The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

September— October, 1944 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN 87 ashore bouses set alight by our landing parties; crurj boats racking with small fire, buildings still holding snipers. Wise Guy says " Now we're for it." Apart from the night bombing, which was expected, we weren't "for it "—smoke screens and A. A. prevent that. D plus 1 l'l> again at dawn. Discover that the enemy are bombarding the beaches from the elevated ground to our left. Not pleasant. When shells fall short of beaches they are too perilously near the ship. Must annoying can't gel pictures. Nobody knows when Hun is going to fire, or what at. D plus 2 Boarded a Rhino Raft, coming off-shore with about TOO of the first German prisoners to leave France — good story. After tying up. the L.S.T. 1st Officer shouts down from fo'ca*stle " Sergeant, are you sending your guards aboard with these bastards' Sorry", sir. we ain't got no bleeding guard " was the reply. D plus 3 An audacious attack by low-flying enemy aircraft on the beaches — a huge dump is set alight— good pictures, but to us all a very distressing sight — so many men have lost their lives getting licit stuff ashore. Still, as an old R.F.C. man, appreciate technique. Alter several days returned to U.K. and was verj pleased to see the old shores again. The Naval organisation for getting the material back home was really first-class: full marks to Commander Dillon Robinson and his staff. From information received, tic public gave the Invasion editions a wonderful hand, so although this is only my own little story I do think that all cameramen who took part in D-Day have just cause to be proud of a good job of work well done. R. COLWYN-WOOD (Universal | 1 was luckier than some in the crossing, being aboard a Flagship which took small heed of a sea that brought crevt s of little ships near blasphemy and made so many passengers sick unto demonstration. Our ship bulged with personnel and 1 snatched some rest on the floor of a cabin designed for one man and now housing five. I too remember tic Infantry Landing Craft and the sights that chilled and humbled one. Yet an exalting, indelible picture remains a Tommy with a head wound, blood pours down his face rapidly turning his bai tledress a dirty plum colour. He struggles to his feet when the M.O. goes aboard and. grinning, holds up his tin hat and proudly draws Doc's attention to the gaping rent in it — seems oblivious of his wound. On the deck propped against an ammo' case a Sub-Lieutenant, his left arm shattered, an ever-widening crimson circle forms beneath. He looks up, catches my eye, notes the camera and rinses a grin. Another man lies on the steel decking, a blanket scarcely hides the heavy, near-sodden dressing about his stomach. His face is green but his eyes are bright, with little success he tries to smoke but finds the breath to say: " We've blasted Jerry to hell on that beach, lad." I took a poor view (literally) of Jock's "audacious attack by low-flying enemy aircraft " being about fifty yards from the annuo dump when the egg was laid ! I had gone ashore with Colonel Langley (inventor of the Rocket-ship) to obtain special shots for Combined Ops. T heard the plane, and more important, heard the bomb. Reckon I hit the sand 1 5th second before bomb hit dump ! A luckj strike for Jerry if ever there was one. What goes up has to come down, and that was a biggish dump, so I hug my camera thinking of the two T had lost in previous action, wonder if this is to be the third. A trooper takes cover at my side, nurses his trophy — a German automatic rifle with ring sights, nice weapon. A scream, a rush of air. I look at companion — with lugubrious expression he eyes wb.it he grasps. It bears little resemblance to his prized trophy for sights and breach have been sheared off cleanly. Better a Jerry gat than my Eyemo I think. When I got off-shore in a Duck the dump was still putting on a fair imitation of Vesuvius writing finis in lava across Pompeii. T transferred to an Infantry Landing Craft waiting for our Admiral, who was carrying out a beach inspection despite the hail storm. An enemy battery, attracted by the dump, ranged the beach and included our craft in its arc of fire, then a cheeky .ME tried a little machine-gunning. Strong evasive action whilst standing on bridge with Col. Langley and using shelf as snack counter to partake of cornedbeef and cabbage followed by Christmas pudding washed down with whisky . . . the British at war are a strange people ! 1 came to regard the Colonel as Combined Op's gifl to the newsreels — till I got back to London. I was able to accompany him in the observation craft and secure breath-taking shots of rockel ships in action, but despite my caustic comments and a nice line in co-operation from the Colonel. SHAEF Censorship remained adamant. \bont l>-l>a\ plus I', I found comfortable accom