a 31-year old former SS officer from the Bavarian town of Neu-Ulm, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders his battalion had committed in and near the Belgian town of Stavelot during the Battle of the Bulge. The author, Timo R. Worst, reconstructed Gustav Knittel’s personal life, his military career in the Waffen-SS and both his personal involvement in the grim story of that horrendous week in the Ardennes and the role the men under his command played in the murder of over a hundred civilians and unarmed prisoners of war.
Displeased by previous published content about the SS in Stavelot and the surrounding hamlets, Worst felt compelled to visit the Ardennes himself, to search the archives and ultimately to contact veterans of Knittel’s battalion and to consult his family. By providing the available pieces of the puzzle, the author allows the reader to follow Knittel’s footsteps: his entry in the SS, the units he led traversing Europe from France and Greece to Italy, Ukraine and Belgium, the men under his command, the battles he fought and awards he won, but also his doubts about the outcome of the war and how this effected his state of mind, the massacres, his arrest, the trial and his post-war life.
This book enables the reader to see through the multiple layers of smoke created not only by Knittel, his defending lawyers or his wartime comrades, but also by his captors, his interrogators and the prosecutors.
Photo Courtesy of Timo Worst
Review by Danny S Parker, author of Fatal Crossroads and Hitler’s Warrior
In this new biography of Waffen-SS officer Gustav Knittel, Timo Worst documents the life of a man who would become the head of the reconnaissance battalion of the 1st SS Panzer Division in Hitler’s Third Reich. Knittel’s life mirrors the prospects and war path of other officers in the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler – a formation which developed an infamous reputation for brutality and war crimes in the Second World War.
How did this state of affairs come to be? Worst gives us many details which amount to a war-time mosaic of what it meant to be an SS officer in Hitler’s most favoured combat formation. With Knittel’s life as a central pivot, we gain new insight into the savage actions in which his reconnaissance battalion became engaged, both on the Eastern Front and in the West. It is then hardly surprising that as the combat heir to Kurt Meyer, Knittel’s command developed a savage reputation.
Nor did the affair end with the war. As we learn about the post war Malmédy trial and how Knittel and the others under him successfully campaigned to escape the hangman at Landsberg prison. Ultimately they were released into a Germany that bore little resemblance to the one for which they had fought from 1939-45.
While SS officers such as Peiper, Meyer and Mohnke have previously been covered in recent literature this is a new contribution with revealing details and revelations regarding Gustav Knittel. Recommended.
Photo Courtesy of Timo Worst
Review by Marc Rikmenspoel, author of Waffen-SS Encyclopedia
What this book really does is show that the rotten core of the SS spread to every facet of the organization. Knittel served alongside men who had important roles in crimes against humanity. Waffen-SS veteran publications only portray these men during their time as frontline soldiers, but Timo gives the full story. The picture of the Leibstandarte isn’t really a pretty one, but it is a good contrast to the HiAG version of its history.
The book is full of personal accounts by veterans. These show the reality of Eastern Front combat, in all its horror and brutality. They also demonstrate that by the time of the Normandy fighting, the Germans didn’t really stand a chance. The soldiers couldn’t openly admit that the war was lost, and the frustrations they felt were vented in a terrible way in the Stavelot area during December 1944.
I highly recommend it to anyone interested the Waffen-SS, the Eastern Front, and the Battle of the Bulge.
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]]>The post General Anthony C McAuliffe 1945 and 1948 Broadcasts appeared first on World War Media.
]]>During a dinner in Detroit, MI, on 22 December 1948, General Anthony Clemens McAuliffe gives a speech for the fourth anniversary of the ‘NUTS!’ reply. His speech was broadcasted by radio stations WWJ and WWJ FM.
By Reg Jans – With special thanks to Mr. Kenneth McAuliffe, Mr. Joe Beyrle II and Mr. Paul Clifford
With a good sense of humor, the former acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division entertains the audience and talks about his experiences in Bastogne during th Battle of the Bulge.
