Postwar destruction; liberation of Dachau; DPs going home
Creator(s)
- Dr. Myron E. Greene
- Myron E. Greene (Camera Operator)
- Myron E. Greene (Subject)
Biographical History
Dr. Myron Eugene Greene (January 20, 1915 to May 25, 2010) served in the US Armed Forces European Theater of Operations from 1941 to 1946 as a Major practicing dentistry.
Scope and Content
8mm color and b/w motion pictures taken by Dr. Myron E. Greene (a dentist) during his five years in the Army. His unit took over Dachau from the 45th Div. at noon on April 29, 1945. Scenes showing destruction in Germany. Camera moving quickly. Clouds of smoke, flames, airplane in sky (dark). American GIs smoking, looking at sky. 06:03:15 (black and white) At military camp, jeeps, soldiers dressing. Destruction, ruins, rubble. Ambulance with Red Cross and military trucks moving in town; in same scene, people walking through the streets in the opposite direction, some have belongings. Scenes in town, destruction. Military trucks moving about, civilians. (color) More destruction. Airplanes in formation, and post with statue. 06:06:27 People on bicycles. Destroyed building. 06:07:32 Gate with eagle and swastika. CU, sign "Zentralbauleitung der Waffen SS U. Polizei Muenchen Dachau." 06:07:53 Girl standing on grass. CU, document with Dachau at top (cannot read). 06:08:40 At Dachau on April 29, 1945 - piles of bodies, difficult to determine because of lighting. More corpses/limbs in piles. INTs, very dark, bodies. 06:09:30 Fire. 06:09:56 Soldiers without shirts walking away from the camera within their military camp. 06:11:08 Banner between U.S. flags says, "Peace For Ever / Long Live Allied Nations" with many soldiers milling about. INT, building [dark]. Banner reads "Svobodna Federativna Demokratska Jugoslavija." More soldiers. 06:11:17 Survivors in uniform standing in front of sign reading "Oesterreich." People walking about. CUs survivors. 06:12:00 (black and white) Still photograph of a palace, juxtaposed against footage of destroyed palace. More destruction, slow pans, some shots with pedestrians. 06:14:05 DPs on truck, "going home." Many shots of displaced persons sitting on top of trains, waiting for departure. Some leaning out windows. Women, children, and men. Survivor holds a brick above his head. 06:15:14 (color) Snow-capped mountains in BG. VAR CUs soldiers, next to Military Police truck. Tent, downed plane, castle in the mountains, sign reading "Fuessen." Soldiers smoking, mountains.
Note(s)
Videotape created for USHMM on April 6, 1993. Dr. Greene narrated a videotape of his 8 mm film and photographs which provides additional details and context. It is called "World War II Odyssey of an Indiana Dentist" and is available in Film and Video's wild collection.
Subjects
- CORPSES
- LUGGAGE
- GATES
- GERMANS
- TENTS
- SIGNS/POSTERS
- CIVILIANS
- POSTWAR
- TRUCKS
- CONCENTRATION CAMPS (LIBERATION)
- PHOTOGRAPHS
- AMBULANCES
- FLAGS
- SOLDIERS/MILITARY (AMERICAN)
- TRAIN STATIONS
- RUBBLE
- AIRPLANES
- SURVIVORS
- GERMANY
- JEEPS
- TRAINS
- RED CROSS
- SWASTIKAS
- SMOKE
- MOUNTAINS
- LIBERATION
- RUINS
- MILITARY VEHICLES
- DISPLACED PERSONS (DP)
- DESTRUCTION
- PALACES/CASTLES
- AUSTRIA
- ATROCITIES
- BICYCLES
- DACHAU
Places
- Dachau, Germany
Genre
- Amateur.
- Film