Title:GENERAL EISENHOWER, GENERAL BRADLEY, MAJOR-GENERAL WALKER, LIEUTENANT-GENERAL PATTON VISIT OHRDRUF CONCENTRATION CAMP 12 APRIL 1945 [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 514-18
Other titles:CONCENTRATION CAMP MATERIAL FOR ALLIED FILM PRODUCTIONS [Allocated Series Title]
Summary: Unedited record films of Chief of Staff, General Dwight G Eisenhower, General Omar N Bradley, Commander 12th Army Group, Major-General Walton Walker, Commander XX Corps, and Lieutenant-General George S Patton, Commander 3rd US Army visiting Ohrdruf Concentration Camp on 12 April 1945. Major-General Walton Walker and General Middleton of VIII Corps greet them on arrival by air and take them to see conditions and hear victims reports.
Description: Generals Eisenhower, Bradley, Walker, Patton and Middleton in the camp being briefed by a US 1st Lieutenant. He calls forward an ex-inmate who sketches a salute and talks at length to Eisenhower as they tour round. A mixed crowd of US soldiers, some with personal cameras, and ex-inmates follow the visitors and are prevented from obstructing the tour by Military Police. Eisenhower is attentive to what he is being told and shown, and asks the chosen ex-inmate questions, listening intently to the answers, while the other generals are sometimes less concerned, and talk among themselves as they follow Eisenhower around the camp. There are many naked and raggedly clothed dead bodies lying on the ground. A form of punishment in which one prisoner was flogged while bent forward over a wooden trestle and stretched out by another prisoner is harmlessly demonstrated and explained. Official still photographers are recording the visit, one with a twin lens reflex and one with a 35ml single lens reflex. The cameraman's dope sheet refers to the presence of four other film cameramen.
The same scenes recorded from a slightly different viewpoint. A still photographer with a Speed Graphic and attached flash is seen operating a double darkslide. This holds two 5"x4" negatives for loading into the camera and sending for processing. Eisenhower leads his officers to a row of jeeps parked in the camp compound, he gives a thumbs up to the men, and the convoy of jeeps moves off, each is guarded by US soldiers with a 30ml Browning machine gun mounted on the vehicle.
Generals Walker and Middleton greet Generals Eisenhower, Bradley and Patton when they arrive at an airfield in a Stinson L-5B. Eisenhower wears a plastic rain cover on his cap and removes his uniform overcoat. The same scenes as Summary/1 and /2 again showing Eisenhower being told of regime in this camp by the chosen ex-inmate. There appears to be clarification of what he says by an accompanying Lieutenant, but not translation, so he is assumed to be speaking English. Further shots of the jeep convoy and of General Walker, who is short, having difficulty reaching up to get into the vehicle.
Alternative Title:CONCENTRATION CAMP MATERIAL FOR ALLIED FILM PRODUCTIONS [Allocated Series Title]
Colour:B&W
Digitised:No
Object_Number:A70 514-18
Sound:Silent
Access Conditions:
Featured Period:1939-1945
Production Date:1945-04-12
Production Country: United States of America
Production Details: Army Pictorial Service (Production sponsor)
United States Army Signal Corps (Production company)
Lubitsch (Sergeant) (Production individual)
Butterfield, R H (Production individual)
Owens, Fred (Production individual)