Shortly before taking command of the 103 Infantry Division, in January 1945, the now legendary General talks about the Battle for Bastogne. (low quality)
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]]>The post D-Day Historian: A James Bond Story appeared first on World War Media.
]]>In this short video, D-Day Historian and recognized author Paul Woodadge talks at the War Cemetary in Bayeux, Normandy
Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was an English author, journalist and naval intelligence officer who is best known for his James Bond series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was the Member of Parliament for Henley from 1910 until his death on the Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton, Sandhurst and, briefly, the universities of Munich and Geneva, Fleming moved through several jobs before he started writing.
While working for Britain’s Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units, 30 Assault Unit and T-Force. His wartime service and his career as a journalist provided much of the background, detail and depth of the James Bond novels.
Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952. It was a success, with three print runs being commissioned to cope with the demand. Eleven Bond novels and two collections of short-stories followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels revolved around James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond was also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Reserve.
Paul Woodadge is a British born battlefield guide and historian living in Normandy, France. He is a published author and in addition to working as a DDay and Battle of Normandy tour guide he works as a historical consultant and advisor on WWII documentaries, films and TV shows. He is highly regarded as one of the foremost experts on 1944 and the invasion of Europe by the Allies and has met countless veterans.
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]]>The post D-Day Historian: Carwood Lipton in Normandy appeared first on World War Media.
]]>In this short video historian and author Paul Woodadge talks about Sgt Carwood Lipton’s landing in Normandy on D-Day.
First Lieutenant Clifford Carwood Lipton (30 January 1920 – 16 December 2001) was a commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Lipton was portrayed by Donnie Wahlberg in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. On the battlefields of Europe, he was promoted to Company First Sergeant and ultimately was awarded a battlefield commission to Second Lieutenant. He said “it was the greatest honor ever awarded” to him. He eventually earned a promotion to First Lieutenant before leaving the Army.
Paul Woodadge is a British born battlefield guide and historian living in Normandy, France. He is a published author and in addition to working as a DDay and Battle of Normandy tour guide he works as a historical consultant and advisor on WWII documentaries, films and TV shows. He is highly regarded as one of the foremost experts on 1944 and the invasion of Europe by the Allies and has met countless veterans.
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]]>The post 80 Years Ago: The Hindenburg Disaster appeared first on World War Media.
]]>Original footage from the British Pathe archive shows impressive shots of the LZ 129 ‘Hindenburg’ flying overhead and crashing on its landing ground at Lakehurst NJ, on ThursdayMay 6, 1937.
The disaster killed 35 persons on the airship, and one member of the ground crew, but miraculously 62 of the 97 passengers and crew survived.
After more than 30 years of passenger travel on commercial zeppelins — in which tens of thousands of passengers flew over a million miles, on more than 2,000 flights, without a single injury — the era of the passenger airship came to an end in a few fiery minutes.
Actual construction of LZ-129 began in the Fall of 1931, but progress lagged due to a severe lack of funds during the Depression. At first, the Nazi Party’s assumption of power in January, 1933 had little effect on the fortunes of the Zeppelin Company, partly due to Air Minister Hermann Göring’s dislike of lighter-than-air flight. But Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels was aware of the potential symbolic value of LZ-129 as a showcase for German strength and technology, and in 1934 Goebbels offered Hugo Eckener 2 million marks toward the completion of LZ-129.
Nazi officials were very much aware of the symbolic value of the huge and impressive airship, and frequently called on Hindenburg for propaganda flights, often in company with the Graf Zeppelin.
Hindenburg made appearances at public events such as the 1936 Berlin Games and the Nuremberg Party rally, and Hindenburg’s first major flight, after test flights were completed, was a 74-hour propaganda flight in support of Hitler’s remilitarization of the Rhineland.
The Disaster
At 7:25 p.m. local time, the Hindenburg caught fire and quickly became engulfed in flames. Eyewitness statements disagree as to where the fire initially broke out; several witnesses on the port side saw yellow-red flames first jump forward of the top fin near the ventilation shaft of cells 4 and 5. Other witnesses on the port side noted the fire actually began just ahead of the horizontal port fin, only then followed by flames in front of the upper fin. One, with views of the starboard side, saw flames beginning lower and farther aft, near cell 1 behind the rudders. Inside the airship, helmsman Helmut Lau, who was stationed in the lower fin, testified hearing a muffled detonation and looked up to see a bright reflection on the front bulkhead of gas cell 4, which “suddenly disappeared by the heat”. As other gas cells started to catch fire, the fire spread more to the starboard side and the ship dropped rapidly. Although there were cameramen from four newsreel teams and at least one spectator known to be filming the landing, as well as numerous photographers at the scene, no known footage or photograph exists of the moment the fire started.
Wherever they started, the flames quickly spread forward first consuming cells 1 to 9, and the rear end of the structure imploded. Almost instantly, two tanks (it is disputed whether they contained water or fuel) burst out of the hull as a result of the shock of the blast. Buoyancy was lost on the stern of the ship, and the bow lurched upwards while the ship’s back broke; the falling stern stayed in trim.
As the tail of the Hindenburg crashed into the ground, a burst of flame came out of the nose, killing nine of the 12 crew members in the bow. There was still gas in the bow section of the ship, so it continued to point upward as the stern collapsed down. The cell behind the passenger decks ignited as the side collapsed inward, and the scarlet lettering reading “Hindenburg” was erased by flames as the bow descended. The airship’s gondola wheel touched the ground, causing the bow to bounce up slightly as one final gas cell burned away. At this point, most of the fabric on the hull had also burned away and the bow finally crashed to the ground. Although the hydrogen had finished burning, the Hindenburg’s diesel fuel burned for several more hours.
The time that it took from the first signs of disaster to the bow crashing to the ground is often reported as 32, 34 or 37 seconds. Since none of the newsreel cameras were filming the airship when the fire started, the time of the start can only be estimated from various eyewitness accounts and the duration of the longest footage of the crash. One careful analysis by NASA’s Addison Bain gives the flame front spread rate across the fabric skin as about 49 ft/s (15 m/s) at some points during the crash, which would have resulted in a total destruction time of about 16 seconds (245m/15 m/s=16.3 s).
Some of the duralumin framework of the airship was salvaged and shipped back to Germany, where it was recycled and used in the construction of military aircraft for the Luftwaffe, as were the frames of the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II when both were scrapped in 1940. SOURCE
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]]>The post Coach Bill Belichick Narrates New Documentary D-Day: Over Normandy appeared first on World War Media.
]]>D-Day: Over Normandy, the 18th World War II related film from Tim Gray Media and the non-profit World War II Foundation, is scheduled for airing nationally on over 116 PBS and Public Television stations it was recently announced.
The documentary, narrated by the NFL’s only 5 time-winning Super Bowl head coach, the New England Patriots Bill Belichick, was shot entirely by drone camera in Normandy, France and combines that incredible footage with interviews with both Allies and German veterans who fought on the exact locations the drone captured in Normandy and Europe.
It will begin premiering nationally in early May. All of TGM/WWII Foundation’s films are donated to American Public Television as part of APT’s Exchange Program. The donation is in-line with the World War II Foundation’s educational mission to preserve the stories of the WWII generation.
The film makes it’s domestic world premiere on May 27th in Providence, Rhode Island and then shows for the first time in Europe on June 3rd at the Utah Beach Museum in Normandy, France.
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]]>The post Call of Duty: WWII appeared first on World War Media.
]]>Over two years in the making, Sledgehammer Games delivers a gritty, personal experience in the setting of the largest worldwide conflict in history to a new gaming generation in Call of Duty®: WWII.
Play through the story of ordinary men turned soldiers in the 1st Infantry Division as they fight to preserve freedom in the face of tyranny. Call of Duty: WWII delivers fast-paced, boots-on-ground combat through iconic locations in the European Theater.
To stay as close as possible to historical accuracy, Sledgehammer worked closely with noted author and military historian Martin K A Morgan .
Call of Duty: WWII will be released on 3 November 2017 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Pre-order Call of Duty: WWII now on-disc or digital download and secure your code for the Private Beta: http://www.CallofDuty.com/WWII
The 1st Infantry Division entered combat in World War II as part of “Operation Torch”, the invasion of North Africa, the first American campaign against the Axis powers. On Nov. 8, 1942, following training in the United Kingdom, men of the First Division landed on the coast of Algeria near Oran. The initial lessons of combat were harsh and many men were casualties in the campaign that followed and which stretched from Algiers into Tunisia. On May 9, 1943, the commander of the German “Afrika Korps” surrendered his force of 40,000 and North African operations for the Big Red One ended. The Division then moved on to take Sicily in “Operation Husky.” It stormed ashore at Gela, July 10, 1943, and quickly overpowered the Italian defenses. Soon after, the Division came face-to-face with 100 tanks of the Herman Goering Tank Division. With the help of naval gunfire, its own artillery and Canadian allies, the First Infantry Division fought its way over the island’s hills, driving the enemy back. The Fighting First advanced on to capture Troina and opened the Allied road to the straits of Messina.
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Big Red One stormed ashore at Omaha Beach. Soon after H-Hour, the Division’s 16th Infantry Regiment was fighting for its life on a strip of beach near Coleville-sur-Mer that had been marked the “Easy Red” on battle maps. As the assault progressed, the beach became so congested with destroyed equipment, the dead and the wounded, that there was little room to land reinforcements. Col. George Taylor, commander of the 16th Infantry Regt., told his men, “Two kinds of people are staying on this beach! The dead and those who are going to die! Now, let’s get the hell out of here!” Slowly, spurred by the individual heroism of many individuals, the move inland got underway.
A German blockhouse above the beach became a command post named “Danger Forward.”
After the beachhead was secured, the Division moved through the Normandy Hedgerows. The Division liberated Liege, Belgium, and pushed to the German border, crossing through the fortified Siegfried line. The 1st Inf. Div. attacked the first major German city, Aachen, and after many days of bitter house-to house fighting, the German commander surrendered the city on Oct. 21, 1944.
The Division continued its push into Germany, crossing the Rhine River. On Dec. 16, 24 enemy divisions, 10 of which were armored, launched a massive counterattack in the Ardennes sector, resulting in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. The Big Red One held the critical shoulder of the “Bulge” at Bullingen, destroying hundreds of German tanks in the process. On Jan. 15, 1945, the First Infantry attacked and penetrated the Siegfried line for the second time and occupied the Remagen bridgehead. On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, the Division marched 150 miles to the east of Siegen. On April 8, the Division crossed the Weser River into Czechoslovakia. The war was over May 8, 1945.
At the end of World War II, the Division had suffered 21,023 casualties and 43,743 men had served in its ranks. Its soldiers had won a total of 20,752 medals and awards, including 16 Congressional Medals of Honor. Over 100,000 prisoners had been taken.
Following the war, the First Division remained in Germany as occupation troops, until 1955, when the Division moved to Fort Riley, Kan. (Source)
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]]>The post WWI Lions Returned to Ypres appeared first on World War Media.
]]>In 1936, two large stone guardian lions were donated to the Australian War Memorial by the mayor of Ypres. The lions, carved from limestone, were given to the Australian goverment as a gesture of friendship.
The lions had originally stood on plinths on either side of the Menin Gate at Ypres, Belgium. This gate was one of only two entries into the medieval fortified city. It was through this gate that Allied soldiers marched to the battefields of the Ypres salient between 1914 and 1918. For many years, the lions have been on display at the entrance to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
From April 2017 until further notice, the lions can be seen again on display on the bridge by the Menin Gate. A small exhibition at the In Flanders Fields Museum will explain the history of the lions.
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]]>The post Happy Easter appeared first on World War Media.
]]>Happy Easter from World War Media.
Thank you all for your tremendous support. Being online for just six weeks, WWM has reached over 100.000 people who share the same interest for War History and the passion to preserve it.
Please keep sending us your stories, video’s, photo’s, reports. experiences, art, reviews, …and help us to get better at what we are doing: Keeping the memory alive and passing it on to the future generations.
HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE OF YOU !
The WWM-Team
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]]>The post How Band of Brothers Inspires Children to Learn About WWII appeared first on World War Media.
]]>For too many kids, World War II is a video game. Our schools, a special problem in America, barely gloss over the war that truly shaped the global 20th century. “Band of Brothers” followed “Saving Private Ryan” and began a renaissance in the veterans and the events of the war. Dusty old books and thick tomes of famous generals were replaced with the magic of Hollywood. But out of that magic, came stories of real men. Real heroes who fought and bled and died for the freedoms we too often today, take for granted.
By Chris Langlois, a Doc Roe grandson
And so, an idea I’ve had for several years is in the process of coming to fruition. An illustrated book about the men of Easy Company, those Band of Brothers, who have captured the hearts of so many around the world. With the hope of reaching young minds, the book will join words and painted illustrations by the talented Anneke Helleman, to educate and inspire. The ultimate goal is help children, our future generations of leaders, to recognize the accomplishments and sacrifices of the men and women who served in WWII. Those accomplishments and sacrifices are ones we can ill-afford to forget. ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’
By Anneke Helleman
Another special aspect of the book is that I’m working with a teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who has been showing the mini-series to his students for 10 years now. I’m excited for his enthusiasm for the project as well as his insights toward making the book appropriate and interesting for those young minds.
A portion of the profits from the book will go toward the World War II Foundation and the Band of Brothers Family Foundation . Both are non-profit organizations with the goal of educating and honoring our WWII veterans. Published by DOC ROE PUBLISHING, the book is expected to be completed by the end of the summer 2017 and will be distributed, via Amazon, in the U.S., U.K. and EU.
Anneke Helleman
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]]>The post The Official Selections Of the 2017 Normandy Film Festival appeared first on World War Media.
]]>Film Schedule 2017 Normandie-World War II International Film Festival
June 2-Utah Beach Museum Theatre
(Red Carpet Event 7:55PM)
8PM Normandy: A World Apart (8m, U S A)
Normandy: A World Apart tells the story of a 95-
year-old, American WWII Veteran, as he travels
back to the shores of Omaha Beach for the first
time in 72-years.
8:10PM Here Again (45m, United Kingdom)
An aging American novelist/correspondent and an egger young paratrooper are
injured and lost during the airborne invasion of Normandy, 1944. Helped by a
French mother and daughter, they worry that the girl, who has a German
boyfriend, will betray them. As the allies advance and the fighting draws near, the
danger grows.
8:55PM Wolves (12m, Spain)
World War II. Arthur, British Royal Air Force pilot, flees cross-country after his
plain crashes. He begins a fight for survival in which he will encounter more than
German enemies.
9:10PM After the War (14m, Russian Federation, Ukraine)
It is a story about two soldiers who recently fought on the opposing sides. Now
they are destined to come face to face and feel crime and remorse, despair and
tears. This is how they realized that the war is ruthless and senseless and decided
to leave it together.
9:25PM Return to Normandy (27m, France, U S A)
In 2014, twenty-two World War II veterans were presented with the opportunity
to return to Normandy, France to participate in 70th anniversary of D-Day
celebrations. Most of the veterans had never returned to the ground on which
they fought and many still felt resentment at their treatment by the French after
the war.
9:55PM Where’s Johnny Fleischmann? (19m, U S A)
Johnny Fleischmann was deemed a war hero on the home front with growing
popularity for his war bond radio show contest, but when War World II ended
things took a strange turn and life imitated art… Where indeed, is… Johnny
Fleischmann?
10:15PM Addle Strife (10m, U S A)
Two U.S. paratroopers track down an injured German soldier after a failed
ambush.
10:30PM HALF PINT (20m, U S A)
When his family takes him to a museum on a rainy day, 13-year-old Jim doesn’t
care much for history, until he finds himself thrown back in time to 1944 France on
the eve of D Day where he runs into four American airborne soldiers (Sarge, Ace,
Joker & Sparks). The four soldiers give him the nick name ‘Half Pint’ and take this
lost boy along on their mission as forward observers.
June 3-Bayeux, Cinema Le Melies
6PM An American Solo (93m, U S A)
The life story (thus far) of a vibrant, extremely candid 95-year-old resident of NH
who raised himself (abandoned by single mother), became a decorated WWII
fighter pilot, commanded the first nuclear-armed fighter squadron in the Cold
War, flew combat in Vietnam, was shot down (and barely rescued) over Laos.
7:45PM After Auschwitz: The Stories of Six Women (82m, U S A)
After Auschwitz is a “Post-Holocaust” documentary that follows six extraordinary
women, capturing what it means to move from tragedy and trauma towards life.
These women all moved to Los Angeles, married, raised children and became
“Americans” but they never truly found a place to call home.
9:15PM BATTLEFIELDS – Hedgerow Hell (60m, France)
Battlefields (Champs de Bataille) is a French tv documentary series broadcasted on
RMC Découverte and produced by Phare Ouest since 2014. Each Battlefields
episode reveals the mysteries of a major contemporary battle, and this one is
about the battle of the hedgerows.
10:20PM USS Indianapolis: The Legacy (99m, U S A)
The Legacy Project tells the fate of the World War II heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis
using exclusively first-person accounts. The last crew and their families share
gripping stories of kamikaze attacks, invasions, a secret mission, and ultimately a
devastating torpedo attack that killed three fourths of the crew. The survivors
recall the 5 days they spent floating alone in the Pacific Ocean, their miraculous
rescue, and how they fought together to clear their captain’s name.
June 4-Bayeux, Cinema Le Melies
6PM Winter War (140m, France)
January 1945. The first French regiment of paratroopers to fight with an American
unit to liberate Alsace in France. An Allied Division must take the forest bordering
the town of Jebsheim, several days before the attack that would later be called the
‘French Stalingrad.’
8:30PM The Unimaginable Journey of Peter Ertel (90m, U S A)
A reluctant German Platoon Leader who became a POW is recruited by his captors
to be a U.S. Government agent, then goes on to work 25 years for a small U.S.
company owned by Orthodox Jews.
10:00PM WHISPERS (33m, France)
When Betty, a 16 years old girl from Normandy, meets Suzie, member of the
Resistance, she enters a new world : a network, another day life and also a
cabaret where she whispers to the ears of the defiant, the address where to get
their fake ID. It’s also her arrest, then, the end of the war…
10:35PM The River (12m, United Kingdom, Cyprus)
A young soldier tries to maintain his identity and humanity, seeking catharsis in
the waters of a river.
10:50PM America’s Last 5 Star General (7m, U S A)
Known as the ‘soldiers’ general’, General Omar N. Bradley was appointed the field
commander of American soldiers for the invasion of D-Day. The successful attack
allowed the Allies to move directly against the German army in France. Within a
year, the war was over and the world was once again safe for democracy.
11:00PM Prisoner 9157 (30m, Canada)
In 1944, Dr. Georges Boogaerts, a Belgian surgeon held as a political prisoner in
the Struthof concentration camp, resists losing his humanity by helping the sick in
the infirmary. He becomes a key witness of the Nazis’ medical experiments and
secret crimes committed in the crematorium block.
11:30PM A Good Man’s Company (10m, U S A)
95-year-old World War Two veteran Jack Bertram recalls his time spent as a B17
bomber pilot stationed at Horham Air Force Base, England in 1942.
11:45PM Champagne (11m, U S A)
Two stranded American soldiers decide the fate German captor.
June 5-Bayeux, Cinema Le Melies
6PM SWITCHBLADE – A Brazilian Battalion in the Gothic Line (56m, Brazil)
How strong and enduring can the impact war causes on a human being be? This is
one of the questions approached in this documentary, whose background is the
trajectory of the men from 3rd Battalion of the 6th Infantry Regiment —
“Navalha” [“Switchblade’] —, of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force, in Italy, during
World War II.
7PM A Roar of Wolf Troops (90m, China)
During World War II, when the Japanese Imperial Army invades China, the Wolf
troops of the Zhuang minority embark on a secret mission to protect a
consignment of medicine vital to China’s war effort. When the enemy learns about
the mission, they attempt to hijack the goods and a great struggle ensues.
8:35PM Kurzeme Fortress (9m, Australia)
A deeply moving story about the tragic impact of war on a young family, but
ultimately, also a story of survival and resolution. Unaware of what is to come a
24-year-old Voldemārs joins the Latvian Army in 1940. Soon after he meets Millija
while on leave and they fall deeply in love. With a mass invasion coming in from
Russia and soon Germany, this young family will forever be changed.
8:50PM All American (9m, U S A)
72 years later, D-Day paratrooper Les Cruise returns to the WWII plane he jumped
from – this time with 4 generations of family by his side.
9:05PM A Way to Remember (35m, United Kingdom)
A young mother follows her father, following a WWII veteran, to Normandy for
the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, questioning the meaning of
remembrance.
9:50PM Our Father (15m, United Kingdom)
The Second World War is experienced through the journey of Private Cole, a
dramatic study of the contrasting nature between the innocence of childhood and
the reality of war, and the emotional struggle that accompanies it.
11:10PM Wings for Victory (13m, United Kingdom)
Hounded by the echoes of his experiences, a disillusioned World War II Airman
returns home, searching for peace of mind. A musical phrase resonates above it
all.
11:25PM NOCEBO (9m, India, Czech Republic, Italy)
Love, rape, revenge: the memories of a Nazi soldier’s romance unfold fifteen years
after the end of WWII. The mystery of the consequence of an unbearable outrage
to be revealed as syphilis turns into the nurse’s payback: a ‘sweet medicine’ that
carries the same mercilessness of her rape’s perpetrators.
11:35PM Promise Land (16m, U S A)
In 1939 Poland, two Jewes, Ackerman and Laura are hiding into a small abandon
wooded-clinic from the German soldiers while Ackerman hurt his leg. When they
think they are safe for the night, two Germans carry a dying soldier who gets hurt
from the Resistance break into the clinic trying to seek for a doctor, which
Ackerman is mistaken for the clinic doctor.
11:50PM THE FINAL FROLIC (12m, United Kingdom)
Set in 1940 England, three young boys, the night before they have to go and fight
the Nazis, decide to have one last big night out and find them selves waking up in
unfamiliar land and realize that this ‘Final Frolic’ has gone a little too far.
[read more=”Click here to Read More” less=”Read Less”]
All Films Selected into this year’s Normandie-WWII International Film Festival and Their Category
WHISPERS (33m, France)
dir. by Myriam LOTTON
Outstanding World War II Feature Film
Kurzeme Fortress (9m, Australia)
dir. by Kelly Hetherington
Outstanding World War II Short Film
Tour of Honor (55m, U S A)
dir. by Kyle and Carlos Plummer
Outstanding Student Produced World War II Film
Hidden Admiration (73m, U S A)
dir. by Brian Wellman
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
BATTLEFIELDS – Victory’s Angels (88m, France)
dir. by Serge Tignères
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
BATTLEFIELDS – Hedgerow Hell (60m, France)
dir. by Serge Tignères
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
America’s Last 5 Star General (7m, U S A)
dir. by John Kurash
Outstanding Veteran Produced World War II Film
Memories of a Forgotten War (109m, India)
dir. by Utpal Borpujari
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
Return to Normandy (27m, France, U S A)
dir. by Wade Sellers
Outstanding World War II Short Film
Winter War (140m, France)
dir. by Aboucaya David
Outstanding World War II Feature Film
The River (12m, United Kingdom, Cyprus)
dir. by Georgia Bloo Nicolaou
Outstanding World War II Short Film
All American (9m, U S A)
dir. by Michael & Stephen Ayjian & Skeel
Outstanding Student Produced World War II Film
A Way to Remember (35m, United Kingdom)
dir. by Guy Natanel
Outstanding Student Produced World War II Film
An American Solo (93m, U S A)
dir. by Jay MacNamee & Bob Bear
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
Where’s Johnny Fleischmann? (19m, U S A)
dir. by Bill Sorice
Outstanding World War II Short Film
Our Father (15m, United Kingdom)
dir. by Calum Rhys
Outstanding World War II Short Film
A Roar of Wolf Troops (90m, China)
dir. by Xinwu Zhang
Outstanding World War II Feature Film
After Auschwitz: The Stories of Six Women (82m, U S A)
dir. by Jon Kean
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
Prisoner 9157 (30m, Canada)
dir. by Andre Elias, Emmanuelle Vandycke
Outstanding World War II Short Film
The Unimaginable Journey of Peter Ertel (90m, U S A)
dir. by Joseph Cahn
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
Wings for Victory (13m, United Kingdom)
dir. by Ash Jones
Outstanding World War II Short Film
NOCEBO (9m, India, Czech Republic, Italy)
dir. by Faraz Alam
Outstanding Student Produced World War II Film
After the War (14m, Russian Federation, Ukraine)
dir. by Georgij Davidov
Outstanding World War II Short Film
THE FINAL FROLIC (12m, United Kingdom)
dir. by Edward Hicks
Outstanding Student Produced World War II Film
Happy Tree (15m, U S A)
dir. by Yunyi Zeng
Outstanding World War II Short Film
Addle Strife (10m, U S A)
dir. by Karl Ryan Erikson
Outstanding World War II Short Film
USS Indianapolis: The Legacy (99m, U S A)
dir. by Sara Vladic
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
Wolves (12m, Spain)
dir. by Alvaro Rodriguez Areny
Outstanding World War II Short Film
Champagne (11m, U S A)
dir. by Peter Zaragoza
Outstanding Student Produced World War II Film
Stranger, Bear Word to the Spa… (5m, U S A)
dir. by Nina Kavjaradze
Outstanding Student Produced World War II Film
Normandy: A World Apart (8m, U S A)
dir. by Britt Rawcliffe
Outstanding Student Produced World War II Film
The Greatest Honor (53m, U S A)
dir. by Kane Farabaugh
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
SWITCHBLADE – A Brazilian Battalion in the Gothic Line (56m, Brazil)
dir. by Durval Pereira
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
Promise Land (16m, U S A)
dir. by YuTong Ye
Outstanding Student Produced World War II Film
HALF PINT (20m, U S A)
dir. by Duncan Putney
Outstanding World War II Short Film
A Casualty of War (20m, United Kingdom)
dir. by Thomas G. Smith
Outstanding World War II Short Film
A Good Man’s Company (10m, U S A)
dir. by Michelle Russell
Outstanding Student Produced World War II Film
Here Again (45m, United Kingdom)
Dir. By Robin Brock Pratt
Picture Posse
Outstanding Veteran Produced WWII Film
Brothers in arms. In the Name of Joint Victory (41m, Russian Federation)
dir. by Oleg Shtrom
Outstanding World War II Documentary Film
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